Lost Trails of the Transvaal

by T.V. Bulpin

History related to peoples of Africa.

Genres: Africa, South Africa, History, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Thomas Victor Bulpin wrote 29 books and over 2000 booklets, pamphlets, newspapers and magazine features, and travel videos, becoming the Doyen of African travel writers and a legend in his own lifetime.

Reviews

[John]

First, the important stuff. This old book is, published in 1956, is by modern standards, racist. It mirrors the attitudes of apartheid, marginalizing and minimizing the the terrible story about the conquest of Transvaal's black peoples by narrow-minded Boers and Brits.

Second, the book is full of fascinating stories about the Boers and Brits from their perspective, where they are quarrelling heroes who overcome great trials to settle a new land and find riches in its gold fields. As a jaundiced historical account, it is riveting. It also manages to portray something of the character of the Boers of that era, in particular, for better but mostly worse. It also does well at describing something of the grandeur and beauty of Transvaal.

I'd recommend the book as helpful research for those interested in the post-Trek era, or interested in glimpses of the land as it once was.

[Carl]

Very good book about old Transvaal and what led up to the second Boer War.