2021/09/27 by John Griffiths · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #African history and culture studies
paper · doi:10.4324/9781351024822-17
openalex publication_date 2021/09/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The British Empire and colonial warfare evidently generated a healthy appetite for accounts of the engagements of British troops in the Empire and British rule overseas more generally. The appetite was catered for by publishing houses such as Cassell, founded in 1848. It issued illustrated accounts of the wars in the Soudan (Sudan) and in South Africa, in addition to a history of India. James Grant (1822–1887) was a prolific writer, authoring both fiction and non-fiction works. Born in Scotland, he was a distant relative of Sir Walter Scott. Grant authored the Illustrated History of India (1876) and the History of the War in the Soudan (1885–86). Richard Danes authored the South African volume. One review noted of Danes’ volume, ‘War provides great scope for picturesque and descriptive writing, and in this instance the author has made the most of it’. Indeed, at times the writing in the Boer volume borders on the kind of prose found in the Boys’ Own Paper . Danes adopts the perspective of the British, describing them as hardy people who had been obliged to assert their dominion over the natives at the muzzle of a rifle. The black population in Africa are not seen in Danes’ account as the equals of white settlers. It is likely these books were held by public libraries for the perusal of both youths and adults alike .