What books would you who have read about the Boer war recomend?

The Boer War by Thomas Pakenham is, IMHO, the best single book on the subject. The link will lead you to a short bio of Packenham who has also authored a very unusual book about trees in Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Pakenham

Thanks wink I am ordering it. I have read his book "Scramble for Africa" very good read.

Agree 100% with Wink, I have it on the shelf here. I also read another good one, title is "Commando" but it is packed away so I can't reference the author. A story about a Boer fighter who ended up as Jan Smuts' assistant at the peace talks, became a colonel in the British Army (WWI) and I think President or PM of South Africa. I suppose in the time it took to type this I could have googled it and not speculated.....

I will have to check that out. It should sit on the shelf well beside Washing of the Spears that I just got.

Which tree book of his do you have and do you like it? Looks like he wrote 3 of them.

I just picked up the Anglo-Boer Wars by Michael Barthorp from the public library. Anyone read it yet and how does it compare to Pakenham?

Rags of Glory by Stuart Cloete is fiction but very good.