Johanna Brandt’s The Petticoat Commando is her own firsthand story of resistance during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). When the British Empire moved to crush the Boer republics, the men went off to fight a conventional war. Left behind in the towns, the women faced occupation, surveillance, and harsh restrictions. Instead of just enduring it, they got organized.

The Story

Brandt details how she and other women formed a secret society—the ‘Petticoat Commando.’ Their mission was to support the Boer commandos fighting in the field. This meant becoming spies, couriers, and smugglers. They passed messages hidden in loaves of bread or rolled up in their hair. They smuggled ammunition and medicine past British checkpoints, often carrying contraband under their voluminous Victorian skirts (hence the name). They observed troop movements from their windows and relayed the information through a network of trusted contacts. The book is a series of close calls, narrow escapes, and ingenious tricks used to deceive the British authorities who lived right next door. It’s the story of a war fought not with rifles on a veld, but with wit and courage in the parlors and streets of Pretoria.

Why You Should Read It

This book flips the script on traditional war narratives. The heroism here is quiet, domestic, and incredibly brave. Brandt doesn’t paint herself as a flawless hero; she writes with the urgency and occasional fear of someone who lived it. You feel the tension of a simple walk down the street becoming a high-stakes mission. What struck me most was the sheer normalcy of their cover. These were mothers, daughters, and wives using their perceived invisibility as ‘just women’ as their greatest weapon. The enemy underestimated them, and that was their advantage. Reading it makes you look at history—and the people in it—differently. It’s a powerful reminder that resistance has many faces.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for anyone who loves real-life spy stories or untold histories. If you enjoyed books like Code Name Verity but want the true story, start here. It’s also great for readers interested in women’s history, showing a facet of female agency often left out of the history books. The writing is direct and personal, not academic, so it’s very accessible. Just be prepared—after reading about these women hiding maps in their petticoats, you’ll never see a period drama the same way again.