Oorlogsoormag

Oorlogsoormag en Ander Sketse en Verhale deur Gustav S. Preller (Nasionale Boekhandel Bpk., 1923) is a historically significant collection of short war-time sketches and stories by one of South Africa’s foremost early Afrikaans historians and writers. First published in 1923, this hardcover edition gathers vivid narrative pieces that reflect both the lived experience and literary expression of the Anglo-Boer War era, blending personal observation with dramatic storytelling.

Gustav S. Preller (1875–1943) was a central figure in the Second Afrikaans Language Movement and a prolific chronicler of South African history. In Oorlogsoormag, he brings together a series of sketches and short narratives that originally appeared in Die Burgerleeskring and other contemporary outlets, offering portrayals of wartime life, landscape, and the human encounter with conflict. The stories cover a range of moments and personalities, from intimate human experiences to broader reflections on the chaos and endurance of war.

Rich in period detail and written in clear and expressive Afrikaans, Oorlogsoormag en Ander Sketse en Verhale stands at the intersection of history and literature. It captures the emotional texture of early twentieth-century Afrikaner memory — at once reflective, personal, and nationally resonant — making it a valuable title for students of South African war literature, Africana collectors, and anyone interested in how the Anglo-Boer War was recorded and understood by those closest to it.

Physically, the original hardcover editions of this work are now uncommon in commerce and prized in historical collections. As a statement of Preller’s early narrative craft and his role in shaping Afrikaans literary and historiographical tradition, this 1923 edition remains a noteworthy and evocative piece of South African cultural heritage.

Condition: Near Fine – Plastic covered with light foxing present.