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FREE SCAPEGOATS OF THE EMPIRE: THE TRUE STORY OF BREAKER MORANTS BUSHVELDT CARBINEERS PDF Edward Witton | 194 pages | 14 Oct 2010 | Benediction Classics | 9781849026215 | English | Garsington, United Kingdom Breaker Morant: Scapegoats of Empire | The Current | The Criterion Collection Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morants Bushveldt Carbineers Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Scapegoats of the Empire by George Witton. High quality reprint of Witton's scathing political indictment of the British Empire, originally published in Illustrated with half-tone photographs. Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. More Details Original Title. Other Editions 7. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Scapegoats of the Empireplease sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Scapegoats of the Empire. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. One of them, a big powerful Dutchman, made a rush at me and Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morants Bushveldt Carbineers the end of my rifle, with the intention of taking it and shooting me, but I simplified matters by pulling the trigger and shooting him. I never had any qualms of conscience for having done so, as he was recognized by Ledeboer, the intelligence agent, as a most notorious scoundrel who had previously threatened to shoot him, and was the head of a band of marauders. By just escaping death in this tragedy I was afterwards sentenced t One Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morants Bushveldt Carbineers them, a big powerful Dutchman, made a rush at me and seized the end of my rifle, with the intention of taking it and shooting me, but I simplified matters by pulling the trigger and shooting him. By just escaping death in this tragedy I was afterwards sentenced to suffer death. After sentence had been passed upon Morant, the Provost- Marshal asked him if he wished to see a clergyman. Little wonder either! When Morant held out his hands, he remarked, "This comes of empire building! This is a wonderful account of soldiering, law, language and, yes, empire building. View 1 comment. Aug 05, Fred rated it really liked it. This is a fairly short read and it definitely helps to understand the situation if you watch Breaker Morant first. What surprised me the most was how the movie, while taking certain liberties, does a fine job of capturing what is in the book although the movie does not go into any detail of Mr. Winton's time in prison after the trial. Because of the time the book was written, some readers may be offended by the language Mr. Winton uses. But overall, it is a unique glimpse into a moment in hist This is a fairly short read and it definitely helps to understand the situation if you watch Breaker Morant first. But overall, it is a unique glimpse into a moment in history and it is worth reading! Apr 12, Martin Hill rated it really liked it. Its author, George Witton, was one of those officers and the only one to avoid a firing squad. Witton was a young enlisted artilleryman in the Australian Army when he volunteered for active service in the southern African war. There are many similarities between the Boer War at the turn of the 20th century and the Iraq War Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morants Bushveldt Carbineers hundred years later. Both began as conventional wars with set-piece battles, then eroded into guerrilla warfare. InWitton secured a commission with the Bushveldt Carbineers, an irregular counterinsurgency regiment set up to fight the Boer guerrilla units called commandos on their own level. Shortly before Witton joined his detachment of the Carbineers, its commander, Capt. Hunt, was killed and his body apparently abused by the Boers. Hunt had previously told his men that Lord Kitchener, the commanding British general, had issued orders not to take Boer prisoners. Witton never knew Hunt, and barely knew Morant and Lt. Peter Handcock when the summary executions of prisoners they were charged with took place. Witton sets forth his version of the facts in plain, unelaborated writing. He shows with quotes from pre-trial and court martial testimony that Capt. Hunt had repeatedly ordered his men to shoot prisoners, saying the order came from as far up as Kitchener. Many other incidents involving the shooting of prisoners on both sides had occurred at this stage of the war, and no British soldier was ever tried for let alone convicted of murder. Morant and Handcock were sentenced to death by firing squad. He was released and returned to Australia three years later. While reading this book, it occurred to me Kitchener may very well have lead some junior officers to believe he wanted prisoners summarily shot without actually meaning to give such an order. When questioned, they all said they believed the order to shoot prisoners came from Gen. George Patton during one of his many firebrand speeches as seen at the beginning of the movie, Patton. Patton quickly ordered a cease and desist order, but never took responsibility for the meaning of his own words. Ironically, at the same time the British were Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morants Bushveldt Carbineers the Boer War the United States was involved in its first empire-building, counter-insurgency conflict in the Philippines. At the time of their courts martial, Germany was considering entering the war on the side of the Dutch Boers because of alleged British atrocities, which included the first use of concentration camps. Convicting the three Australians mitigated the only substantial excuse the Germans had to side with the commandos. No British officer was ever tried for shooting Boer prisoners, though such executions were known to have occurred. As late aspetitions were made to have all three men posthumously pardoned. None have succeeded—so far. Earlier this month a royal pardon on behalf of Breaker Morant was refused. This edition of the book came out in and was immediately mostly destroyed by the government. So were the next edition or two printed that year. You can read the book online Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morants Bushveldt Carbineers Gutenberg. Even better see the movie! View all 6 comments. Feb 04, Sue rated it really liked it Shelves:antipodes. Despite its flat narrative style, this book is a compelling read. I noted its title in the credits of the film "Breaker Morant. Renewed interest after the award-winning film led to further discoveries that Witton and the others were indeed scapegoated by the highest levels of British command, up to and including Kitchener. The contemporary parallels are chilling. The innocents that got killed exonerated There are many books about the Boer English war. I did not read a single one that satisfy me that the English started it with just cause or fought in a just and fair way. Neither have I found English journalism impartial. Now I read this book and found the English were simply arrogant beyond believe at the time. May be that is a reason why they prefer to blot out this event from their social combined conscious. The book fills a gap if you are interested at The innocents that got killed exonerated There are many books about the Boer English war. The book fills a gap if you are interested at history of to Aug 11, George Nap rated it it was amazing. Primary source history, the author tells his story. It actually shows little bias. Rising from a re suit to an officer thrown into a situation where the realities of war had out run the traditions Within became a cautionary tale we learned in ROTC in the 's. The book is a window into the dawn of modern insurgencies from a company officer's perspective. Sep 20, David Gilchrist rated it it was amazing. An horrific account of the British Army,s methods and denials,the take no prisoners is a trend that continues to these days, with soldiers being thrown to the wolves when it suits the establishment. Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morant's Bushveldt Carbineers by George Witton To use the Wants List you will need to sign in or register. You can then use this Add to Wants List link to add a past lot to your Wants List or alternatively new wants can be created manually by clicking on My Account and then Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morants Bushveldt Carbineers Wants. For further help please do not hesitate to Contact us. Sold for: Register or Sign In to find out. Have a similar item to sell? Contact Us with the details. How it works. Facsimile Reprint: pages, frontispiece of Lieut. Witton leaving Portland prison, 6 illustrations, brown cloth, a very good copy in the dust jacket. Editor's note. The trial and Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morants Bushveldt Carbineers outcome - the execution of Harry Morant, Peter Handcock and the sentencing of George Witton to life imprisonment - has intrigued many writers. Was this true military justice or were the defendants indeed scapegoats sacrificed to political expediency? Here, at last, after many years in obscurity, is the story told at first hand.