Swazi History
Bonner, Philip. 1983. Kings, Concessionaires and Commoners Cambridge
Comments: Written by a Wits professor, the book examines Swazi history 1800-1889, or the reigns of Sobhuza I (Somhlolo), Mswati II and Mbandzeni. The last chapter is a summary of the book.
Booth, Allan R. 1983. Swaziland: Tradition and Change in a Southern African Kingdom Boulder, Colorado, Westview Press: Aldershot, Hampshire, Gower
Comments: A useful view of the situation in Swaziland in the early 1980s.
Booth, Allan R. 2000. Historical Dictionary of Swaziland: Second Edition African Historical Dictionaries, No.80, Lanham, Maryland and London, The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Comments: A complete revision and more authorative work than Grotpeter's 1975 edition.
Bulpin, T V. 1965. Lost Trails of the Transvaal Nelson, Cape Town.
Comments: Always popular with travellers, this book contains a section on Swaziland.
Hamilton & Westcott. 1992. In the Tracks of the Swazi Past Macmillan Boleswa
Comments: for junior high schools, with plenty of pictures and maps, it looks at Swaziland, 1750-1830
Huw Jones. 2006. The Boiling Cauldron, Utrecht District and the Anglo-Zulu War 1879. The Shermershill Press, Bisley
Comments: Despite its title, it has a lot of Swazi material not covered elsewhere such as early Boer attempts to reach the sea through Swaziland and much on Mnt Mbilini and south-western Swaziland.
Jones, Huw, . 1993. A Biographical Register of Swaziland to 1902 University of Natal
Comments: The title may sound dull, but the style is very readable. It deals with over 1,500 people, who lived in or visited Swaziland up to 1902. It links with the present, mentioning people's children & grandchildren, who are alive and well known today. Good 18 page summary of Swazi history.
Kuper Hilda. 1963. The Swazi
Comments: By a social anthropologist, this is condensation of her earlier works like "African Aristocracy" (1947) and others. Chapter One gives history.
Kuper, Hilda. 1976. A Biography of King Sobhuza II
Comments: This is the official biography, commissioned by King Sobhuza himself, but it is equally a history of Swaziland in the 20th century. Most chapters are very readable: here Kuper writes more in the style of a novelist then an anthropologist.
Matsebula, J S M,. 1972, 1976. A History of Swaziland 3 editions
Comments: Still the only full length book that covers Swazi history from the earliest times to the present. Matsebula (Chief Executive Officer of the SNTC for 20 years) deserves praise as the only person, Swazi or non-Swazi, who has attempted a complete Swazi history. Available at Webster's Bookshops, Mbabane and Manzini, and other bookshops. Books below may be found at Websters, but usually need to be ordered
Maylam, Paul. 1986. History of the African People of South Africa
Comments: History of Southern Africa, with sections on Swazi History:
McLeod, Angus (Compiler). 2004. The Battle of Mshadza II, Wulu, Sekhukhuneland No place of publication [Malkerns?], no publisher [Angus McLeod?], April 2004
Comments: A booklet produced to commemorate the visit to Swaziland and Sekhukhuneland of the MacLeod of MacLeod, 125 years after his ancestor Norman Magnus MacLeod had accompanied a Swazi imphi to join the British army in fighting the Pedi.
McSeveney, John Charles. 1994. The Pioneers of Spitzkop, Swaziland Piet Retief, Privately published, s.a. [1994]
Comments: A very interesting compilation of the history and reminiscences of the McSeveney family who played an important role in the life and development of southern Swaziland.
Omer-Cooper, J D. 1987. History of Southern Africa
Comments: History of Southern Africa, with sections on Swazi History, for high schools and adults
Parsons, Neil. 1983. A New History of Southern Africa
Comments: History of Southern Africa, with sections on Swazi History, for high schools.
Reader's Digest Illustrated Guides To Southern Africa. 1983. Eastern Transvaal and Swaziland Cape Town
Comments: Contains interesting facts and anecdotes.
Simelane, Hamilton Sipho. 2003. Colonialism and Economic Change in Swaziland, 1940-1960 Manzini, JANyeko Publishing Centre (Pty) Ltd.
Comments: Despite the fact that it still reads like the PhD thesis from which it originated and is couched in the marxist phraseology current at the the time, it is an interesting book.
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