The House of Phalo: A History of the Xhosa People in the Days of Their Independence

by J.B. Peires

Book by Peires, Jeffrey Brian

Genres: History, South Africa

Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Jeffrey Brian Peires

Reviews

[Putuma Gqamana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise for me, because I was shocked to find it in the Peabody Collection at Hampton University in the mid-90's. Once I opened it I never could put it down. It's not just a historical account of the history of Xhosa collection of Nguni tribes, starting from Phalo's Kingdom early in the second millenium of the common era, but somewhat an academic comparison and contrast study to another study that I had incorrectly assumed to be the correct historical account. Nonetheless, I appreciate the careful use of archive references by J.B. Peires and the assembly of accounts from the oral tradition from Xhosa tribesmen. I was very excited to find very accurate depictions of places I know, and the citing as references from ancestors that come from my part of the world, e.g., the late Mr Ndodiphela Vitsha of the AmaMfene clan, whose family I know very closely. This book was like a gateway drug, so to speak, to more books about the Frontier after the arrival of the British to Southern Africa in 1820. It remains to me a reference point for further studies and conversations on the history of Xhosas and the many cultural groups and clans that are associated with them. Great book !