The Lion and the Springbok presents an account of the dynamics and divergences of the 'uneasy special relationship' of Britain and South Africa. From the bruising experience of the South African War (1899–1902) to South Africa's withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 1961, the authors chart this relationship in all its political, economic, cultural and geostrategic aspects. All the major disputes are discussed including the struggle for the High Commission Territories, the crisis over Seretse Khama's marriage and the transfer of the Simon's Town naval base. These issues trace, for the most part, a continuing deterioration in relations, as Afrikaner nationalist identity hardened and South African politics slid into the extremes of apartheid. The perceptions each side had of the other after 1948 are examined through representations in the media, and an epilogue considers the reasons for the return of the 'New South Africa' to the Commonwealth in 1994.

‘… this study … will give students of the period valuable background material with which to flesh out the history of South African in the twentieth-century.’

Source: Contemporary Review

‘In a historical field awash with top-notch literature, this volume must surely find an automatic platform, because of the quality of its chapters, the importance of the topics considered, and particularly because of its concentration on both the British and the South African sides of the equation. It is archival imperial history at its very best, and intimately reveals the dynamics of the British-South African relationship over the course of a century and at the highest level.’

Source: The Round Table

‘… interesting collection of topics … this is a book to be welcomed …’

Source: History

'… there is much to be savoured here … the book is an excellent read … It must be essential reading …'

Source: Journal of African History

'… this book is genuinely pioneering in both scope and substance'.

Source: International Affairs