Chris Schoeman – författare

Throughout the history of rugby, it has been the flyhalves who have gripped the imagination of rugby supporters the most. Arguably the most crucial position on the rugby field, a flyhalf can almost single-handedly win a game for his team (remember Naas Botha’s 1987 Currie Cup final, and Joel Stransky’s drop kick in the 1995 World Cup final?). South Africa has produced some of the most famous flyhalves in international rugby, and The Number 10s covers their and other remarkable players’ stories. From an older era, there are Bennie Osler, Tony Harris, Hansie Brewis (who never lost a Test), Keith Oxlee and Naas Botha; and, more recently, Henry Honiball, Joel Stransky and Morné Steyn.The Number 10s also relives several of the magic moments of rugby’s generals, such as the brilliance of Bennie Osler (1928), Tony Harris (1937) and Naas Botha (1981) versus the All Blacks; Jannie de Beer versus England at the 1999 World Cup; and Derick Hougaard in the 2002 Currie Cup final. A fascinating and informative read for rugby fans of all ages.

Throughout the history of rugby, it has been the flyhalves who have gripped the imagination of rugby supporters the most. Arguably the most crucial position on the rugby field, a flyhalf can almost single-handedly win a game for his team (remember Naas Botha’s 1987 Currie Cup final, and Joel Stransky’s drop kick in the 1995 World Cup final?). South Africa has produced some of the most famous flyhalves in international rugby, and The Number 10s covers their and other remarkable players’ stories. From an older era, there are Bennie Osler, Tony Harris, Hansie Brewis (who never lost a Test), Keith Oxlee and Naas Botha; and, more recently, Henry Honiball, Joel Stransky and Morné Steyn.The Number 10s also relives several of the magic moments of rugby’s generals, such as the brilliance of Bennie Osler (1928), Tony Harris (1937) and Naas Botha (1981) versus the All Blacks; Jannie de Beer versus England at the 1999 World Cup; and Derick Hougaard in the 2002 Currie Cup final. A fascinating and informative read for rugby fans of all ages.

Boer Boy is the touching true story of a ten-year- old farm boy’s traumatic but fascinating experiences during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902.When Charles du Preez and his father were discovered hiding in the mountains of their eastern Free State farm, they were taken prisoner by the English and transported in open coal trucks to Durban. From there they began a harrowing journey aboard the SS Aurania to the prisoner-of-war camps of Umballa and Solon in India, where Charles was the youngest inmate. Back in South Africa, Charles’s mother and siblings, apprehended while fleeing the Khakis during Lord Kitchener’s destructive ‘scorched earth’ campaign, were interned in the infamous Winburg concentration camp.Based on an account Charles wrote later in life as well as other notable oral and documentary sources, including a diary kept by Charles’s mother during the war, Boer Boy tracks the Du Preez family’s wartime experiences. It culminates in Charles and his father’s repatriation to South Africa, where the family was reunited and returned home to the ruins of their farm to start again.Enthralling, poignant and richly informative, this is a valuable addition to the history of the Anglo-Boer War.

Boer Boy is the touching true story of a ten-year- old farm boy’s traumatic but fascinating experiences during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902.When Charles du Preez and his father were discovered hiding in the mountains of their eastern Free State farm, they were taken prisoner by the English and transported in open coal trucks to Durban. From there they began a harrowing journey aboard the SS Aurania to the prisoner-of-war camps of Umballa and Solon in India, where Charles was the youngest inmate. Back in South Africa, Charles’s mother and siblings, apprehended while fleeing the Khakis during Lord Kitchener’s destructive ‘scorched earth’ campaign, were interned in the infamous Winburg concentration camp.Based on an account Charles wrote later in life as well as other notable oral and documentary sources, including a diary kept by Charles’s mother during the war, Boer Boy tracks the Du Preez family’s wartime experiences. It culminates in Charles and his father’s repatriation to South Africa, where the family was reunited and returned home to the ruins of their farm to start again.Enthralling, poignant and richly informative, this is a valuable addition to the history of the Anglo-Boer War.

Boerseun is die hartroerende ware verhaal van ’n tienjarige plaasseun se traumatiese maar fassinerende ervaringe gedurende die Anglo- Boereoorlog van 1899-1902.Wanneer die Engelse Charles du Preez en sy pa in hul skuilplek in die berge op hul Oos-Vrystaatse plaas opspoor, word die twee gevange geneem en in oop steenkooltrokke na Durban weggevoer. Van daar vertrek hulle op ’n angswekkende reis aan boord die SS Aurania na die krygsgevangenekampe Umballa en Solon in Indië, waar Charles die jongste inwoner is. In Suid-Afrika word Charles se ma en die ander kinders, wat gevange geneem is terwyl hulle tydens lord Kitchener se verwoestende “verskroeide aarde”-veldtog vir die Kakies gevlug het, in die berugte Winburgkonsentrasiekamp geïnterneer.In Boerseun, wat gegrond is op Charles se herinneringe wat hy later in sy lewe op skrif gestel het asook op belangrike mondelinge en dokumentêre bronne - onder meer ’n dagboek wat Charles se ma gedurende die oorlog gehou het - word die Du Preez-gesin se oorlogservaringe nagespoor. Dit loop uit op Charles en sy pa se repatriasie na Suid-Afrika, waar die gesin herenig word en terugkeer na hul plaas wat in puin lê en waar hulle ’n nuwe begin moet maak.Hierdie boeiende, aangrypende en besonder insiggewende boek is ’n waardevolle toevoeging tot die geskiedenis van die Anglo-Boereoorlog.

Boerseun is die hartroerende ware verhaal van ’n tienjarige plaasseun se traumatiese maar fassinerende ervaringe gedurende die Anglo- Boereoorlog van 1899-1902.Wanneer die Engelse Charles du Preez en sy pa in hul skuilplek in die berge op hul Oos-Vrystaatse plaas opspoor, word die twee gevange geneem en in oop steenkooltrokke na Durban weggevoer. Van daar vertrek hulle op ’n angswekkende reis aan boord die SS Aurania na die krygsgevangenekampe Umballa en Solon in Indië, waar Charles die jongste inwoner is. In Suid-Afrika word Charles se ma en die ander kinders, wat gevange geneem is terwyl hulle tydens lord Kitchener se verwoestende “verskroeide aarde”-veldtog vir die Kakies gevlug het, in die berugte Winburgkonsentrasiekamp geïnterneer.In Boerseun, wat gegrond is op Charles se herinneringe wat hy later in sy lewe op skrif gestel het asook op belangrike mondelinge en dokumentêre bronne - onder meer ’n dagboek wat Charles se ma gedurende die oorlog gehou het - word die Du Preez-gesin se oorlogservaringe nagespoor. Dit loop uit op Charles en sy pa se repatriasie na Suid-Afrika, waar die gesin herenig word en terugkeer na hul plaas wat in puin lê en waar hulle ’n nuwe begin moet maak.Hierdie boeiende, aangrypende en besonder insiggewende boek is ’n waardevolle toevoeging tot die geskiedenis van die Anglo-Boereoorlog.

At the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War in 1899, a large number of Hollanders and Dutch expatriates joined the Boers, their reasons ranging from loyalty to their common ancestry to strong anti-British sentiments and a search for adventure. Brothers in Arms documents the trials and tribulations of these volunteers – most of them unaccustomed to the harsh landscape and climate of South Africa. Quotations and personal anecdotes from their diaries and memoirs vividly bring to life their hardships on commando, the thunder and chaos of battle, and the trauma of comrades falling around them. Some of the prominent figures in the book are Cornelius van Gogh, brother of the painter Vincent van Gogh; the Dutch artist Frans Oerder, who became the Transvaal’s first official war artist; Jochem van Bruggen, four-times winner of the coveted Hertzog Prize for Afrikaans literature; and Rev. Herman van Broekhuizen, who played rugby for South Africa in 1896 and later served as South African ambassador in The Hague. Brothers in Arms covers the full spectrum of the Hollanders’ roles as soldiers at the various battle fronts, ambulance personnel and military attachés, and their life in prisoner-of-war camps overseas.

At the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War in 1899, a large number of Hollanders and Dutch expatriates joined the Boers, their reasons ranging from loyalty to their common ancestry to strong anti-British sentiments and a search for adventure. Brothers in Arms documents the trials and tribulations of these volunteers – most of them unaccustomed to the harsh landscape and climate of South Africa. Quotations and personal anecdotes from their diaries and memoirs vividly bring to life their hardships on commando, the thunder and chaos of battle, and the trauma of comrades falling around them. Some of the prominent figures in the book are Cornelius van Gogh, brother of the painter Vincent van Gogh; the Dutch artist Frans Oerder, who became the Transvaal’s first official war artist; Jochem van Bruggen, four-times winner of the coveted Hertzog Prize for Afrikaans literature; and Rev. Herman van Broekhuizen, who played rugby for South Africa in 1896 and later served as South African ambassador in The Hague. Brothers in Arms covers the full spectrum of the Hollanders’ roles as soldiers at the various battle fronts, ambulance personnel and military attachés, and their life in prisoner-of-war camps overseas.

Met die uitbreek van die Tweede Anglo-Boereoorlog in 1899 het ’n groot aantal Hollanders en Hollandse uitgewekenes by die Boere aangesluit. Hul redes het gewissel van lojaliteit teenoor hul gemeenskaplike afkoms tot sterk anti-Britse gevoelens en ’n soeke na avontuur. Broers in die stryd vertel van hierdie vrywilligers se beproewings – die meeste van hulle was ongewoond aan Suid-Afrika se ruwe landskap en strawwe klimaat. Aanhalings en persoonlike staaltjies uit hul dagboeke en memoires skilder ’n lewendige beeld van hul ontberings op kommando, die gedonder en chaos op die slagveld, en die trauma van kamerade wat rondom hulle sneuwel. Van die bekende figure in die boek is Cornelius van Gogh, broer van die skilder Vincent van Gogh; Frans Oerder, wat die Transvaal se eerste amptelike oorlogskunstenaar geword het; Jochem van Bruggen, wat die gesogte Hertzogprys vir Afrikaanse letterkunde vier keer gewen het; en ds. Herman van Broekhuizen, wat in 1896 vir Suid-Afrika rugby gespeel het en later as Suid-Afrikaanse ambassadeur in Den Haag gedien het. Broers in die stryd dek die hele spektrum van die Hollanders se rolle as soldate aan die verskillende gevegsfronte, ambulanspersoneel en militêre attachés, en hul lewe in oorsese krygsgevangenekampe.

Met die uitbreek van die Tweede Anglo-Boereoorlog in 1899 het ’n groot aantal Hollanders en Hollandse uitgewekenes by die Boere aangesluit. Hul redes het gewissel van lojaliteit teenoor hul gemeenskaplike afkoms tot sterk anti-Britse gevoelens en ’n soeke na avontuur. Broers in die stryd vertel van hierdie vrywilligers se beproewings – die meeste van hulle was ongewoond aan Suid-Afrika se ruwe landskap en strawwe klimaat. Aanhalings en persoonlike staaltjies uit hul dagboeke en memoires skilder ’n lewendige beeld van hul ontberings op kommando, die gedonder en chaos op die slagveld, en die trauma van kamerade wat rondom hulle sneuwel. Van die bekende figure in die boek is Cornelius van Gogh, broer van die skilder Vincent van Gogh; Frans Oerder, wat die Transvaal se eerste amptelike oorlogskunstenaar geword het; Jochem van Bruggen, wat die gesogte Hertzogprys vir Afrikaanse letterkunde vier keer gewen het; en ds. Herman van Broekhuizen, wat in 1896 vir Suid-Afrika rugby gespeel het en later as Suid-Afrikaanse ambassadeur in Den Haag gedien het. Broers in die stryd dek die hele spektrum van die Hollanders se rolle as soldate aan die verskillende gevegsfronte, ambulanspersoneel en militêre attachés, en hul lewe in oorsese krygsgevangenekampe.

After the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, hundreds of women left their countries for South Africa, some in search of adventure, others with a strong desire to help the victims of war. They came from all over the world – from Britain and its colonies, and from pro-Boer countries in Europe. But, whatever their origins, they all came to live and work under harsh conditions in a world that was foreign to them.Angels of Mercy tells the story of twelve of these brave women. Hailing from England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, some worked as nurses on the frontline, while others came to teach Boer children in the concentration camps. Based on personal diaries and letters and other wartime sources, this fascinating and inspiring book tells of their trials and tribulations as they dealt with the dangers of war, the extremes of the environment, and the sad eyes of the dying men under their care. Theirs are stories of compassion and courage.

After the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, hundreds of women left their countries for South Africa, some in search of adventure, others with a strong desire to help the victims of war. They came from all over the world – from Britain and its colonies, and from pro-Boer countries in Europe. But, whatever their origins, they all came to live and work under harsh conditions in a world that was foreign to them.Angels of Mercy tells the story of twelve of these brave women. Hailing from England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, some worked as nurses on the frontline, while others came to teach Boer children in the concentration camps. Based on personal diaries and letters and other wartime sources, this fascinating and inspiring book tells of their trials and tribulations as they dealt with the dangers of war, the extremes of the environment, and the sad eyes of the dying men under their care. Theirs are stories of compassion and courage.

Na die uitbreek van die Anglo-Boereoorlog het honderde vroue hul moederlande verlaat en na Suid-Afrika gekom, sommige op soek na avontuur, ander met ’n egte begeerte om die slagoffers van die oorlog te help. Hulle het van reg oor die wêreld gekom – van Brittanje en sy kolonies, en van pro-Boerlande in Europa. Maar wat ook al hul oorsprong, het hulle almal hierheen gekom om in onaangename en vreemde toestande te leef en te werk.Engele in die vreemde vertel die verhale van twaalf van hierdie dapper vroue, afkomstig van Engeland, die Nederlande, België, Swede, Kanada, Australië en Nieu-Seeland. Sommige het as verpleegsters aan die front gewerk, terwyl ander Boerekinders in die konsentrasiekampe onderrig het. Hierdie boeiende en inspirerende boek is gebaseer op persoonlike dagboeke en briewe sowel as ander oorlogsbronne, en vertel van hul beproewings terwyl hulle te kampe gehad het met die gevare van oorlog, die uiterstes van die omgewing en die treurige oë van sterwende mans onder hul sorg. Hul verhale is dié van barmhartigheid en moed.

Na die uitbreek van die Anglo-Boereoorlog het honderde vroue hul moederlande verlaat en na Suid-Afrika gekom, sommige op soek na avontuur, ander met ’n egte begeerte om die slagoffers van die oorlog te help. Hulle het van reg oor die wêreld gekom – van Brittanje en sy kolonies, en van pro-Boerlande in Europa. Maar wat ook al hul oorsprong, het hulle almal hierheen gekom om in onaangename en vreemde toestande te leef en te werk.Engele in die vreemde vertel die verhale van twaalf van hierdie dapper vroue, afkomstig van Engeland, die Nederlande, België, Swede, Kanada, Australië en Nieu-Seeland. Sommige het as verpleegsters aan die front gewerk, terwyl ander Boerekinders in die konsentrasiekampe onderrig het. Hierdie boeiende en inspirerende boek is gebaseer op persoonlike dagboeke en briewe sowel as ander oorlogsbronne, en vertel van hul beproewings terwyl hulle te kampe gehad het met die gevare van oorlog, die uiterstes van die omgewing en die treurige oë van sterwende mans onder hul sorg. Hul verhale is dié van barmhartigheid en moed.

In October 1899, the twenty-four-year-old Winston Churchill sailed for South Africa as war correspondent for the Morning Post to report on the Anglo-Boer War. When he returned the following year, it was as a military celebrity. This book follows Churchill’s footsteps across South Africa and gives his impressions of the places he visited, the landscapes he saw, the people he encountered and the events he was involved in. Churchill’s South Africa covers the future statesman’s travels across the Great Karoo and through the green hills of Natal, his capture by the Boers, his escape to Delagoa Bay and his triumphant return to the Natal front as an officer in the South African Light Horse. It recreates the drama of the Battle of Spioen Kop and the relief of Ladysmith, and describes Churchill’s experiences during the British advance through the Free State and the Transvaal, before returning to England as a Boer War hero. Enlivened with photographs and with quotations from Churchill’s pen, this beautifully produced volume documents the travels of a key historical figure in South Africa at a critical time in its history.

In October 1899, the twenty-four-year-old Winston Churchill sailed for South Africa as war correspondent for the Morning Post to report on the Anglo-Boer War. When he returned the following year, it was as a military celebrity. This book follows Churchill’s footsteps across South Africa and gives his impressions of the places he visited, the landscapes he saw, the people he encountered and the events he was involved in. Churchill’s South Africa covers the future statesman’s travels across the Great Karoo and through the green hills of Natal, his capture by the Boers, his escape to Delagoa Bay and his triumphant return to the Natal front as an officer in the South African Light Horse. It recreates the drama of the Battle of Spioen Kop and the relief of Ladysmith, and describes Churchill’s experiences during the British advance through the Free State and the Transvaal, before returning to England as a Boer War hero. Enlivened with photographs and with quotations from Churchill’s pen, this beautifully produced volume documents the travels of a key historical figure in South Africa at a critical time in its history.

To many people, especially those driving along the N1 national road at high speeds, the Karoo represents nothing more than a monotonous, hot and arid landscape to be passed through as quickly as possible. But in this vast, open region, history is everywhere, if visitors would only look for it. And that is exactly the purpose of this book: to point out all the many places, buildings, objects and associated personalities of historical interest in the Karoo. The Karoo has been the world of travellers, writers, statesmen and scientists, figures as diverse as Olive Schreiner, Rudyard Kipling, Winston Churchill and Dr Chris Barnard. It has also been the scene of serious conflict, of which the many old British blockhouses, forts, grave sites and memorials dating from the Anglo-Boer War are vivid reminders; and it still boasts old examples of vernacular and industrial architecture, and engineering, in the form of corbelled houses, water mills and bridges. The Historical Karoo is ordered according to three main routes that people drive through the area. It provides short histories of the towns along the way, and points out the sites, buildings and other aspects of interest that can be found there. Enlivened by historical and current photographs and informative side panels, this book is a collector’s item.

‘The heavy smell of blood filled the air, and every moment you had this intense fear that the next bullet was meant for you. So remembered William Thorne, a South African volunteer soldier who fought in the muddy trenches along the River Somme in France on Europe’s Western Front. A boy of nineteen at the time, he was one of thousands of South Africans who took part in the 1916 Somme Offensive between the Allied forces and the Germans. It was one of the bloodiest and costliest conflicts of the First World War, resulting in over a million deaths. The men of the 1st South African Infantry Brigade were involved on a large scale and distinguished themselves in all major engagements during the campaign. But their bravery came at a price. In the first month alone, after six days of fighting to recapture the village of Longueval and clear Delville Wood of enemy soldiers, of the brigade’s 3 433 soldiers, only 750 were left standing. The rest were dead or wounded. By the armistice, the South Africans had suffered some 15 000 casualties in France, of which one third had died.

‘The heavy smell of blood filled the air, and every moment you had this intense fear that the next bullet was meant for you. So remembered William Thorne, a South African volunteer soldier who fought in the muddy trenches along the River Somme in France on Europe’s Western Front. A boy of nineteen at the time, he was one of thousands of South Africans who took part in the 1916 Somme Offensive between the Allied forces and the Germans. It was one of the bloodiest and costliest conflicts of the First World War, resulting in over a million deaths. The men of the 1st South African Infantry Brigade were involved on a large scale and distinguished themselves in all major engagements during the campaign. But their bravery came at a price. In the first month alone, after six days of fighting to recapture the village of Longueval and clear Delville Wood of enemy soldiers, of the brigade’s 3 433 soldiers, only 750 were left standing. The rest were dead or wounded. By the armistice, the South Africans had suffered some 15 000 casualties in France, of which one third had died.

Much has been written about Vincent van Gogh and his tempestuous relationship with his brother Theo. But few people know that there was a third Van Gogh brother, Cornelis, who was raised in the Netherlands, but worked, married and died in South Africa. The son of a Protestant minister, Cor spent his youth in a series of small Dutch towns, with idyllic holidays walking in the countryside with his artist brother, before troubles and tragedies beset the Van Gogh family. In 1889, the twenty-two-year-old Cor sailed to South Africa, where he worked as an engineer on the gold mines and on the railways. In the Anglo-Boer War he joined the Boers, first as a railway engineer and later on commando in the Free State, where in 1900 he suffered a fate that echoed his famous brother’s tragic end. The Unknown Van Gogh recreates South Africa in the tumultuous last decade of the nineteenth century; reconstructs the personal story of a young immigrant from letters and other archival documents; and explores his relationship with his famous brother Vincent. With new insights based on original research, this book uncovers a figure who has been forgotten by history.

Much has been written about Vincent van Gogh and his tempestuous relationship with his brother Theo. But few people know that there was a third Van Gogh brother, Cornelis, who was raised in the Netherlands, but worked, married and died in South Africa. The son of a Protestant minister, Cor spent his youth in a series of small Dutch towns, with idyllic holidays walking in the countryside with his artist brother, before troubles and tragedies beset the Van Gogh family. In 1889, the twenty-two-year-old Cor sailed to South Africa, where he worked as an engineer on the gold mines and on the railways. In the Anglo-Boer War he joined the Boers, first as a railway engineer and later on commando in the Free State, where in 1900 he suffered a fate that echoed his famous brother’s tragic end. The Unknown Van Gogh recreates South Africa in the tumultuous last decade of the nineteenth century; reconstructs the personal story of a young immigrant from letters and other archival documents; and explores his relationship with his famous brother Vincent. With new insights based on original research, this book uncovers a figure who has been forgotten by history.

Daar is al baie geskryf oor Vincent van Gogh en sy onstuimige verhouding met sy broer Theo. Maar min mense weet dat daar ’n derde Van Gogh-broer was: Cornelis, wat in Nederland grootgeword het maar in Suid-Afrika gewerk, getrou en gesterf het. Cor, die seun van ’n Protestantse predikant, het sy jeugjare in verskeie klein Nederlandse dorpies deurgebring. Daar het hy en sy kunstenaarbroer gedurende idilliese vakansies saam in die platteland gaan stap, voordat die Van Gogh-gesin deur teenspoed en tragedies oorval is. Die 22-jarige Cor het in 1889 na Suid-Afrika gekom en as ingenieur by die goudmyne en later die spoorweë gewerk. Tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog het hy hom by die Boere geskaar, eers as ’n spoorwegingenieur en later as lid van ’n kommando in die Vrystaat, waar hy in 1900 op dieselfde tragiese wyse as sy beroemde broer gesterf het. Die Onbekende Van Gogh laat herleef Suid-Afrika in die stormagtige laaste dekade van die negentiende eeu; vertel die persoonlike verhaal van ’n jong uitlander soos onthul in briewe en ander argiefstukke; en werp lig op sy verhouding met sy beroemde broer Vincent. Hierdie boek bied nuwe insigte wat op oorspronklike navorsing gegrond is en lig die sluier oor ’n figuur wat deur die geskiedenis vergeet is.

Daar is al baie geskryf oor Vincent van Gogh en sy onstuimige verhouding met sy broer Theo. Maar min mense weet dat daar ’n derde Van Gogh-broer was: Cornelis, wat in Nederland grootgeword het maar in Suid-Afrika gewerk, getrou en gesterf het. Cor, die seun van ’n Protestantse predikant, het sy jeugjare in verskeie klein Nederlandse dorpies deurgebring. Daar het hy en sy kunstenaarbroer gedurende idilliese vakansies saam in die platteland gaan stap, voordat die Van Gogh-gesin deur teenspoed en tragedies oorval is. Die 22-jarige Cor het in 1889 na Suid-Afrika gekom en as ingenieur by die goudmyne en later die spoorweë gewerk. Tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog het hy hom by die Boere geskaar, eers as ’n spoorwegingenieur en later as lid van ’n kommando in die Vrystaat, waar hy in 1900 op dieselfde tragiese wyse as sy beroemde broer gesterf het. Die Onbekende Van Gogh laat herleef Suid-Afrika in die stormagtige laaste dekade van die negentiende eeu; vertel die persoonlike verhaal van ’n jong uitlander soos onthul in briewe en ander argiefstukke; en werp lig op sy verhouding met sy beroemde broer Vincent. Hierdie boek bied nuwe insigte wat op oorspronklike navorsing gegrond is en lig die sluier oor ’n figuur wat deur die geskiedenis vergeet is.