IN 19th CENTURY SOUTH AFRICA, King Moorosi, leader of the Baphuthi people, fiercely resists the intrusion of colonial forces into his country. The conflict leads to a protracted war that changes the shape of the sub-continent forever.

The riveting true story, told here in full for the first time, not only tells a compelling tale of hostility, intrigue and suspicion, it also introduces the reader to the unforgettable colonial leaders and their African counterparts who helped shape the outcome.

You will delve into the complex personality and drive of Cape Colony magistrate Hamilton Hope who attempts almost single-handedly to impose colonial rule on the Baphuthi people in Quthing in southeastern Basutoland (today's Lesotho). Learn, too, the mind and motives of his adversary King Moorosi who fiercely resists his attempts, and the French missionary Frederick Ellenberger who tries desperately to reconcile the two opposing forces of colonialism and independence to prevent war.

As the story unfolds and takes in the frontier wars in the Eastern Cape, you will meet the unforgettable characters who help shape the future of the sub-continent, such as Sir Bartle Frere, governor of the British Cape Colony, prime ministers John Molteno and Gordon Sprigg and war commanders Charles Griffith, Edward Yewd Brabant and Colonel Zachary Bayly.

At the same time you will learn to know the character and motives of the Baphuthi King Moorosi, his lieutenants, the Basutho leader Letsie and his sons.It provides a compelling look at colonialism, imperialism and cultural conflict that has significance for the world today.