Summary

The great collection of letters and papers comprising the Smuts Papers has been assembled at the University of Cape Town by Dr Jean van der Poel, under Sir Keith Hancock's direction, since Smuts's death in 1950. Volumes I to IV of the selections cover the period 1886-1919. The selections are divided into twelve parts, each with a short introductory section. Dr van der Poel has provided brief introductions to each letter, article or speech and has annotated every document. Volumes V, VI and VII complete the series of selections from the Smuts Papers. They cover the period from August 1919, when Smuts succeeded Botha as prime minister of the Union of South Africa, until his death in September 1950. This selection is divided into six parts, each with a short introduction. Those documents in Dutch or Afrikaans are provided with translations. There are over six hundred biographical notes. Smuts's stature as a world statesman, his intimate concern with the problems of European and Commonwealth politics and his central position in South African affairs place his private papers among the most important collections of their kind.