The definitive account of Commando: A Boer Journal of the Anglo-Boer War, published word-for-word as Reitz first wrote it; edited and annotated by historian and Anglo-Boer War expert, Professor Fransjohan Pretorius.

In 1899, Deneys Reitz, then aged seventeen, enlisted in the Boer army to fight the British. He had learnt to ride, shoot and swim almost as soon as he could walk. He made full use of these skills and the endurance he had acquired in the next three years of the war, during which he fought with the Boer commandos.

He was involved in major actions, like the battle of Spioen Kop, and he interacted with prolific political and military figures of the time, such as President Paul Kruger, Boer generals Piet Joubert, Louis Botha, Koos de la Rey, Christiaan Beyers, Jan Smuts and British commander Lord Kitchener. He even met the young Winston Churchill as a prisoner-of-war in Pretoria.

Reitz forged a strong personal and political friendship with General Jan Smuts after the war, built on reciprocal respect.

Commando is more than a historical document; it is a literary masterpiece that transcends time. With prose that captures both the brutality and the beauty of war, Reitz weaves a narrative that resonates with authenticity and passion.

As relevant today as when it was first penned, Commando has become a South African classic and stands as a testament to the indomitable human spirit in the face of adversity.

This is a trilogy of Deneys Reitz's three compelling works: Commando, Trekking On and No Outspan. Since publication in 1999, it has become an outstanding seller in its own right.

It provides the reader with a lively, personal account of South African affairs from the Jameson Raid in 1895 to the start of World War II, when the author was Deputy Prime Minister of South Africa. It is also the story of a compulsive adventurer, nature lover and, of course, celebrated daredevil during the Anglo-Boer War who, in the words of Thomas Packenham, 'had the uncanny knack of living through war as though leafing through pages of an adventure story'.

Truly, this knack persisted for the rest of the author's life; and Adrift On The Open Veld gives the reader a gripping insight into southern African affairs through the eyes of a remarkable man who ended his career as South African High Commissioner in London.

A riveting memoir of the Great War from a uniquely African perspective.

The author helped suppress a rebellion in South Africa, defeat German West Africa, fight in German East Africa, and fight in France, where he commanded a Scottish battalion at the end of the war.

King George V told the author in later years that he kept this book at his bedside in Windsor Castle.

1929. Deneys Reitz, who is now one of General Smuts's political lieutenants and a warm supporter of the British Commonwealth, fought through the South African War as our enemy. He enlisted on the outbreak of the war as a boy of seventeen and went through it to the bitter end. His father was President of the Orange Free State, and after peace was concluded he and his family went into exile. Later he returned to his own country; and later still fought in the Great War on the side of the Allies, first in West and South Africa, and then in France, where he was severely wounded, and where he came to command the First Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Commando abounds in interesting sidelights and portraits-Kruger, De Wet, Smuts, Kitchener. One of the most remarkable passages gives us a glimpse of the young Winston Churchill as prisoner of war in Pretoria. It is difficult to speak of this book in anything short of a string of superlatives. The spirit of it is magnificent; the uncomplaining courage of the boy-fighter rouses memories of all the stories down the ages about unrecking devotion to an ideal. And not one of them is a finer one than this.

This is a new release of the original 1929 edition.

This is a new release of the original 1929 edition.

1929. Deneys Reitz, who is now one of General Smuts's political lieutenants and a warm supporter of the British Commonwealth, fought through the South African War as our enemy. He enlisted on the outbreak of the war as a boy of seventeen and went through it to the bitter end. His father was President of the Orange Free State, and after peace was concluded he and his family went into exile. Later he returned to his own country; and later still fought in the Great War on the side of the Allies, first in West and South Africa, and then in France, where he was severely wounded, and where he came to command the First Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Commando abounds in interesting sidelights and portraits-Kruger, De Wet, Smuts, Kitchener. One of the most remarkable passages gives us a glimpse of the young Winston Churchill as prisoner of war in Pretoria. It is difficult to speak of this book in anything short of a string of superlatives. The spirit of it is magnificent; the uncomplaining courage of the boy-fighter rouses memories of all the stories down the ages about unrecking devotion to an ideal. And not one of them is a finer one than this.

1929. Deneys Reitz, who is now one of General Smuts's political lieutenants and a warm supporter of the British Commonwealth, fought through the South African War as our enemy. He enlisted on the outbreak of the war as a boy of seventeen and went through it to the bitter end. His father was President of the Orange Free State, and after peace was concluded he and his family went into exile. Later he returned to his own country; and later still fought in the Great War on the side of the Allies, first in West and South Africa, and then in France, where he was severely wounded, and where he came to command the First Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Commando abounds in interesting sidelights and portraits-Kruger, De Wet, Smuts, Kitchener. One of the most remarkable passages gives us a glimpse of the young Winston Churchill as prisoner of war in Pretoria. It is difficult to speak of this book in anything short of a string of superlatives. The spirit of it is magnificent; the uncomplaining courage of the boy-fighter rouses memories of all the stories down the ages about unrecking devotion to an ideal. And not one of them is a finer one than this.

1929. Deneys Reitz, who is now one of General Smuts's political lieutenants and a warm supporter of the British Commonwealth, fought through the South African War as our enemy. He enlisted on the outbreak of the war as a boy of seventeen and went through it to the bitter end. His father was President of the Orange Free State, and after peace was concluded he and his family went into exile. Later he returned to his own country; and later still fought in the Great War on the side of the Allies, first in West and South Africa, and then in France, where he was severely wounded, and where he came to command the First Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Commando abounds in interesting sidelights and portraits-Kruger, De Wet, Smuts, Kitchener. One of the most remarkable passages gives us a glimpse of the young Winston Churchill as prisoner of war in Pretoria. It is difficult to speak of this book in anything short of a string of superlatives. The spirit of it is magnificent; the uncomplaining courage of the boy-fighter rouses memories of all the stories down the ages about unrecking devotion to an ideal. And not one of them is a finer one than this.

Hierdie is die Afrikaanse weergawe van Deneys Reitz se joernaal, wat sy haas ongelooflike wedervaringe in die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog beskryf, asook – in hierdie uitgawe – die swaarkry tydens sy ballingskap in Madagaskar, en sy moeilike terugkoms na Suid-Afrika. Die eerste publikasie van Commando, deur Faber & Faber in 1929, was sedertdien ’n blitsverkoper in vele uitgawes en ander tale. Dit word wyd gerespekteer as ’n klassieke weergawe van die oorlog. Meer kopieë as van alle ander boeke oor die Anglo-Boereoorlog saam is reeds van dié boek verkoop, in die woorde van vryskutresensent Ferdi Greyling: “eenvoudig omdat dit ’n briljante boek is”.

Greyling sê van hierdie vertaling in moderne Afrikaans deur Hendrik Jansen: “Die vertaling lees gemaklik en hoewel ek soms gewonder het of die vertelstyl nie dalk hier en daar ietwat te ver gevoer is nie, besef ek ook dat ‘vertel’ die kern van Reitz se styl is. Die vertaling werk dus.”

Greyling sê ook: “Reitz se skerp waarneming het hom in staat gestel om mense soos Paul Kruger, Piet Joubert, Koos de la Rey, Louis Botha, Jan Smuts, Christian de Wet, Siener van Rensburg en selfs Winston Churchill in ’n paragraaf of wat as lewende persoonlikhede weer te gee. Dis ’n kuns om die regte manerismes en stukkies gesprekke te onthou wat die mense as’t ware opsom.”

Hy sê van die skrywer: “Hy het ’n helder en ekonomiese styl wat die aksent van sy emosies afhaal en die leser met die gebeure laat wat intelligent en samehangend aangebied word. Dis ’n boek wat verdien om beskikbaar te wees vir elke nuwe geslag wat aan die lees gaan.”