author
Alexander Wilmot
1836–1924
A South African historian, politician, and man of letters, he wrote widely on the Cape Colony and southern African history. His books include works on the Zulu War and the growth of southern Africa, written from the viewpoint of his time.
1 Audiobook
History of the Zulu War
by Alexander Wilmot
About the author
Born in Edinburgh in 1836, Alexander Wilmot later made his life in South Africa, where he became known as a public figure as well as a writer. Reliable biographical sources describe him as a postmaster, historian, poet, playwright, and Cape parliamentarian.
He wrote on major episodes and personalities in southern African history, including History of the Zulu War, History of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope, The Life and Times of Sir Richard Southey, and The Story of the Expansion of Southern Africa. His work helped shape how many English-language readers of the late nineteenth century encountered the region's colonial past.
Wilmot died in 1924. Today he is chiefly remembered for his historical writing and for the window it offers into colonial-era ideas, politics, and storytelling in southern Africa.