Iain Robertson Smith (16 July 1939 - 7 December 2021) was emeritus reader in history at the University of Warwick. He was a specialist in the history of South Africa and the

South African War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

in particular. Smith was a member of Council of The Historical Association from 1980 to 1995 and editor of the New Appreciations in History series.

Early life and education

Iain Smith was born on 16 July 1939 in

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

. His father was Alexander Smith, a dentist, and his mother was Amy () Smith. He attended Bootham School in York and received his advanced education at the University of Edinburgh (M.A.) and the University of Wisconsin (M.A.) where he was a

Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

. He earned his D.Phil. from

St. Antony's College St Antony's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1950 as the result of the gift of French merchant Sir Antonin Besse of Aden, St Antony's specialises in international relations, economi ...

, University of Oxford.Emeritus Reader, Dr Iain R Smith.
University of Warwick. Retrieved 12 March 2016.

Career

Smith was reader in history at the University of Warwick. He was a specialist in the history of South Africa and the South African War in particular. His book on ''The origins of the South African War, 1899–1902'' (1996) was welcomed in Afrikaans circles but criticised by some English speaking scholars as too limited in scope. Kobus du Pisani in H-Net praised it for its "old-fashioned approach, maintaining a strong narrative line" but also criticised the book as "one-sided" and for failing to examine contemporary Boer sources.Kobus du Pisani. Review of Smith, Iain R., ''The Origins of the South African War, 1899-1902''.
H-Africa, H-Net Reviews. September, 1996. Retrieved 12 March 2016. Smith contributed to a reappraisal of the Siege of Mafeking and was researching the concentration or internment camps, established for Boer and Black civilians in South Africa by the British. He was a member of Council of

The Historical Association The Historical Association is a membership organisation of historians and scholars founded in 1906 and based in London. Its goals are to support "the study and enjoyment of history at all levels by creating an environment that promotes lifelong lea ...

from 1980 to 1995 and editor of the New Appreciations in History series. He held visiting academic positions at the University of Cape Town (1989), University of Pretoria (1993, 2001), Institute of Commonwealth Studies London (1987), Mansfield College Oxford (1997), University of Tbilisi, Georgian Republic (1991), and the Institute of Historical Research, Helsinki (1998).

Selected publications

Books

* * *''The siege of Mafeking''. 2 vols. The Brenthurst Press, Johannesburg, 2001.

Articles

* "The origins of the South African War: a reappraisal", ''

South African Historical Journal The ''South African Historical Journal'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering research on the Southern African region. It was established in 1969 and is published on behalf of the South African Historical Society by the Universit ...

'', 22 (November 1990). * "Jan Smuts and the South African War", ''South African Historical Journal'', 41 (November 1999). * "The revolution in South African historiography", '' History Today'', February 1988. * "New Lessons in South Africa's History", ''History Today'', July 1993. * "The Boer War Diary of Charlie Moses", ''History Today'', May 1998. (with Fransjohan Pretorius)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Iain R. 1939 births 2021 deaths Academics of the University of Warwick British historians Military historians Historians of South Africa Alumni of the University of Edinburgh University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Alumni of St Antony's College, Oxford People from Kingston upon Hull