Books on Mafeking and the Boer War
Mafeking,The Diary of a Siege by F D Baillie, 1900
Baden-Powell, in his first ever Camp Fire Yarn in Part I of Scouting for Boys wrote about the Mafeking Cadets, he told his Scouts that if they wanted to learn more about the Siege they could do no better than to read this book. He himself never published a narrative of the Siege, perhaps the most famous conflict in the 2nd Boer War, and and so being aware as he was of all over published accounts of the Siege his nomination of this account is a worthy tribute. It was because of his fame as the Hero of Mafeking that B-P was able to commend sufficient respect and backing to be able form the world's greatest youth movement.
Major Balllie was in Mafeking throughout the Siege. He was a retired Cavalry Officer and so was not sent out to Africa by the army. He volunteered in Mafeking and given the local rank of Captain and sent reports by Native Runner and telegraph to the Morning Post and the Daily Graphic newspapers. He had an exciting and very mixed time during the Siege and this is reflected in his diary, which has several interesting and unique features. His account has many insights into the war Baden-Powell conducted the siege, and Baillies accounts particularly in 'The Graphic' helped B-P to achieve fame whilst the Siege was ongoing.
On the cover as you will see from the scan is facsimile of a £1.00 siege note printed in much the same way as the original, -(There were only 683 originals and they are worth around £1000 each in good condition). In the back of the book- attached but 'fold out' is a full size replica of a Mafeking Siege Slip published during the Siege by the Mafeking Mail ('published daily shells permitting'), again great care has been taken to publish an authentic reproduction for Monday December 18th 1900, so published only a few months after the real thing using similar tissue paper stocks was issued during the siege. The book itself has 299 pages with many charming line drawings.
