Langbourne Series - Empire: Langbourne's Empire (ePub)

';Langbourne's Empire' continues on from ';Langbourne's Rebellion', and tells the story of Morris and David's life in Matabeleland, later called Southern Rhodesia, as they try to recover their business that was devastated by the Matabele rebellion of 1893.Morris (18) and his brother, David (17) make a formidable team. Morris, with a short temper and lacking in social skills, has a very good mind for numbers, and his business acumen is exceedingly sharp, whereas David has excellent literacy and people skills plus endless energy. Together they take several risks and set a course to become successful traders in the new settlement. They build a warehouse and commence business after borrowing heavily from suppliers and the bank.When all is looking positive, Morris takes a massive financial risk and secretly brings a very large convoy of wagons full of stock up from Johannesburg and Mefeking through uncharted territory with the help of two Xhosa brothers whom they befriend, and who give the Langbourne's their total loyalty.Meanwhile, Dr Leander Jameson sets out on a secret mission to overthrow the Boer government of the Transvaal, taking with him almost all the military with him and leaving Bulawayo vulnerable to attack once more from the Matabele nation. However nothing goes according to plan; the Jameson Raid is thwarted and his men killed or captured, the Matabele take advantage, and a plague of Rinderpest breaks out. Morris, in a fit of anger and desperation, makes a simple mistake and the wagons are lost in the bush.With time against them, it falls upon David to clandestinely try to find these wagons and he sets out with his good friend, Abe Kaufman, but what they find is not what they expected.War, drought, disease, inept political designs, starvation, wildlife, bush craft, unconditional loyalty and traditional African customs and beliefs all play a part in the Langbourne brothers' determination to succeed. Based on a true story.