Kat Bastion Popular Books

Kat Bastion Biography & Facts

The Castle of Good Hope (Dutch: Kasteel de Goede Hoop; Afrikaans: Kasteel die Goeie Hoop) is a bastion fort built in the 17th century in Cape Town, South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of Table Bay, following land reclamation the fort is now located inland. In 1936 the Castle was declared a historical monument (now a provincial heritage site) and following restorations in the 1980s it is considered the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort. History Built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, the Castle is the oldest existing building in South Africa. It replaced an older fort called the Fort de Goede Hoop which was constructed from clay and timber and built by Jan van Riebeeck upon his arrival at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Two redoubts, Redoubt Kyckuit (Lookout) and Redoubt Duijnhoop (Duneheap) were built at the mouth of the Salt River in 1654. The purpose of the Dutch settlement in the Cape was to act as a replenishment station for ships passing the treacherous coast around the Cape on long voyages between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).During 1664, tensions between Great Britain and the Netherlands rose amid rumours of war. That same year, Commander Zacharias Wagenaer, successor to Jan van Riebeeck, was instructed by Commissioner Isbrand Goske to build a pentagonal fortress out of stone. The first stone was laid on 2 January 1666. The fortress was partially built by slave labour. The VOC was unsure about the size of the local population groups and thus feared a revolt if they enslaved them; instead they brought in up to 60,000 enslaved people from Madagascar, Mozambique, the Dutch-Indies, and India. Work was interrupted frequently because the Dutch East India Company was reluctant to spend money on the project. On 26 April 1679, the five bastions were named after the main titles of William III of Orange-Nassau: Leerdam to the west, with Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau, and Oranje clockwise from it. The names of these bastions have been used as street names in suburbs in various provinces, but primarily of Cape Town, such as Stellenberg, Bellville. In 1682 the gated entry replaced the old entrance, which had faced the sea. A bell tower, situated over the main entrance, was built in 1684—the original bell, the oldest in South Africa, was cast in Amsterdam in 1697 by the East-Frisian bellmaker Claude Fremy, and weighs just over 300 kilograms (660 lb). It was used to announce the time, as well as warning citizens in case of danger, since it could be heard 10 kilometres away. It was also rung to summon residents and soldiers when important announcements needed to be made.The fortress housed a church, bakery, various workshops, living quarters, shops, and cells, among other facilities. The yellow paint on the walls was originally chosen because it lessened the effect of heat and the sun. A wall, built to protect citizens in case of an attack, divides the inner courtyard, which also houses the De Kat Balcony, which was designed by Louis Michel Thibault with reliefs and sculptures by Anton Anreith. The original was built in 1695, but rebuilt in its current form between 1786 and 1790. From the balcony, announcements were made to soldiers, slaves and burghers of the Cape. The balcony leads to the William Fehr collection of paintings and antique furniture. It was briefly home to Lady Anne Barnard, after whom one of the Castle function rooms is named. During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), part of the castle was used as a prison, and the former cells remain to this day. Fritz Joubert Duquesne, later known as the man who killed Kitchener and the leader of the Duquesne Spy Ring, was one of its more well-known residents. The walls of the castle were extremely thick, but night after night, Duquesne dug away the cement around the stones with an iron spoon. He nearly escaped one night, but a large stone slipped and pinned him in his tunnel. The next morning, a guard found him unconscious but alive.In 1936, the Castle was declared an historical monument (from 1969 known as a national monument and since 1 April 2000 a provincial heritage site), the first site in South Africa to be so protected. Extensive restorations were completed during the 1980s making the Castle the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort.The Castle acted as local headquarters for the South African Army in the Western Cape, and today houses the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regiments. The Castle is also the home of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment, a mechanised infantry unit. Cape Heritage Museum The Cape Heritage Museum, located within the historic Castle of Good Hope in South Africa, is curated by Mr. Igshaan Higgins. This museum provides an inclusive narrative of South Africa's history, highlighting the interactions among different communities such as the Khoi, San, and Dutch, through various epochs including colonialism and apartheid. It aims to offer a balanced reflection on the nation's diverse heritage and complex past. Symbolism Prior to being replaced in 2003, the distinctive shape of the pentagonal castle was used on South African Defence Force flags, formed the basis of some rank insignia of major and above, and was used on South African Air Force aircraft. Gallery See also Fortifications of the Cape Peninsula History of Cape Colony Pre-1806 Noon Gun List of castles and fortifications in South Africa House of Hope (fort)Notes References Further reading Lalou Meltzer (1997). The Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town. Art Link. ISBN 0-620-20823-6. Ras, A.C. (1959). Die Kasteel en Ander Vroe Kaapse Vestingwerke. Tafelberg-Uitgewers Eric Rosenthal (1966). 300 years of the Castle at Cape Town. H.M. Joynt.External links Official website "Description on tourism website". "Castle of Good Hope on the Iziko Museums of Cape Town website". Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. "Castle of Good Hope on the Fortified Places website". Site by Castle of Good Hope, at SAHRA. Discover the Kat Bastion popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Kat Bastion books.

Best Seller Kat Bastion Books of 2024

  • Heartbreaker synopsis, comments

    Heartbreaker

    Kat Bastion

    Kiki Michaelson wants one wild night to forget her starvingartist worries. Simple. Only instead of Darren Cole becoming her onenight stand, he taunts her with a challenge. Then whi...

  • Billion Dollar Holiday synopsis, comments

    Billion Dollar Holiday

    Kat Bastion

    Skate onto thin ice as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion spins five brandnew multicultural holiday stories in… Festive Frostbite: A Colder Christmas Collection ’Tis the sea...

  • Forged in Dreams and Magick synopsis, comments

    Forged in Dreams and Magick

    Kat Bastion

    Chosen by FreshFiction.com as their Fresh Pick for October 22, 2013 Kat Bastion's awardwinning debut in the Highland Legends Series: Isobel MacInnes wakes up in presentday Californ...

  • Born of Mist and Legend synopsis, comments

    Born of Mist and Legend

    Kat Bastion

    Multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion returns to the Highland Legends series with the epic journey… Born of Mist and Legend. Dark angel Skorpius, guardian of time itself, receiv...

  • Stones of Power synopsis, comments

    Stones of Power

    Kat Bastion

    Awardwinning and bestselling authors Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion join forces once again in an exciting new shortstory adventure series… THE TRAVELER: Initiate Years. Meet Isobel ...

  • Two Bar Mitzvahs synopsis, comments

    Two Bar Mitzvahs

    Kat Bastion & Stone Bastion

    No Weddings Series named "Best Of" by multiple romance blogs: No Weddings One Funeral Two Bar Mitzvahs Three Christmases For Valentine's  Summer heats up in this third boo...

  • Thick as Thieves synopsis, comments

    Thick as Thieves

    Kat Bastion

    Skate onto thin ice as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion spins five brandnew multicultural holiday stories in… Festive Frostbite: A Colder Christmas Collection ’Tis the sea...

  • Caught at Christmas synopsis, comments

    Caught at Christmas

    Kat Bastion

    Skate onto thin ice as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion spins five brandnew multicultural holiday stories in… Festive Frostbite: A Colder Christmas Collection ’Tis the seas...

  • Festive Frostbite synopsis, comments

    Festive Frostbite

    Kat Bastion

    Skate onto thin ice as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion spins five brandnew multicultural holiday stories in… Festive Frostbite: A Colder Christmas Collection ’Tis the seas...

  • The Accidental May the 4th Comic Book Date synopsis, comments

    The Accidental May the 4th Comic Book Date

    Kat Bastion

    Multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion brings us a heartwarming romantic comedy novelette in The Accidental May the 4th Comic Book Date. Willow Kendrick, outdoor enthusiast, happ...

  • Braving Soteria synopsis, comments

    Braving Soteria

    Kat Bastion

    Multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion ventures into unexplored worlds with five original science fiction stories in… Braving Soteria: A Quantanauts Collection The gaping maw of ...

  • Bound by Wish and Mistletoe synopsis, comments

    Bound by Wish and Mistletoe

    Kat Bastion

    The holiday adventure, Highland Legends Book 2, following the awardwinning debut of Forged in Dreams and Magick in the Highland Legends Series: Desperate to honor a lifelong promis...

  • The Unbelievable Made on a Dare Comic Book Date synopsis, comments

    The Unbelievable Made on a Dare Comic Book Date

    Kat Bastion

    Multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion returns with a decadent globetrotting romantic comedy novelette in The Unbelievable Made on a Dare Comic Book Date. Riya Patel’s entire civ...

  • Snowed Under synopsis, comments

    Snowed Under

    Kat Bastion

    Skate onto thin ice as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion spins five brandnew multicultural holiday stories in… Festive Frostbite: A Colder Christmas Collection ’Tis the sea...

  • Found in Flame and Moonlight synopsis, comments

    Found in Flame and Moonlight

    Kat Bastion

    Kat Bastion returns for the final installment in the awardwinning Highland Legend series… Found in Flame and Moonlight. Gawain Brodie hardened his heart to women long ago. Convince...

  • Three Christmases synopsis, comments

    Three Christmases

    Kat Bastion & Stone Bastion

    Heat up your holidays with the highly reviewed THREE CHRISTMASES, easily read as a standalone: “I’m new to the No Weddings Series…but this book sucked me in! The perfect book to st...

  • Secrets of Alexandria synopsis, comments

    Secrets of Alexandria

    Kat Bastion

    Awardwinning and bestselling authors Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion join forces once again in an exciting new shortstory adventure series… THE TRAVELER: Initiate Years. Meet Isobel ...

  • Half-baked Holiday synopsis, comments

    Half-baked Holiday

    Kat Bastion

    Nestle down for a joyride of unparalleled mistletoe mischief as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion unveils five brandnew multicultural romantic comedies in… Halfbaked Ho...

  • Lawbreaker synopsis, comments

    Lawbreaker

    Kat Bastion & Stone Bastion

    Reader Warning: You'll need to buckle up and load up on snacks and energy drinks, because this baby clocked in at 112,000 words. But the heartwarming standalone story is filled wit...

  • Brand New Year synopsis, comments

    Brand New Year

    Kat Bastion

    Multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion returns with a standalone multicultural romantic comedy novelette, the perfect feelgood escape. Avery Benson imprinted into her mind an ama...

  • The No Weddings Series synopsis, comments

    The No Weddings Series

    Kat Bastion & Stone Bastion

    NAMED "BEST OF" BY MULTIPLE ROMANCE BLOGS No Weddings One Funeral Two Bar Mitzvahs Three Christmases For Valentine's Awardwinning author Kat Bastion teams with her husband, Sto...

  • So NOT a Silent Night synopsis, comments

    So NOT a Silent Night

    Kat Bastion

    Nestle down for a joyride of unparalleled mistletoe mischief as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion unveils five brandnew multicultural romantic comedies in… Halfbaked Ho...

  • One Funeral synopsis, comments

    One Funeral

    Kat Bastion & Stone Bastion

    No Weddings Series named "Best Of" by multiple romance blogs: No Weddings One Funeral Two Bar Mitzvahs Three Christmases For Valentine's  Ever been to a funeral that rocks...

  • Enticing Wrapper Number 9 synopsis, comments

    Enticing Wrapper Number 9

    Kat Bastion

    Nestle down for a joyride of unparalleled mistletoe mischief as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion unveils five brandnew multicultural romantic comedies in… Halfbaked Ho...

  • The Espionage Effect synopsis, comments

    The Espionage Effect

    Kat Bastion & Stone Bastion

    When desire sets you free… control is a matter of perception. I'm Devin Hill. Darkness taints my soul. I'm suffocating. Drowning. The sweet promise of air? Pure illusion. Tested as...

  • Best Served Ice Cold synopsis, comments

    Best Served Ice Cold

    Kat Bastion

    Skate onto thin ice as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion spins five brandnew multicultural holiday stories in… Festive Frostbite: A Colder Christmas Collection ’Tis the sea...

  • The Irresistible 4th of July Comic Book Date synopsis, comments

    The Irresistible 4th of July Comic Book Date

    Kat Bastion

    Multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion returns with the heartwarming final romantic comedy in the Comic Book Date Series... The Irresistible 4th of July Comic Book Date. Store ow...

  • No Weddings synopsis, comments

    No Weddings

    Kat Bastion & Stone Bastion

    No Weddings Series named "Best Of" by multiple romance blogs: No Weddings | One Funeral | Two Bar Mitzvahs | Three Christmases | For Valentine's  Awardwinning author Kat Basti...

  • Panther Rising synopsis, comments

    Panther Rising

    Kat Bastion

    Awardwinning and bestselling authors Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion join forces once again in an exciting new shortstory adventure series… THE TRAVELER: Initiate Years. Meet Isobel ...

  • Veil of Realms synopsis, comments

    Veil of Realms

    Kat Bastion

    Awardwinning and bestselling authors Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion join forces once again in an exciting new shortstory adventure series… THE TRAVELER: Initiate Years. Meet Isobel ...

  • Highland Magick synopsis, comments

    Highland Magick

    Kat Bastion

    Awardwinning and bestselling authors Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion join forces once again in an exciting new shortstory adventure series… THE TRAVELER: Initiate Years. Meet Isobel ...

  • Rule Breaker synopsis, comments

    Rule Breaker

    Kat Bastion & Stone Bastion

    Leilani Kealoha wants to be set free. Of family expectations. Of generations of prejudice. Chafing at rules made by the proud Hawaiian men in her family, she yearns to discover her...

  • Give Me a Christmas Break synopsis, comments

    Give Me a Christmas Break

    Kat Bastion

    Nestle down for a joyride of unparalleled mistletoe mischief as multiple awardwinning author Kat Bastion unveils five brandnew multicultural romantic comedies in… Halfbaked Ho...