J. D. (John Daniel) Kestell

author

J. D. (John Daniel) Kestell

1854–1941

A Dutch Reformed minister, translator, and writer from South Africa, he is remembered both for his religious work and for vivid firsthand accounts of the Anglo-Boer War. His books carry the voice of someone who stood close to major events and cared deeply about his community.

2 Audiobooks

The peace negotiations between the governments of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, and the representatives of the British government, which terminated in the peace concluded at Vereeniging on the 31st May, 1902

The peace negotiations between the governments of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, and the representatives of the British government, which terminated in the peace concluded at Vereeniging on the 31st May, 1902

by J. D. (John Daniel) Kestell, D. E. van Velden

Through Shot and Flame The Adventures and Experiences of J. D. Kestell Chaplain to President Steyn and General Christian De Wet

Through Shot and Flame The Adventures and Experiences of J. D. Kestell Chaplain to President Steyn and General Christian De Wet

by J. D. (John Daniel) Kestell

About the author

Born in 1854 and dying in 1941, John Daniel Kestell was a South African minister in the Dutch Reformed Church who also became known as a Bible translator, writer, and cultural leader. He sometimes wrote under the pseudonyms Afrikanus Jr. and Leinad.

Kestell is especially associated with the Anglo-Boer War, during which he served as a chaplain to President M. T. Steyn and General Christiaan de Wet. That experience shaped some of his best-known writing, including Through Shot and Flame, which gives a close, personal view of the conflict.

Remembered in later life as “Vader” Kestell, he combined religious leadership with literary and public work. His writing remains of interest for readers drawn to South African history, memoir, and eyewitness accounts of war.