This book portrays Howard C. Hillegas' account of the Anglo-Boer War (1899 - 1902). He was sent to South Africa as a correspondent by The New York World and wrote this book on his return to New York after spending time with the Boer forces in the field. From the preface: "In the following pages I have endeavoured to present an accurate picture of the Boers in war-time. My duties as a newspaper correspondent carried me to the Boer side, and herein I depict all that I saw. Some parts of my narrative may not be pleasing to the British reader; others may offend the sensibilities of the Boer sympathisers. I have written truthfully, but with a kindly spirit and with the intention of presenting an unbiased account of the struggle as it was unfolded to the view from the Boer side."