The Black Concentration Camps of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902

Hardcover, laminated boards with title on cover, laminated  dust jacket , pp. 325.

Illustrated with black & white and sepia photographs. From the Introduction: "This study has as its purpose to provide a comprehensive history of the black concentration camps, their role in the overall history of the Anglo-Boer War, and the tragic illness, death and suffering that resulted from the deprivation that took place in these camps... The work hopes to fill a significant gap in the historiography of both the war and the overall history of black people in South Africa... The book in, in part, attempts to refute certain false paradigms regarding the black camps. In summary, these false paradigms are as follows: (1) That if the black camps existed at all, their establishment was motivated by the desire to provide labour to the British Army and that they were inherently less harsh than the white camps. (2) That the failure to provide adequate food, shelter and medical care was the result of the inability of the British Army to do so because of the logistical restraints of a lack of rolling stock and engines and a single track railway. (3) That unlike the white camp inmates, blacks were not compelled either to enter or remain in the black concentration camps. (4) That the numbers of deaths in the black camps were considerably lower than in the white camps. (5) That the black and white camps were established for humanitarian reasons".