Ladysmith

In late 1899, Boer troops encircle Ladysmith, a modest South African garrison town. Under constant bombardment, the British soldiers and local residents who remain behind burrow into the earth and cling to the hope that help is coming. That help, in the form of General Buller's relief force, is stalled and cannot force its way through the Boer lines.

Set during the Second Boer War, the novel follows the siege from inside the town, where the ordinary strain of living under fire is as pressing as the military situation. The author, Giles Foden, is also known for The Last King of Scotland.