Diamonds, Gold and War: the British, the Boers and the Making of South Africa
About This Novel
South Africa was once a chaotic patchwork of British colonies, Boer republics and African chiefdoms, a land considered worthless until prospectors discovered it contained some of the world's richest deposits of diamonds and gold. This began a bloody conflict for control of South Africa's land. The British fought fiercely with the Boers, even launching the most expensive, bloody, and humiliating war in nearly a century. In the end, the British severely damaged the Boer Republic. Today, South Africa remains the richest country in Africa. The discovery of diamonds and gold in the 19th century laid the foundation for South Africa to develop into a highly prosperous and well-functioning country, but not everyone is eligible to enjoy it. As the author said, if you ignore the pain and turmoil of history, diamonds and gold mean great wealth. But for the indigenous people of South Africa, this is just the bane of constant plunder, unrest, conflict, and oppression.
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