My Reminiscences of the Anglo-Boer War

Crown 8vo; original red cloth, lettered in gilt on spine and upper cover; pp. 542 + (ii); frontis. portrait; plates; several battle plans. Spine sunned; light wear to extremities; edges a little browned; occasional spotting. Very good condition. (Hackett, p. 194; Mendelssohn II, pp. 568-569) Viljoen\'s memoirs were written while a prisoner-of-war on St Helena, and published before the conclusion of hostilities. \'In humorously alluding to the fabulous tales about him which had appeared in the British papers, the General remarks that \"after the several coups de grace in the field, and the tragic execution at De Aar ... all which is left of Ben Viljoen ... still pans out at a fairly robust young fellow - quite an ordinary young fellow indeed, thirty-four years of age, of middle height and build,\" although a periodical narrated how, bound to a chair, and placed near his open grave, he had met his doom with \"rare stoicism and fortitude.\" ... The work is free from bitterness, and is characterised by a fairness and lack of bragging which favourably distinguishes it from other publications written from the Boer point of view, while the humour, candour, and good-nature displayed in the volume are undeniable. The author was instructed by General Joubert to proceed to the Natal frontier, and he subsequently joined the troops under General Kock\'s command. He does not appear to have had a high opinion of his leader, and remarks, possibly if we \"had had less to do with arrogant and stupid old men, we should have reached Cape Town and Durban.\"\' - Mendelssohn.