[.ca] Great War In Africa 1914to1918 (ISBN 0393305643)

Far removed from the trenches there was Africa...:
When the British Empire entered the First World War following the German invasion of Belgium, any chance that the conflict would remain a localized European event was ended, it became truely global. German colonies and outposts ranging from China to New Guinea were rapidly snapped by Japanese, British, and Commonwealth forces. In Africa however the conflict would smolder on for the entire length of the conflict. The invasion and attempted takeover of the four German colonies in Africa by Britsh, French, Indian, and South African soldiers is the subject of Byron Farwell's immensely readable tome. Three of these colonies - Togoland, Kamerun, and German South-West Africa, modern Nambia - were taken quickly, but the fourth - German East Africa, modern Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi - resisted throughout the war under a genius of irregular warfare, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. Asides from being highly informative, Byron Farwell manages to capture some of the idealised romantic notions of war that were lost in the trenches of Europe. One cannot helped but be awed by the experiences of commanders like Lettow-Vorbeck or Spicer-Simon. Nor can this feeling be anything but heightened by the stories of bees and rhinos routing colonial troops in the heat of battle, all brought to fruition by Farwell's natural talents as a writer. Together an altogether excellent and nearly perfect examination of the war in Africa from 1914 to 1918.

like coolsville daddeo:
This book was totally awesome!! It provides a very readable story of the little known African Front of World War I. It is full of colorful stories, such as armies being attacked by bees, and heroic exploits such as Lettow-Vorbeck's defense of German East Africa. I recommend this book to anyone interested in African colonial or World War I history, or anyone who just likes an exciting story.

World War One: The Tanzanian Front:
Few incidents in 20th century military history are as astonishing as the World War One campaigns across Africa. While there was little strategic benefit to either side in fighting these tropical campaigns, the thought of NOT fighting would have been anathema to the imperial mindset of the day. Hence, both sides vast armies of African auxiliaries, together with improvised navies (and even a small air wing) to wage a series of campaigns in places where heat and disease were to account for most (in some cases all) of the casualties. The Great War in Africa was prosecuted in three fronts: a brisk (and virtually uncontested) conquest by the Allies of German West Africa; followed by a quick invasion by South Africa of German Namibia; lastly the epic Anglo-German struggle across Tanganyika (modern Tanzania). The principal players were Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen (on the British side) and, most prominently, the wily German commander, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who marched his guerilla army the length and breadth of Tanganyika before invading Mozambique, keeping his guerilla forces intact, and only surrendering once the Kaiser had fallen. Farwell tells their stories expertly, together with some stunningly bizarre vignettes: the battle that was halted by an outbreak of killer bees, the Zeppelin that flew from Bulgaria to central Africa and the "phantom flotilla" that was marched through the Congo to sail along Lake Victoria. A terrific story.

Great conflict; an even greater book!:
This is a truly magnificent book that covers a rather "obscure" (for those of you who are not colonial/WWI wargamers) and colourful period in history. The war in Africa during the First World War was a forgotten one; yet, as it remained mainly a sideshow, it proved to be a collosal one. From the unremarkable Allied offensives in German South-West Africa to the epic odyssey of Col. Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck in German East Africa, where he brilliantly launched a guerilla campaign against the several British, Belgian, and Portugese armies that were sent against him. He continuously played silly buggers with his enemies; it was only news of the armistice in Europe that eventually forced him to surrender his arms in late November, 1918, being the last German officer to do so. Well written, this is a highly reccomended book.

Awesome!:
This is the only book I know of that deals exclusively with this odd theatre of operations. WWI in Africa did not have any impact on the war in Europe or on world history, but the stories are so fantastic that they deserve to be rmembered and retold. The first and last shots of WWI were actually fired in Africa, by unknown black soldiers. The author describes the colonial setting, and points out how unnecessary the war in Africa really was. All four major campaings are described in chronological order. The courage and loyality of the black soldiers fighting for the Germans were amazing. Most of the book is dedicated to the longest campaign, in German East Africa. Here, wastly outnumbered German troops fought with rifles and knob-kerries, time and time again outsmarting the British enemy. Idiotic racism led the British to first import Indian recruits to fight, rather than arming the black population. Oddly enough, it was the South African general, Smuts, who actually first starting using black troops for the British. Thus turning the tide. Von Lettow-Vorbeck must rank as one of the foremost generals of history. He is sadly unknown, even by military buffs, and deserves to be remembered. The book is filled with larger-than-life charaters and their exploits. This book reads like a "boys-own" adventure. One must remind oneself constantly that the pain and suffering described are real.