Diamonds and the Making of South Africa

Almost 150 ago, European miners found diamonds and gold in Southern Africa. It quickly became a place of resentment and battles between Africans, Brits and Boers — Dutch-speaking farmers who were colonial rivals to the British.

In his new book, Diamonds, Gold and War: The British, The Boers and the Making of South Africa, journalist and historian Martin Meredith explores how the conflict over land and wealth shaped the modern nation.