Marthinus Theunis Steijn

Demy 8vo; pictorial khaki cloth blocked in black; pp. (ii) + 156; photographs. Spine a little tanned; earlier owner\'s name signed, with date \'1916\', on front free endpaper; endpapers somewhat foxed; pages a little browned, as usual. Dutch text. The earliest full-length biography of the inspirational leader of the Orange Free State, widely regarded as the outstanding Afrikaner figure of his generation. \"With his passing, the Afrikaner nation lost one of its most outstanding leaders. He appeared on the public scene at a time when South Africa was in a state of turmoil as a result of opposing political viewpoints. With statesman-like wisdom, he attempted to conciliate Kruger and Milner and avert war. Although his efforts were unsuccessful, his honest, moderate but firm conduct in controversial matters gained the respect of friend and foe and laid the foundation for co-operation between the various parties after the war. When the Afrikaner nation became politically divided, Steyn was the only binding factor. Although his political views were embodied in Hertzog\'s programme of principles, he never became totally estranged from Botha. One of Steyn\'s outstanding achievements was, indeed, the fact that he enjoyed the trust of friend and foe at all times.\" - DSAB II, p. 715. The dustwrapper of Karel Schoeman\'s biography of President Steyn and his wife Tibbie includes the following comment on earlier lives of the leader of the Orange Free State: \"Tydens sy lewe is president Steyn in Suid-Afrika sowel as daarbuite as een van die grootste figure in die land gehuldig; maar verbasend soos dit klink, het daar nog net een omvattende lewensbeskrywing van die President in Afrikaans verskyn, wat in 1921 gepubliseer is.\" The earliest Afrikaans biography, to which reference is made above, is that by N.J. van der Merwe, published some twenty years after Rompel\'s work.