Jan Smuts: A Biography

Jan Smuts was lauded as the first successful general of the Allies in the war; as “the general in whom the whole Empire has most confidence”; as “the destroyer of the German power in Africa”; as “the most conspicuous figure in greater Britain”; and as “a remarkable combination of talents not usually found in the same person, unless, indeed, that person belongs to the small and select class of which the Caesars, the Cromwells, and the Napoleons are the outstanding types.” His character was described as “too spacious and complex to be read offhand.” In an article in the press Mr. Winston Churchill wrote: “At this moment there arrives in England from the outer marches of the Empire a new and altogether extraordinary man . . . The stormy and hazardous roads he has travelled by would fill all the acts and scenes of a drama. He has warred against us — well we know it. He has quelled rebellion against our own flag with unswerving loyalty and unfailing shrewdness. He has led raids at desperate odds and conquered provinces by scientific strategy . . . His astonishing career and his versatile achievements are only the index of a profound sagacity and a cool, far-reaching comprehension . . .” And while introducing him to the Imperial War Cabinet, Mr. Lloyd George referred to him as “one of the most brilliant generals in this war.”