“A Bullet in the Back is a fictional recreation of an episode in South African history now much forgotten but greatly in need of resurrection. In the course of his research Nigel Fox has unearthed a few surprises and, in the end, the book is a timely reminder of the catastrophe and tragedy that is civil war as something to be avoided at almost any cost.” Tim Couzens Former winner of the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award and the CNA Literary Award, and the author of numerous books.

Who killed Koos de la Rey and who captured Christiaan de Wet?

Here’s a thrilling novel based on historical fact about ordinary men catapulted into uniform and driving their own cars into battle against an Afrikaner hero described as the world’s greatest guerrilla leader. Told from the points of view of D H Saker, founder of Saker’s garage, and Harm Oost, founder of Het Volk newspaper and head of De Wet’s bodyguard, the action follows battles and chases across the Union of South Africa. Madge Fabian, a touring British actress, gets caught up in the events of the times and the magnetism of a driven Saker. At every stage, the characters in this conflict – one that could have changed the outcome of World War I – meet with unexpected consequences that have a similar impact as a bullet in the back.

The 1914 Rebellion – South Africa’s first civil war – Could it happen again?

The bullet that changed the outcome of WW1

Just as the bullet that killed Archduke Ferdinand started World War 1, the bullet that killed Koos de la Rey a few months later, ensured that Germany lost the war. If it had missed, De la Rey and Commandant-General Christiaan Beyers would have gone on to Potchefstroom to bring out the Active Citizen Force in rebellion. They would have unseated the Botha/Smuts government, declared a new Boer republic and allied the country with Germany. Britain would have been cut off from its colonies and starved into submission by German raiders based in Simons Town, changing the entire course of modern history.

About the Author

Nigel Fox is an independent advertising consultant and copywriter. As a long-term immigrant to South Africa, he has been inspired to research and document some of the fascinating stories that make up the complex fabric of South Africa’s past. A Bullet in the Back is the first in a planned series of South African historical novels.

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