I admit it. Mea
culpa. I am one of those who has regarded the war
in Africa as a sideshow. Perhaps
it is that oft-produced photograph of von Lettow-Vorbeck,
sitting at ease with colleagues while they get stuck
into a bottle of Bols. It might be the commander's
despatches from the theatre that I have reproduced
on the site, that describe a few dozen men here,
a Maxim gun there. An expensive,
meaningless diversion from the "real" war
in Europe. I must say that having read Edward Paice's
scholarly account he has begun to change my view.
"Untold" is
an interesting choice of work for the title. The
25 page bibliography containing many hundreds of
references given at the end of the book suggests
that it has been
told - and not just by British observers. Perhaps
"told but not listed to" is a
way to interpret this. There are German, South
Africa, French, Australian, Zimbabwean, Belgian and
Portuguese as well as British sources here. They
give a hint of the sprawling, international nature
of the war in Africa. On first glance through the
book it all appears rather daunting.
The campaign is incredibly complex,
being fought over vast territories on a number of fronts.
The amount of research behind
this book is impressive. So is the fact that the narrative
takes one into unfamiliar geographies and situations
with ease. In a way, there is something for everyone
here. There are battleships and naval crews, gunboats,
disastrous amphibious landings, lions and huge mosquitoes.
Throughout there is a sense of humidity, grit and sweat.
I could not help thinking of Humphrey Bogart
and the "African Queen", a tale of the era.
Edward certainly helped me understand the context of
the war and the interlocking nature of the campaigns
within the campaign. He also vividly illustrates the
loss - some 100,000 died in all, many as a result of
disorganisation and neglect of medical services - and
devastation of the country, as the British forces pursued
the ruthless von Lettow-Vorbeck and his askaris.
Undefeated, he only surrendered after the Armistice and
defeat of Germany in Europe.
A great book and well worth a diversion
from your reading about the Blankshires on the Somme.
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here for all the British Army and WW1 books you might
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