When war broke out in October eighteen ninety-nine, few expected the remote frontier town of Mafeking to become one of the most famous sieges in British military history.
Under the command of Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, a garrison of soldiers, civilians and African allies found themselves surrounded by thousands of Boer fighters. What followed was a desperate struggle for survival. Shells rained down on homes and hospitals. Food grew scarce. Fortifications sprang up across the dusty veldt. Yet somehow the town endured.
In this first episode, we follow the opening months of the siege, from the first shots of the war to the long grind of daily life under bombardment. Along the way we meet the remarkable cast of characters who lived through the ordeal: Baden-Powell, Sol Plaatje, Lady Sarah Wilson and many others whose courage, ingenuity and determination kept hope alive.
As the days turn into months, one question hangs over the town:
How much longer can Mafeking hold out?
