<p>Some one hundred years ago, South Africa was torn apart by the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). To mark this cataclysmic event, Covos-Day is publishing a series of books. The first is a facsimile of Donald Macdonald's enduring story of <em>How we kept the flag flying </em>through the siege of Ladysmith I and this is followed by several other titles including another Ladysmith-siege diary: one written by George Maidment, a British army orderly.2 Such a publication programme is a monumental and laudable effort. It allows both reflections upon a calamitous episode in South African history and, as is the case of <em>How we kept the flag flying, </em>an opportunity for the collector to acquire old titles, long-out-of-print, at reasonable prices.</p> <p>Donald Macdonald was born in Melbourne, Victoria on 6 June 1859. After a short career as a teacher, he joined the <em>Corowa Free Press </em>and, in 1881, the <em>Melbourne Argus. </em>A nature writer and cricket commentator,) he arrived in South Africa on 21 October 1899, the day of the battle at Elandslaagte, as war correspondent to the <em>Melbourne Argus. </em>This book, <em>How we kept the flag flying, </em>was born from his experiences and frustrations whilst holed-up in Ladysmith throughout the 100-day siege, whilst the war raged and was reported on by journalists elsewhere.</p>