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TITLE: Diamonds, Gold and War: The British, the Boers and the Making of South Africa
SPEAKER: Martin Meredith
EVENT DATE: 10/11/2007
RUNNING TIME: 56 minutes
DESCRIPTION:
In 1871, prospectors exploring a remote stretch of land in South Africa stumbled upon a rich deposit of diamonds. Fifteen years later, gold was discovered in the region, which was once regarded as a "worthless jumble of British colonies." What followed was an epic struggle for control between the colonizing British and the native Boer settlers, culminating in a costly, bloody war that left the Boer nation devastated.
British historian and journalist Martin Meredith discussed his new book, "Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa" as part of the Center for the Book's Books and Beyond author series.
In his eighth book about Africa, Meredith draws on new research to describe the origins of modern day South Africa. He vividly depicts the war fought between the British and the Boers and shows how the exploitation of African resources is a long, shameful tradition of the West. He also details how British policy led to the rise of the virulent Afrikaner nationalism that eventually took hold in the new South African state.
Speaker Biography: Now an independent scholar, Martin Meredith spent many years as a journalist in Africa. His previous book, "The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence" (2005), was widely praised.
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SERIES: Books & Beyond