My Reminiscences of the Anglo-Boer War

About this book

This work is a first‑hand memoir by General Ben J. Viljoen, a senior Boer commander who served as Assistant Commandant‑General of the Transvaal forces and later sat in the Transvaal Volksraad for Johannesburg. The opening pages present a prefatory note by Colonel Theodore Brinckman, who introduces Viljoen as a prisoner‑of‑war on St. Helena, and then a candid author’s address in which Viljoen explains the difficulties of composing his recollections while captive, the loss of his notes, and his intent to offer a “naked and unembellished story” of the South African War. The book proceeds chronologically from the political tensions of the mid‑1890s, through the Jameson Raid, to the outbreak of hostilities in September 1899, and promises a series of chapters that trace battles, retreats, and the author’s own capture and imprisonment.

Viljoen writes in a straightforward, unadorned style that reflects his self‑described lack of literary ambition and his reliance on memory rather than extensive documentation. The voice is that of a pragmatic military officer, marked by occasional humor and a clear desire for impartiality despite his personal involvement. Readers interested in authentic Boer perspectives on the Anglo‑Boer War, especially those who appreciate detailed campaign narratives, the experience of prisoners of war, and the political backdrop of the conflict, will find this memoir a valuable, if modest, addition to the period’s literature.