Awards

• Short-listed for Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography 2021 (UK)

Overview

In early 1900, the paths of three British writers—Rudyard Kipling, Mary Kingsley and Arthur Conan Doyle—crossed in South Africa, during what’s become known as Britain’s last imperial war. Each of the three had pressing personal reasons to leave England behind, but they were also motivated by notions of duty, service, patriotism and, in Kipling's case, jingoism. Sarah LeFanu compellingly opens an unexplored chapter of these writers’ lives, at a turning point for Britain and its imperial ambitions. Was the South African War, as Kipling claimed, a dress rehearsal for the Armageddon of World War One? Or did it instead foreshadow the anti-colonial guerrilla wars of the later twentieth century? Weaving a rich and varied narrative, LeFanu charts the writers’ paths in the theatre of war, and explores how this crucial period shaped their cultural legacies, their shifting reputations, and their influence on colonial policy.

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9781787383098

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Reviews

'LeFanu has written a highly original, thought-provoking and insightful study of three great writers at a moment of imperial crisis. [This is] a sensitive, multilayered book.' -- The Telegraph '[ Something of Themselves comprises] excellent analysis ... Throughout, [LeFanu] provides insights into the writings of her subjects ... the mixture of well-digested detail and emotional understanding is pleasing.' -- The Spectator 'In Something of Themselves , [LeFanu] places Kipling alongside Arthur Conan Doyle and Mary Kingsley at the center of a fascinating study recounting their experiences in the Boer War, a conflict that all three witnessed at close hand.' -- The Wall Street Journal 'How the Anglo-Boer War was written about had profound social and political effects. LeFanu makes a valuable contribution to our understanding.' -- The New Statesman 'A splendidly well-written page-turner ... Sarah LeFanu has already shown her ability to combine scholarship and storytelling [and] in Something of Themselves , she has achieved a classic.' -- Times Literary Supplement '[An] ambitious but compelling biographical work. ... There is as much joy in it for readers as there are lessons for writers ... magisterial.' -- The Telegraph (India) 'This lively and thoroughly researched book gives an effective account of the political and military events of the Boer War, splendidly evoking the geographical and social landscape against which it was fought.' -- Kipling Journal 'A brilliantly insightful, very moving examination of three writers on the battlefield. LeFanu reveals each of her subjects to be engaged in his or her own private war, at the same time as they participated in the war that came to define the cruelty and confusion of the British Empire.' -- Lara Feigel, author of 'Free Woman'; 'The Bitter Taste of Victory'; and 'The Love-charm of Bombs' 'Imaginatively conceived, meticulously researched and subtly narrated, Something of Themselves is not only a biographical treasure trove but also offers fresh insights into that charged moment when the writing was at last firmly on the wall for old-style British imperialism.' -- David Kynaston, author of 'City of London: The History' 'Through careful research and compelling writing, Sara LeFanu brings to life three great writers of the Victorian world and draws them together in a moment of imperial reconfiguration. ... [Something of Themselves] succeeds in avoiding the predictability of conventional biography and helps us rethink the literary geographies of the period.' -- Journeys journal

'A brilliantly insightful, very moving examination of three writers on the battlefield. LeFanu reveals each of her subjects to be engaged in his or her own private war, at the same time as they participated in the war that came to define the cruelty and confusion of the British Empire.' -- Lara Feigel, author of 'Free Woman'; 'The Bitter Taste of Victory'; and 'The Love-charm of Bombs' 'Imaginatively conceived, meticulously researched and subtly narrated, Something of Themselves is not only a biographical treasure trove but also offers fresh insights into that charged moment when the writing was at last firmly on the wall for old-style British imperialism.' -- David Kynaston, author of 'City of London: The History'

'LeFanu has written a highly original, thought-provoking and insightful study of three great writers at a moment of imperial crisis. [This is] a sensitive, multilayered book.' -- The Telegraph '[ Something of Themselves comprises] excellent analysis ... Throughout, [LeFanu] provides insights into the writings of her subjects ... the mixture of well-digested detail and emotional understanding is pleasing.' -- The Spectator 'In Something of Themselves , [LeFanu] places Kipling alongside Arthur Conan Doyle and Mary Kingsley at the center of a fascinating study recounting their experiences in the Boer War, a conflict that all three witnessed at close hand.' -- The Wall Street Journal 'How the Anglo-Boer War was written about had profound social and political effects. LeFanu makes a valuable contribution to our understanding.' -- The New Statesman '[An] ambitious but compelling biographical work. ... There is as much joy in it for readers as there are lessons for writers ... magisterial.' -- The Telegraph (India) 'A brilliantly insightful, very moving examination of three writers on the battlefield. LeFanu reveals each of her subjects to be engaged in his or her own private war, at the same time as they participated in the war that came to define the cruelty and confusion of the British Empire.' -- Lara Feigel, author of 'Free Woman'; 'The Bitter Taste of Victory'; and 'The Love-charm of Bombs' 'Imaginatively conceived, meticulously researched and subtly narrated, Something of Themselves is not only a biographical treasure trove but also offers fresh insights into that charged moment when the writing was at last firmly on the wall for old-style British imperialism.' -- David Kynaston, author of 'City of London: The History'

'A brilliantly insightful, very moving examination of three writers on the battlefield. LeFanu reveals each of her subjects to be engaged in his or her own private war, at the same time as they participated in the war that came to define the cruelty and confusion of the British Empire.' -- Lara Feigel, author of 'Free Woman'; 'The Bitter Taste of Victory'; and 'The Love-charm of Bombs'

'A beautifully written and detailed account of three British authors and their tenure in South Africa, exploring both their individual and their overlapping perspectives on colonisation and imperialism. A truly fascinating read.' -- Susan Williams, author of 'Who Killed Hammarskjoeld?: The UN, the Cold War, and White Supremacy in Africa'

Author Information

Sarah LeFanu's books include 'Rose Macaulay' and 'S is for Samora: A Lexical Biography of Samora Machel and the Mozambican Dream'. Formerly an editor at The Women’s Press, and artistic director of the Bath Literature Festival (2004–9), she regularly chairs events for the Bristol Festival of Ideas and Bristol Women’s Literature Festival and blogs at www.sarahlefanu.com.

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