This is another gem from Edward Spiers, Professor of Strategic Studies at the School of History, University of Leeds.
Extremely valuable is that Spiers places each letter in its proper context with some excellent introductory and explanatory paragraphs.
Speirs has produced a remarkable book and it is highly recommended for the reader who enjoys social and military history.

Historia (Historical Association of South Africa)

The 260 compelling letters excerpted in this volume convey a sense of immediacy, realism, and the perceptions, observations, hopes and fears of the soldiers and civilians involved in all aspects of the siege of Kimberley. They superbly supplement the published and official accounts of the Boer War and make a significant contribution to one's understanding of this last major British imperial conflict.

British Commission for Military History

For those interested in the fortunes of Kimberley this book is indispensable, as besides giving the texts of many letters about the siege it gives useful comments about the chief protagonists. There are also some useful facts about the army leaders who were responsible for raising the siege. And there is plenty about the experiences of individual soldiers.The great names of Haig and French appear as the ones responsible for the British cavalry, and individual regiments are given plenty of scope in the narrative. There is not however much evidence of what the civilian population experienced. Perhaps some of their letters could be unearthed to produce another book.

John Haviland