The Bushman Myth Revisited

Few histories are as harrowing to document as exterminatory violence visited upon an entire social group, and the reduction of survivors to utter abjection - especially if the victims are one of humanity's ancestral cultures. Gordon accomplishes this task as regards Namibias Bushman population with analytical rigour, singular depth of scholarship, and deep-felt compassion. This extensively updated version of two path-breaking predecessors (1992 and 2000) introduces much new material and brings fresh perspectives to bear on the subject through the lenses of settler colonialism and genocide, both transnational phenomena that place this case in a global frame. Lucid, incisive, and cogent, The Bushman Myth Revisited is requisite reading for an understanding not only of the Namibian Bushman experience under colonial rule, but also of the distinctive natures of both German and South African occupation of the territory. While this book will appeal to those with an interest in the history of southern Africa, its hunter-gatherer communities, and beyond, it is to be recommended particularly to Namibians who wish to better understand the making of their society and its Bushman under-class.