THE BRUNT OF THE WAR and where it fell

Black paper-covered boards with pressed title on front and gilt titles on spine. Endpapers advertising Methuen and Co's latest publications (November 1902). The binding has been repaired and is well held together but still shows signs of wear (see photograph).

Title page has a few small stains. Back endpapers (advertising) have some foxing. A few pages are spotted, but the book is remarkably free of foxing. Front and bottom edges are not evenly trimmed.

Nine full page black and white phtographs and one fold-out map, all in good condition.

Prelim pages i-xvi, include Title page, Preface from the Past, Dedication to the Women of South Africa, Table of Contents, Appendices giviing statistics of rations, mortality, farms burnt, native camps, dates of establishment of camps, some Articles of the Hague Convention on the Rules of Law and an extract from the British Army Manual of Military Law (1899).

Emily Hopbouse was an Englishwoman who took up the cause of South Africans of all races in Concentration Camps in the Boer War (1899-1902). In this book she describes how the ruthless burning of Transvaal and Orange Free State farms between 1899 and 1902 resulted in the need to provide food and shelter to thousands of homeless people who were displaced, starving and dying.

Many letters to and from the various government authorities are quoted and detailed statistics are included in the appendices. She makes the point firmly that she is not attacking the British Army, but rather the British Government of the time for the crassly foolish, heartless and inhumane policy.

These 'concentration camps' were, in fact, a relief measure, attemptig to deal with the disastrous policy of burning the farms, but with hopelessly inadequate food, shelter and medical facilities that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.