As mentioned in

Plymouth Herald, 19th November 2018 - words by William Telford

Robinson's book is a good read for anyone interested in learning more about the Boer War.

British Connections Vol. 18

Author interview & review

In this book, departing from the research-driven approach of others in the series, the author explores this blighted history in depth, aided by a fantastic collection of first-hand reports gleaned from families of men who were there. The actual research advice section forms an appendix and is a little brief perhaps, but nonetheless provides useful pointers, and overall this book is very useful for revealing the experiences our Boer War ancestors would have undergone.

Your Family History, Spring 2017

This book is full of interesting detail and is an engrossing read, with a full index and a list of sources for your own research.

Rotherham FHS

Researching Boer War ancestors is a popular genealogical trend. The
(Second) Boer War started in 1899 and continued until 1902. Many men from
both the UK / Commonwealth and “locals” served in this conflict. It was the
first large scale mobilization that the UK had conducted and there was about
180,000 Britons alone involved in the conflict.
Many of them were volunteers. Some enlisted in the UK and others made
their way to South Africa and then enlisted in “local” units. Around 20,000 of
them died whilst more than half suffered from enteric (an illness due to using
unclean water).
I can say from experience that researching Boer War personnel has been
made much easier by the introduction of this volume. It is a significant help
and is therefore highly recommended. It has sections on support for the war
wounded, assistance to bereaved families, pensions and similar payments as
well as many other aspects.
The book notes how newspapers, various websites, regimental archives,
census records, marriage / death records and records held by the National
Archives can be utilised. It helps by drawing into a concise volume all those
sources that can be used to develop and enhance research into this conflict. If
you wish to research a Boer War ancestor, then this volume will give you the
ideal background information necessary to produce a high-quality project.

Military Archive Research, Dr Stuart C Blank

As featured in

Tavistock Times

As featured in

Bury Times

Despite the fact that 180,000 Britons fought in the Boer War from 1899-1902, just 15 years before the start of World War I, few ordinary researchers know much about it. This new guide aims to fix that, providing a background to the war in South Africa, the regiments, the conditions, the battles, the men and the families they left behind, as well as the aftermath.

Here you can discover how to research their lives, their military service and their times using contemporary records, both on and offline, before you start exploring a lesser-known aspect of your family's story.

Family Tree, February 2017

Superb study of archive documents from a war that is now largely ignored by the vast majority of people. Jane Robinson's suggestions for finding out about an ancestor who served in this conflict are terrific, and the book will be immensely useful to archivists and genealogists.

Books Monthly, January 2017 – reviewed by Paul Norman

I read the book "Tracing your Boer War Ancestors, Soldiers of a Forgotten War" by Jane Marchese Robinson over the Christmas Period and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I know more than most people about the subject after studying it for the last 30 years as my grandfather Bombardier Thomas Wilson 54838 M Battery Royal Horse Artillery served in South Africa and got the South African Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Relief of Mafeking, Transvaal and Orange Free State.

I have corresponded with Jane over the years, as I got interested in how she was going to write a book about a war that was long over before she was born. She has done it brilliantly and it is quite refreshing to read a different account of the Boer War through the letters of the soldiers, wives, sweethearts and relatives of the soldiers pulling no punches in dealing with the social and military injustices and actions committed at the time and what we see as wrong today and would be seen as war crimes today.

Jane travelled the country and even went to South Africa to check places and facts. The result is a remarkable book that even taught me a few things I did not know. Once I picked it up I could not put it down and read it within 5 hours. If you have a relative that served in the Boer War, this book is a must.

Graham Knight, Freelance

This is an interesting work which covers aspects of the war not generally mentioned in purely military histories.

Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, January 2017 - reviewed by Phil Tomaselli

As mentioned in

The Cornishman

As featured in

The Dundee Courier

As featured in

Dorset Echo

As featured in

The Plymouth Herald