Boucher, David  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7305-2966 and Ngqulunga, Bongani, eds.
2026.
Smuts, empire and beyond: The formative years.
Johannesburg:
UJ Press.
10.64449/9781997499121
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Abstract
In this volume, we study the complex formation of the of the extraordinary life, capabilities, vision, energy, and commitment of Jan Smuts from his early years at home, school and university, showing how his practical skills as a commando, soldier and statesman are integrally related to his early experiences. His life unfolds against the background of imperialism and empire that shaped the world in which he lived, and which he did much to influence its formation. His impact on world affairs as a soldier and statesman in the first half of the twentieth century is the primary focus of his biographers. This volume begins by setting the scene of how Smuts’ lifelong religious and spiritual quest informed his process-oriented worldview, which provided the foundation of his resilience under extreme circumstances, including defeat in the Second Anglo Boer War, the formation of the Union, and his complex relations with ‘natives’, the English ‘white race’, soldiers, politicians, statesmen and women. His capacity and tenacity earned widespread admiration from figures such as Winston Churchill, King George V and VI, and Mohandas Gandhi.
| Item Type: | Book - edited |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Cardiff Law & Politics |
| Publisher: | UJ Press |
| ISBN: | 9781997499114 |
| Last Modified: | 31 Jul 2026 08:45 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/188654 |
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