SOUTH AFRICANS AT WAR

Author and Title: Various Authors (James Ambrose Brown, Peter Bagshawe, C.J. Harris, Jack Kros, et al.) SOUTH AFRICANS AT WAR: The Complete Ashanti Series (12-Volume Multi-Signed First Edition Set)

Collation: First editions, first impressions: 12 volumes, royal octavo (8vo), extensively illustrated with archival photographs, fold-out maps, and tactical diagrams. Original publisher's matching premium cloth boards with gilt spine titles, in original photographic dust jackets. All twelve volumes are in very good condition, structurally firm and square with sharp corners and bright spine gilt. Text blocks are tight and clean with only normal light handling wear and minor edge toning; completely free of internal markings or highlighting. The original unclipped dust jackets show minor edge wear and light rubbing, all now stabilized and preserved inside clear archival-quality removable protective sleeves. A very good set.

 

Highly collectible provenance featuring genuine author inscriptions in six volumes: Vol 2 inscribed by Peter Bagshawe; Vol 3 dually inscribed by Peter Bagshawe and Dermot Moore; Vol 5 inscribed by naval historian C.J. Harris; Vol 6 inscribed by combat veteran James Ambrose Brown; Vol 8 inscribed by Jack Kros; and Vol 11 featuring a lengthy presentation inscription by Peter K.A. Digby to a research contributor.

Notes: Published between 1990 and 1994, the Ashanti series remains the definitive and most comprehensive account of South Africa’s military interventions during the major conflicts of the twentieth century. The volumes cover the full spectrum of operations across World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, including the East African, Western Desert, Italian, and Korean campaigns, alongside maritime and aerial actions. The series is particularly noted for its ground-breaking inclusion of Ian Gleeson's The Unknown Force, which provided the first major academic study of the long-overlooked contributions of Black, Indian, and Coloured servicemen.

The collective authors represent South Africa's foremost mid-century military historians and veterans, blending official archives with personal diaries and letters. Chief among them is James Ambrose Brown, a desert veteran and acclaimed writer, whose expansive military research is preserved at institutions like the South African National Museum of Military History. A rare opportunity to acquire the complete uniform series with extensive author signatures.

Size: Royal 8vo (240 x 160 mm)
Imprint: Johannesburg, Ashanti Publishing, 1990–1994