5.0 out of 5 stars
VOLUNTEERS ON THE VELD: BRITAIN'S CITIZEN-SOLDIERS AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR, 1899-1902, October 31, 2010
This review is from: Volunteers on the Veld: Britain's Citizen-Soldiers and the South African War, 1899-1902 (Campaigns and Commanders) (Hardcover)
VOLUNTEERS ON THE VELD: BRITAIN'S CITIZEN-SOLDIERS AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR, 1899-1902
STEPHEN M. MILLER
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS, 2007
HARDCOVER, $29.95, MAPS, PHOTOGRAPHS, 236 PAGES
The British Empire suffered one of its greatest crises as the 19th Century ended. In December, 1899, the Boers inflicted three reverses on the regular British Army in South Africa in "Black Week". A nation grown accustomed to success was stunned. Part of the answer was a very British blend of patriotism and pragmatism. For the first time, civilian volunteers and part-time soldiers were allowed to fight overseas, sparking a popular frenzy. The main rush to join up came as the new century dawned and, by the end of the Boer War, more than 90,000 men had volunteered to serve. Much of the sporting high society joined the newly formed Imperial yeomanry. The volunteers sent infantrymen to serve alongside the regulars and the City of London financed the raising of the City Imperial Volunteers. Men also came forward from the colonies. The involvement of civilians and part-timers horrified traditionalist professional soldiers but it changed the Boer War from the last of the 19th Century's colonial campaigns into the first of the 20th Century's national conflicts. Rudyard Kipling caught the mood with his poem entitled The Absent-Minded Beggar (also known as A Gentleman In Khaki). These volunteer units were sent to South Africa amid a wave of jingoistic enthusiasm with little training and, as this book describes, their contributions to Britain's war effort ranged from the heroic to the farcical. In VOLUNTEERS ON THE VELD: BRITAIN'S CITIZEN-SOLDIERS AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR, 1899-1902, author Stephen M. Miller focuses on the connection between Britain's auxiliary forces-volunteers, militia, and yeomanry-and their imperial mission during the late Victorian era, looking especially at why the British war effort came to depend on their performance. Miller examines motivations for enlistment, the use of citizen-soldiers in guerrilla warfare, and the effects of combat on the soldiers themselves, weaving together the sense of national emergency, the influence of popular culture, and images of manhood that propelled so many Britons into the ranks of volunteers. Breaking with traditional interpretations, Miller reveals how education, religion, sports, entertainment, and the media shaped imperial attitudes and motivated volunteerism. He also draws on veterans' firsthand accounts as revealed in letters, diaries, and memories to help readers better understand prevailing concepts of duty and honor; the roles of discipline and leadership; peer pressure and male bonding; and the demoralizing effect of fighting a lengthy, drawn-out war without clear objectives. When they came back, they were welcomed as heroes. Author Stephen M. Miller brilliantly tells the story of Britain's Boer War volunteers with a panache that would surely have delighted these gallant men. VOLUNTEERS ON THE VELD: BRITAIN'S CITIZEN-SOLDIERS AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR, 1899-1902 isn't only a fascinating social history but an extraordinarily well-researched book.
Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Orlando, Florida
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Providing clarification; answering the 'whys', December 6, 2008
This review is from: Volunteers on the Veld: Britain's Citizen-Soldiers and the South African War, 1899-1902 (Campaigns and Commanders) (Hardcover)
Dr. Miller's book provided the definitions, the distinctions in the constitution, motivation and military skill, among the many volunteers entities participating for the British in the the Anglo-Boer War. Too many military history books fail to provide such needed clarifications. Miller's successful effort should be applauded, and hopefully should provide a standard for other military history authors.
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