Tasmanians in The Transvaal War

This book was written by John Bufton, an academic who has written several books. It was written to be a comprehensive, accurate and complete narrative of the Transvaal war (or Boer War) in South Africa, as it was the first war that Australia participated in. As the book is written in memory of those who ‘fought and fell for the honour of the empire and the glory of their country’ and is ‘a soldiers book’, many diary entries and letters written by soldiers are included. Also included are letters from government officials on both sides, medical papers, government reports and press reports, making the history more personal and accurate. The book starts with a history of the reasons for the war and continues into the war itself in greater detail, the first contingents, Tasmania’s bushmen, second contingents, first Australian Commonwealth horse, prisoner’s experiences and the last roll call.