Books by Anne Samson
Helion & company, 2020
In contrast to the existing biographies which treat Kitchener as British, the author of Kitchener... more In contrast to the existing biographies which treat Kitchener as British, the author of Kitchener: The Man, considers him an outsider within the British establishment. Of his 64 years, a mere 11, and those not consecutive, were spent in England. He learned from those around him, ways that were not always understood and appreciated by those educated in England. Using the existing biographies on Kitchener as a starting point, Kitchener: The Man looks beyond his military exploits to consider who Kitchener was, and how he came to be the person we think we know. Archival and autobiographical accounts of contemporaries who encountered and worked with Kitchener have been used to confirm and challenge accepted perceptions. In doing so, consideration is given to his skills, interests, beliefs, and relationships. Kitchener: The Man charts his development from birth in Ireland to education in Europe, training at Woolwich and what he learnt from his military experiences. It considers his relationships with Free Masonry, journalists, politicians, subordinates and women. His sense of history, cultural awareness, and foresight made him a man ahead of his time. For all his faults, Kitchener was loyal, dependable, sensitive, and the best man for the job in 1914.
This title taps into a growing market witnessing a surge of renewed interest in the campaigns in ... more This title taps into a growing market witnessing a surge of renewed interest in the campaigns in East Africa. It looks at the roles of two strong military and political personalities - Lettow-Vorbeck and General Jan Christian Smuts - who are enduringly researched. It sheds new light on the myriad influence of people on the ground in determining the outcome of the war. The vast military campaigns in Africa during World War I were among the most ambitious of the Great War. Many histories, however, have regarded these campaigns as side-shows to the war on the Western Front. "World War One in Africa" looks afresh at the impact of the strategy of the German and Allied campaigns, and at the great rivalry between General Jan Christian Smuts, who took on the German forces in East Africa, and General Lettow-Vorbeck, celebrated as the only German general to occupy British territory and whose troops finished the war undefeated. Using primary material from British and South African archives, this book is a detailed study of the giants of the campaign, and the battles which would shape the outcome of the Great War as well as the future of the African continent and the British Empire.
Contains original material on an under-researched period in British and South African history. An... more Contains original material on an under-researched period in British and South African history. An unusual approach - writing colonial history from the perspective of all the countries involved, this work sheds new light on greater historical processes of British and German rivalry in Africa and the development of an independent South Africa. The East African campaign has held little place in national memory - for Britain, it has been a 'romantic' side-show whilst for South Africa, a reminder of its failure to unite the two dominant white races and acquire the port of Delagoa Bay in Portuguese East Africa. Using new material gained from original research, Anne Samson reassesses the importance of the campaign to the young South African dominion in attempting to prove its coming of age and pursue its imperial desires. "Britain, South Africa and the East African Campaign" is a comprehensive study from multiple perspectives of the key players that will illuminate this under-researched period in colonial history.
Papers & Articles by Anne Samson
Report of the Special Committee to review historical inequalities in Commemoration, 2021
Multilingual Environments in the Great War edited by Julian Walker and Christophe Declercq, 2021
Considers the range of languages used in the East Africa campaign of the First World War, 1914-19... more Considers the range of languages used in the East Africa campaign of the First World War, 1914-1918 and how this impacted on the conduct of the war.
The Global First World War: African, East Asian, Latin American and Iberian Mediators by Ana Paula Pires, María Inés Tato, Jan Schmidt, 2021
Considers how the press in Africa reported on the 1914-1918 war in Africa and how this compared w... more Considers how the press in Africa reported on the 1914-1918 war in Africa and how this compared with reporting of the African campaigns in the British press.
Propaganda and Public Relations in Military Recruitment: Promoting military service in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries edited by Brendan Maartens and Thomas Bivins, 2020
Why Africans in British territories joined the colours, 1914-1918
A Guerra e as Guerras coloniais na África Subsaariana, 2019
The First World War provided an opportunity for the boundaries to be reconfigured and long-desire... more The First World War provided an opportunity for the boundaries to be reconfigured and long-desired dreams to be fulfilled. Fought to protect the "rights of small nations", the war unexpectedly allowed empire-controlled territories such as the Union of South Africa to believe they could realise their goals. This paper explores how South Africa's desires for territorial expansion and its relationship with Britain influenced it military involvement during the war. In addition, it provides insight into how South Africa and its neighbours perceived one another and how the colonial powers had to mediate their own imperial desires against those of their subordinates or sub-imperial states.
Tempos e espaços de violência: a I Guerra Mundial, a desconstrução dos limites e o início de uma era., 2019
Translation of my paper on The development of memory in Europe(ans) of the East Africa campaign o... more Translation of my paper on The development of memory in Europe(ans) of the East Africa campaign of the First World War
[Contains the front pages of the publication]
There is a tendency in writing histories of South Africa’s past to concentrate on the colour issu... more There is a tendency in writing histories of South Africa’s past to concentrate on the colour issue. However, doing so often leads to myths and polarisation as sources are not interrogated beyond the superficial. The publication of three books within a short space of time on Malan, Smuts and Verwoerd respectively, men influential in determining white South Africa’s identity provides an opportunity to explore the formation of Afrikaner nationalism and the impact it had on the development of South Africa as a nation. In the ninety years under discussion, South Africa was caught up in four major wars, all acting as a catalyst for change, uniting and dividing the people.
The end of the First World War in Africa occurred at different times across the continent as the ... more The end of the First World War in Africa occurred at different times across the continent as the German colonies capitulated and surrendered to the allied forces between 26 August 1914 and 25 November 1918. The experience of each territory was indicative of its colonial development and local conditions. As the war inched across the landscape so people moved between states of peace and conflict, all caught up in some aspect either directly or through the provision of food and other materials. This chapter explores diff erent experiences across the continent and the legacy of the discussions at Versailles.
Reflection on my involvement with The Unknown Fallen: Allied Muslim involvement in World War 1
The reasons why ten British/Allied commanders could not defeat the renowned German General, Paul ... more The reasons why ten British/Allied commanders could not defeat the renowned German General, Paul von Lettow Vorbeck in East Africa during World War 1
An overview of Belgium's role in the East Africa campaign 1914-1918
Explores some of the themes that have inspired fictional accounts of the campaign, evaluating the... more Explores some of the themes that have inspired fictional accounts of the campaign, evaluating the extent to which these reconstructed memories compare with the known reality of the campaign. For the historian, an analysis of the publications provides useful insight into the development of memory.
CS Forester wrote four versions of The African Queen which was also made into a film. This articl... more CS Forester wrote four versions of The African Queen which was also made into a film. This article looks at the differences and his motivation for writing the story.
in World War One and Propaganda edited by Troy RE Paddock, Feb 2014
Journal of African History, 2006
... 17083). While the author mentions these incidents, she does not explore Gandhi&a... more ... 17083). While the author mentions these incidents, she does not explore Gandhi's views on sex and marriage and his family's challenging them. ... As apartheid gathered momentum in South Africa, Manilal advocated Satyagraha as a means of resistance. ...
Studies in Global Social History
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Books by Anne Samson
Papers & Articles by Anne Samson
I was a member of the Special Committee,
[Contains the front pages of the publication]
I was a member of the Special Committee,
[Contains the front pages of the publication]
This paper proposes, from a historical perspective, to chart the development and increase in interest in the East Africa campaign through the publication of fiction and non-fiction from the Great War to present times. It is suggested that part of the reason for the increase in interest globally is due to the growth in genealogy particularly, but not exclusively, in the UK and the advent of the internet which has enabled enthusiasts from various disciplines across the world to link together. In addition, the increasing popularity of heritage travel and battlefield tours has fuelled current interest in the campaign as opportunities for new ventures have been identified. Finally, the study provides an opportunity, using a reflective practice approach, to explore the role and influence of the historian in the development of memory.