The Outspan: Tales of South Africa

by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick

The Outspan - Tales of South Africa is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1897. Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

Genres: Fiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 1897

Reviews

[Dianne]

This is a digitised reissue of a book by BiblioLife who are aiming to produce books of cultural or historic importance published before 1923. Outspan was published by Heineman in 1897.

I really enjoyed this series of short stories set in the main in Barberton and Swaziland in the 1890s. It is written in a lively colloquial style encapsulating the slang and attitudes of the period. At the time Barberton was the centre of a gold-rush, goods were transported by ox-wagon and 'roads' consisted of trails through bush and over mountains. A railway through the Kaap valley was being built. Sir Percy was a transport driver until he lost his oxen to sleeping sickness and had to take an 'office job' in Barberton, writing a weekly column for The Barberton Herald on the side.

Sir Percy is a good raconteur, and these are campfire stories, some based upon lightly disguised real individuals. For example Sebougwaan, the Englishman dressed in a towel and a monocle, the subject of the first story, did live in Swaziland. The first three stories are excellent, although not politically correct. They are authentic in period, place and people. The last three are more contrived. There is some romance, and a thriller designed to chill. Sir Percy has a very soft spot for children and one Child's utterances would have had the paedophile police descending upon him. Yet this reflects a rather twee Victorian attitude to childhood, which makes me feel rather uncomfortable. I have the same reaction to his dedication in his classic children's book 'Jock of the Bushveld'.

Overall a good light read. It has particular resonance for me as my great grandparents emigrated to this area at that time.

[Steve Mayberry]

Is there anything more charming than a racist, sexist, smug, early-20th-century British gentleman?

[Andrew]

Having read a number of historical books particularly set in Africa which I found interesting I really couldn't get into this one. I found the writing disjointed, to such an extent that I wondered if it was me rather than the way it was written. Of course there were the dated references to the native peoples which are shocking to read, but I should emphasise do not constitute a large part of this work.