Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #126 begins on 25 Sep 2025

Coetzee, (Colin G)

FORTS OF THE EASTERN CAPE

Securing A Frontier 1799-1878

Published: Self published, Fort Hare, 1994

Edition: First Edition

Reserve: $255

Approximately:

Estimate: $400

Bidding opens: 25 Sep 16:30 GMT

Bidding closes: 2 Oct 16:30 GMT

Ships from: South Africa

Lot 247 preview

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Copy No.35.  The definitive source on the subject matter. The author's printed work was destroyed by authorities, for political reasons, at the University of Fort Hare where he worked and where they were printed. Few copies survive, mostly in the hands of institutions. This is an extensive scholarly work detailing the location, construction, and history of forts, fortifications, posts, bridges, prisons, earthworks. watchtowers, guard houses, hospitals, cemeteries, signal towers, roads etc. Effectively all British military works & structures built in the Eastern Cape during the 19thC are detailed here. The research was mostly drawn from British archival sources and works of contemporary writers - some of whom were eye-witnesses to the construction of military posts. Aims were to indicate the exact nature of the forts, why they were erected, where they were sited, how they related to the broader trends of frontier history and how their existence affected the lives of the British soldiers who manned them as well as those of the amaXhosa against and amongst whom they were erected. Illustrated with coloured photographs, maps, plans, sketches. Numerous appendices, extensive list of sources. A major work on South African military history.

Printed at the University of Fort Hare. Published by author, Grahamstown 1994 1st edition.

Gilt title decorated red cloth boards. 695pp illustrated colour & b/w photographs.

No inscriptions. A sound VG copy. Good-VG protected dustwrapper (no major chips, tears, or loss) is well secured to pastedowns with sello (this is clearly visible with all its imperfection in the images. Despite what you see this looks to be a fairly clean dustwrapper beneath the plastic protection which I have not removed). A second lesser dustwrapper with repairs is provided.

Our Ref #29521

  • Jacket Condition: G-VG protected
  • Binding Condition: VG
  • Overall Condition: VG
  • Size: 310mm x 220mm x 50mm 2.4kg


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