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Snook's book, Into the Jaws of Death: British Military Blunders, 1879-1900, has two chapters on the 2nd ABW. Chapter 8 is about the Battle of Colenso and Chapter 9 deals with the Battle of Spion Kop. Both are very well written and give insight to the circumstances surrounding the events leading up to the battles as well as the battles themselves. Snook is not afraid to comment on the leadership qualities or lack thereof of British and Boer officers. He does so with great insight and explanations as to why their decisions were wrong or poor ones. I encourage reading this book as it is most enlightening.

Colonel Mike Snook was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot) and over the ensuing 30 years served all round the world in command, operations and intelligence appointments, before finally resigning his commission on the day the name of his old regiment disappeared from the British Army's order of battle. He spent two thirds of his career overseas and one third of it on active service across four theatres of operations. He is a graduate of the University of Leicester, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Army Staff College at Camberley and has a doctorate in military history from Cranfield University. Twice honoured for operational distinction, he was awarded the MBE in 2000. He spent more than four years as a British military adviser in South Africa and prior to the secession of South Sudan was the head of the J3 Ops branch for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). A recognized authority on the military history of the Victorian era, including and especially the Anglo-Zulu War, the Sudan Campaigns, the Indian Mutiny, the Anglo-Boer Wars and the Cape Frontier Wars, he is the author of 'How Can Man Die Better: the Secrets of Isandlwana Revealed', 'Like Wolves on the Fold: The Defence of Rorke's Drift', 'Into the Jaws of Death: British Military Blunders 1879-1900', 'Go Strong into the Desert: The Mahdist Uprising 1881-5', 'Beyond the Reach of Empire: Wolseley's Failed Campaign to Save Gordon and Khartoum' and 'Cape Warriors', a work in 2 volumes: Volume I Frontier Warfare & Fighting Men in Colonial South Africa 1834-53; Volume II British Battles in Colonial South Africa 1834-53. Amongst other places he has lived in Cardiff, Pretoria, Kabul, Hong Kong and Khartoum. He has traveled extensively over Britain's imperial battlefields in Egypt, Sudan and Southern Africa and has often guided and mentored British Army war studies packages in various parts of the world. He is an Honorary Academic Adviser to the Victorian Wars Forum (VWF) and in his spare time is also the owner and lead designer of Iron Duke Miniatures.

Tinus le Roux's second volume of "The Boer War in Colour" landed on my doorstep a week ago. Another magnificent work packed full of photographs, many of which you won’t have seen before. Highly recommended.



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Hi Neville,
Is this available in the UK or did you purchase from SA ?
Paul

Hi Paul,

I hope you are well.

My copy was a gift from Tinus for providing hi-res scans of a some of the phtographs.

Having looked online, it does seem that a number of people outside SA are finding it difficult to obtain the book.

Tinus has added this announcement to his FB page:

My online shop where I sold the Boer War in Colour books, will be closing down. You can buy the books at book shops such as Exclusive Books, Bargain Books, Wordsworth, etc. as well as online shops such as Takealot, Loot, Amazon, Graffiti, etc.

I will ask him what the position is.

Best wishes,
Neville

Paul,

Clarke's Bookshop, who ship internationally, have copies in stock.

https://clarkesbooks.co.za/collections/october-2025/products/the-boer-war-in-colour-volume-ii-guerrilla-war-1900-1902

Neville

I bought my copy at Clarke’s in CPT yesterday though I’m pleased to say it’s widely available in other SA bookstores at R475. Worth the price of a long haul flight in itself.
Two things I think would improve this excellent book further:
- British khaki is generally rendered by Tinus with a greenish hue, whereas it should be more biscuit coloured, going by original examples I have seen
- the legends to figures could be even more detailed