Customer Reviews

The History of Warfare: The Boer War and Other Colonial Adventures

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I read the reviews that were not too flattering, and hesitated about purchasing the DVD. There is a plethora of information in this program; there are some holes, but overall, this DVD covers the bases quite adequately. My procedure was to watch the DVD; then, play again, but only listen to the narration; now watch it and take notes of events at least 2 other times. There is an overwhelming amount of information, and it cannot be absorbed in just one viewing. Of 4 pages of notes, only @ 6/10ths of 1 page deal with British adventures in Egypt and the Sudan. the rest deals with Southern Afrika. Topics include: the driving forces behind european colonialization in Afrika, weapons and tactics of the British and the Boers; how and when the British acquired the cape colony; Cecil Rhodes concept of a "Cape to Cairo" railroad and how it applied to the Zulus and their land; how the discovery of a major gold vein in the Witwatersrand of the Transvaal in 1886 influenced British attitudes toward the Boer Republics; the British use of consentration camps and the the "Post System" against the Boers. Throughout the program we see how the British policy and attitude toward the Boers swings one way, then back again; and how the British annexation of Natal Colony forces the Boers to settle the Transvaal and become overwhelming wealthy from the gold discoveries. Dr. David G. Chandler, Instructor, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (Britain's West Point) provides enlightening commentary. Don't shortchange yourself...this is one film you will want to add to your DVD collection ! ! !

This is a fleeting history of the Boer War. Not very accurate and perhaps not the best available. A title in the "War File" Series entitled "The Boer War: A Bitter and Bloody Clash of Arms" is perhaps a better buy.
This is a one sided view of the Boer War - it would have been more pertinent having both views presented.
The scramble for Africa content is not accurate, unfortunately.
As there is scant Visual Material on the Boer war - this will at least be somewhat informative.

This film doesn't use a lot of footage from movies, so maybe no film about the Boer War was ever produced. Instead of characters acting in the language of the actual deceased individuals, they speak English here. No Dutch, No Afrikaans, etc.

They have only one scholar being interviewed here. Rather than sitting in an expensive leather chair, he seems to be in his university office surrounded by books.

A large fraction of the documentary focuses on British actions in Sudan, rather than in South Africa. Again, it leaves the viewer with the impression that the Boer War is a threadbare topic. Winston Churchill's name and his actions during the time come up often. Again, it felt like filler, however.

The film stated that actions in the Boer War would later be re-played in both World Wars. However, I was dismayed that the documentary never once says, "These are the ancestors that put apartheid in place, oppressing Blacks in Southern Africa for decades." Glossing over that tragedy but emphasizing others felt very problematic to me.

Dull as dish-water - save your money and wait for a decent film about this war. I wish I had.