 Wilson., and has written and edited many books, including "The Political Mythology of Apartheid", "The Frontier in History" (with Howard Lamar), "A History of South Africa", and "South African Politics" (with Andrew Prior), all published by Yale University Press.Born in England in 1916, Thompson was educated in both England and South Africa, and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University from 1937 to 1939.He was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and was awarded many medals for distinguished service.