# Diamonds, Gold and War: The British, the Boers and the Making of South Africa

In 1871, prospectors exploring a remote stretch of land in South Africa stumbled upon a rich deposit of diamonds. Fifteen years later, gold was discovered in the region, which was once regarded as a "worthless jumble of British colonies." What followed was an epic struggle for control between the colonizing British and the native Boer settlers, culminating in a costly, bloody war that left the Boer nation devastated. British historian and journalist Martin Meredith discussed his new book, "Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa" as part of the Center for the Book's Books and Beyond author series. In his eighth book about Africa, Meredith draws on new research to describe the origins of modern day South Africa. He vividly depicts the war fought between the British and the Boers and shows how the exploitation of African resources is a long, shameful tradition of the West. He also details how British policy led to the rise of the virulent Afrikaner nationalism that eventually took hold in the new South African state.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2007
- By: Library Of Congress. Center For The Book
- Genres: War, History
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021687886/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/2021687886?play=1)