A fascinating look at the early history of South Africa and the men who shaped her destiny. The story begins with the war between the Cross and the Crescent, which led to the voyages of discovery by the Portuguese and the discovery of South Africa; but then come the Dutch to claim the prize; only to lose it to the British. The book ends with the independence of the Boer republics after the Battle of Amajuba and the consequences thereof for the peoples of South Africa.