Horseman of the Veldt

Newly commissioned, Jack Selkirk is ordered to form an irregular mounted unit and ride across southern Africa to prevent an enemy incursion. His farming background helps him understand a Boer family whose daughter serves with a commando, but it also complicates his duty when old enemies from the Drongan family reappear.

The novel focuses on scouting, mobility and the ambiguous status of irregular forces during the South African conflict. Selkirk’s sympathy for people on the opposing side makes the veld a landscape of divided communities rather than a simple contest between uniformed armies.