ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA - COMPLETE IN FOUR VOLUMES

This set is uncommon as complete in Four Volumes. These volumes comprise:

1. Volume One of the Minutes. Folio. 534pp. 1903.

2. Volume Tow of the Minutes. Folio. 720pp. 1903.

3. Appendices to the Minutes. Folio. 445pp. 1903.

4. Report of His Majesty's Commissioners Appointed to Enquire into the Military Preparations and other matters connected with the War In South Africa. Folio. 316pp. 1903. 

All four volumes are finely bound in matching red half morocco and buckram with gilt lettering on the front board and on a green leather label on the spine. Five raised bands on the spines, top edges gilt and hand sewn headbands. Some rubbing and wear of the bindings with some corners bumped and occasionally scuffed. Marbled endpapers. Owner's ex libris on a preliminary blank in all four volumes. Internally very clean. A very good attractive set. The fourth volume (The Report) would seem to be scarce. 

A thorough and revealing account of the inquiry into the British military preparations for the Second Boer War, and into the supply of men, ammunition, equipment and transport by sea and land in connection with the campaign, and into the military operations up to the occupation of Pretoria. During the 55 days of the inquiry, which focused on discovering inefficiency or defects in the administration of the Army, a total of 22,200 questions were put to the witnesses. In answering a question (No. 18,715) put to him about summary punishment on the spot of soldiers by officers, Colonel W L Davidson recalled in Zululand ''where an Eton boy who was a trooper being sent off straight away into the country among the Kaffirs, and the army marched on without him''. When it was suggested to Davidson that this was a cruel thing to do (Question No. 18,716), he replied ''Yes, but war is cruel, and you often save thousands of lives by doing that''. When later it was put to Davidson in Question 18,717 that ''would it not be better to shoot him than to perpetrate such an act of cruelty?'' he replied ''I think nothing saves lives better than shooting a few''. In an Appendix (Vol. 2, page 661) there is a paragraph on 'Concentration Camps' in which Major-General G. Barton concluded that ''In my opinion concentration camps were an absolute necessity from the Kaffir question alone, if for no other reason''. 

PLEASE NOTE:  This is a very heavy set and shipping outside of South Africa will be expensive (possibly prohibitively).