South Africa Books

Bloody good book - told as it was. Everyone should read it.

An excellent read. The book really took me back. I grew up pre-Zimbabwe and was 14 years old at the independence of Zimbabwe. I left in '87. The book is a great account of the "bush war"..you're really there!

His association of music with periods in his life "took me back" too. I remember dancing to ABBA "dancing queen" on a farm in Karoi..I grew up in Karoi and went to the Primary school there..I remember seeing the helicopters landing on the rugby field near the police station, directly opposite the school. I remember talking to the "army guys" and eating "rat packs",...convoys to Makuti, stopping halfway at a motel called "Elephants Walk". I went to school and was a border at Ellis Robins. I remember the seniors bringing rifles to school and handing them in to the house master at the beginning of a new school term....Alot of memories and this book brought them flooding back!...Although there was war, I would not have traded my upbringing, barefoot and running around the farm, for anything!

Once again, it's a great book to read.

This book reminds one of the horrors of war much like All Quiet on the Western Front did. The author starts out a middle class idealist, and concludes a hardened killer who in his early 20's needs to make sense of all the senseless deaths that surrounded his formative years. The Rhodesian "bush" war was bloody, and appears to have accomplished nothing, in that the present state of Zimbabwe almost makes those who fought against the "terrorists" heroes for trying to keep Rhodesian and southern Africa out of the hands of despots like Mugabe. I hope the Movement for Democratic Change really is a movement for democratic change, and that some day all Zimbabwean's will be free to participate in their country.

Great book, and don't forget to read the sequel "Survival Course".

Following rapidly on the heels of "When you know that you know that you know!" comes 'Tarnished Idols', a story which clearly stems from the writer's early experience as a journalist. As used to be the case with so many of her books written in South Africa, before she immigrated to Canada , it is mainly set in a newspaper office, and provides an absorbing picture of what the production of a daily paper entailed before the advent of computers. She is known to paint human relationships very vividly, and this she does in Tarnished Idols. with an intensity which is, in some ways, a departure from the kind of story she loves to tell. South Africa is at war in the nineteen-forties, and this book deals with the consequences of love at first sight, and the enduring passion of a teenager for an air force pilot.

Her characters are so real you want to shake them because of some of the antics they indulge in. She has woven another gripping tale - set in her beautiful South Africa - which is difficult to put down. She is a keen observer of human frailty and most, if not all, her characters are based on people she has known. The course of true love certainly does not run smooth, but the author manages to bring all the characters into their right places by the end. Enjoy!

Her characters are so real that you want to shake them because of some of the antics they indulge in. Again she has woven a gripping tale - set in her beautiful South Africa - which is difficult to put down.

She is a keen observer of human frailty and most,if not all,her characters are based on people she has known. The course of true love certainly does not run smooth, but the author always manages to bring all the characters into their right places by the end.

This book is an excellent source for seeing the experience of apartheid from which the theory of black consciousness emerged. Biko lucidly articulates both the people and the regime he found himself in conflict with, and parallel's between his appraisal and his idea's are made clear. A must read for anyone who wants to get a full understanding of black consciousness.

Steve Biko's movement, Black Consciousness, is most fully articulated in his book "I Write What I Like," however, the testimony of Biko adds a crucial dimension to any understanding of Black Consciousness. It offers insight into the man behind the idea's, and offers crucial information about Biko's experience as a black man in South Africa. This information is necessary for a true understanding of what Biko writes, as he offers a lucid picture of the black experience during Apartheid. I have yet to find another writer with such tremendous insight into the oppressive nature of the Apartheid regime, and any oppresive regime in general. This book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the oppressed mind.

This book is an excellent source for seeing the experience of apartheid from which the theory of black consciousness emerged. Biko lucidly articulates both the people and the regime he found himself in conflict with, and parallel's between his appraisal and his idea's are made clear. A must read for anyone who wants to get a full understanding of black consciousness.

I knew nothing beyond the basics of apartheid in South Africa until I read Harry Bloom's incredibly powerful book. Even now, I cannot claim that this book has made me an expert, far from it, in fact. But, I have a much greater appreciation of what like was like in the Transvaal (or black locations) in South Africa. Even though the title is a work of fiction, I believe that the reader will get a much greater understanding on this topic. (And like other reviewers, I admit I picked this up because it is written by Orlando Bloom's father.I will use any excuse to pick up a new and different book! )

Bloom's story is set in the fictional town of Nelstroom, S. Africa. We are introduced to two main characters, Du Toit, the location manager and Mabaso; a black man who has come from Johannesburg with the hopes of easing the hardships of life in the location. Du Toit begins his job with the best of intentions, trying to make life better while still enforcing the laws of apartheid. He will eventually, of course, give in to the higher ups. Mabaso is an educated man. He makes the people of the location aware of how they suffer. And we all know education is a powerful thing. The people who stand behind these two men will clash and begin to rebel against each other. This is a book you know will not have a happy ending from the first page.

Since I can't find the words from my own experiences to describe the total unfairness and confusion of apartheid, I would like to take a quote from the book, which stuck with me from the point I read it until I finished and long after that. "Facts are twisted, illusions fostered, truth destroyed to prove that the perverted is normal, the sordid noble, the brutal beautiful, the guilty innocent, the coward a hero, disaster a victory-and the reverse of all these things."(Pgs 277-278). Harry Bloom was imprisoned for writing this book, that alone is testament to its truth. Despite its heavy subject, it is a great, fast paced read. And a book that will stick with you for a lifetime.

Walter Mabaso, a black freedom fighter who comes to Nelstroom, a fictional town in Africa, and Hendrik Du Toit, the newly arrived white Manager for Nelstroom's "Location," the segregated ghetto where the African population must live, are the two major characters whose psyches and lives Harry Bloom explores with the skill of a literary surgeon. They and the other characters are strikingly drawn, reminding me of the clarity of characterization in John Steinbeck's GRAPES OF WRATH. Both novels deal with dispossesed people struggling to salvage their lives and their dignity against poverty and oppression, except in Bloom's gentle masterpiece, the oppressors are the proponents of apartheid in South Africa. Now we live in a world where Nelson Mandela has triumphed, but Bloom's story takes us to the early days of the fight for racial equality, and goes beyond it. The plot is elegantly structured to show how oppressive governments create a vicious system where the victim becomes the human fuel it runs upon, until the ruling class' blithe disregard for the human rights of the under class ignites into a storm of confrontation . . . one so volatile that no cover-up can sweep away the ashes. Add to this a use of language that is so concise, every word builds a sparse clear picture in the reader's mind and eye. Transvaal Episode won the British Authors Club Award in 1957 for best novel of the year. What amazes me is how the characters and events in this novel could be equally played out today in other countries where human right struggles are still ongoing. This novel should be required reading for anyone dealing with national and international politics and power. It teaches us to understand how easily those in power can brainwash us into believing what we think we see, when we're really seeing what they want us to, and the true picture is totally different. A book for all people, all countries.

I must admit that I originally picked up this book for the curiosity factor of it having been written by actor Orlando Bloom's father. However, from the very first page the gripping tale of oppression, hopelessness, and desperation in South Africa sucked me in like few novels I can remember. The writing style was lush in its descriptive power, and the author's intimate knowledge of both the people and the problems of the region shines through page after page. Although one knows from the very first page that this tale will *not* have a happy ending, even in its horror the conclusion makes perfect sense and holds one until the very last paragraph. The one minor gripe I had with the novel was the shifting perspective and timeline; however, both were required to gain a full sense of the events and the insanity behind them. This is a serious work for the serious reader and definitely worth more than a single reading. I highly recommend this work.

I have a soft spot for Dr. Hunt although I have not spoken to him in years. When I realized who wrote this book I grabbed it at once. It is fascinating to see what experiences lie behind his soft manner, dry wit and occasional ascerbic comment. There is also a streak of sentimentalism that I did not expect at all, but which is quite touching.

If you are interested in reading about South Africa or the adventures of a medical man in a nation under stress then I would highly recommend this very readable book.

I would give this book a gold star! John Hunt has clearly lived an enviable life, and his depiction of real world events in the emergency room at Baragwaneth Hospital is quite amazing and in many cases hard to fathom. If it weren't for the photographs, it would be hard to believe some of the events are true. For those with a real interest in South African history, and for those with a medical background, this book is top drawer. A quick read, you can finish the book in a few hours and won't put it down once you start reading.

This book is a riveting account of the author's 16- year experience as a white surgeon in Baragwaneth hospital for 'non-whites' in apartheid South Africa during the period1960-1976.
What he describes is "ER": for real - not an artificial TV series but an actual hospital in which devoted doctors and nurses dealt with real life and death situations, sometimes with wry humour, always with dedication.
Every page is alive with the gripping details of the surgical problems encountered and how the staff coped with them in spite of the often inadequate technology of 30 years ago.
Employing an agreeably laid-back style, the author gives lively descriptions of patients, nurses and fellow doctors, providing inter alia a vivid insight into South Africa as it was then. I feel that anyone interested in events in South Africa would find this book extremely interesting; and anyone interested in the tasks confronting doctors in a turbulent society such as South Africa was, would find this book invaluable and what's more a very good read.

Since first reading this book, I have read all the other available titles by this author - especially "The Bronze Killer" (which featured two of the characters in this one), and "When you know that you know, that you know!" - and now, re-reading this one, I was able to enjoy it twice as much as before. I could also understand the writer's loyalty to South Africa, its Air Force, and especially 27 Squadron SAAF.

Although it is clearly fiction, and not meant to be studied as an historical treatise, it was well worth a second read.

I recommend it.

Our family certainly got its money's worth, as each in turn (having waited in line to read it) wanted to discuss it at the dinner table. Without exception, having fallen in love with Francois, they would raise the agonizing question: Why did he do that? Each came up with a different theory. My husband was led to read The Bronze Killer after reading this one. His review appears elsewhere.

From the time that I started to read "With No Remorse..." I could hardly put it down. The story of the devilish Stephanie just drew me from page to page and I could not wait to know what the outcome would be. One of my mother's dearest friends lost a Canadian Air Force son over Malta during the 1939-1945 war, so I was especially interested to learn how the islanders had also suffered during this war.

Reading about civil rights in America is tough, especially for kids these days. The events are remote, and the lack of activism in our country makes it hard to imagine what it was like 40 years ago. But this book...Wow! The characters' situations grab you, whether you are relating to the Zulu boy, South African (white) girl, or the dog. There are moments that will make you laugh, and other that we have you holding your breath for 10 pages. And of course, parts that will cause you to weep. The story is very well told, and spares the reader nothing in terms of the vitriol felt by racist So Africans. Highly recommended.

I bought this book after hearing an interview of the author on KNPR and thought it would be good to read with my lower level reading high school students. My students loved the book from beginning to end even though they were high school level. This year I read the book with a group of 7th graders, and boys and girls alike loved the book and many want to buy the book for theirselves. As an adult I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it for any one who enjoys a good book.

"Zulu Dog" is a must read, not just for children aged 9-12, but for any adult who loves a good story, adeptly told, with memorable characters and compelling plot twists. The author of this wonderfully woven tale is going to be famous!

Frederick C. Selous was one of the giants of Vitorian Africa and in this work, written at the urging of President Theodore Roosevelt, he compiles many of his most keen observations about life and wildlife in Africa. Fascinating not only as a period piece, Selous's thoughts are remarkably prescient about the state of game in Africa even today. Though it was written before the rise of the commercial poaching that has ravaged so much of the continent, the book gives an excellent insight into the need to carefully observe, record, and interpret the ecological signs found in the wild. Clear and lively in style, the tales told within encompass everything from dietary habits of hyaena to the effects of sleeping sickness on agriculture. Especially interesting are the authors remarkably forward-thinking ideas on race relations, ideas that would not become the rule in southern Africa for over 75 years. An altogether satisfying read.

I have read plenty of elephant hunting volumes in the likes of Bell, Stigand and several others but this Selous book is different. It's not entirely an account of Selous' adventures with his rifle but rather as the first portion of the book's title suggests, an informative wrap-up of the ways and characteristics of various African game. Selous is a unsurpassable raconteur when it comes to telling of big game, as this book proves. There's a chapter on Selous' search for the elusive inyala antelope, and it is of great interest. A book well worth parting with your cash for. Simply a true must-buy !

I am sending this book to Professor Gewirtz at the Yale Law School for his course on Law and Literature, for it beautifully captures the conflict of a scholar steeped in the law confronted with an ironclad (and justified) belief in the mystical. Bottom line: human law loses, Claude Levi-Strauss and Carl Jung win. Also a great book for gaining a multi-dimensional insight into the complex and often overly simplified Afrikaner history / mindset.

The description of this book lead me to believe it was about an aboriginal tribe in South Africa. Instead, it is a DNA-helix of living and dead members of the Moolman family. Their ancestor, FounderAbel Moolman, was intelligent, domineering, and full of raw energy, qualities he needed to forge an empire in an untamed land. He also imposed a strong code of ethics on his descendents, a code that is inescapable even in death.

The story unfolds through the visit of a magistrate sent to investigate a tragedy in the family and the spiralling tale told by the living and the dead wraps around the reader and draws him along, spell-bound. Reading the end of most mysterious stories reveals the plot, but this tale can only be untangled with patience. Comprehension doesn't fully come until each page has been examined and unwound.

Discusses the stirring, often emotional events of the Natal Campaign of the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, when from Oct. 1899 to Feb. 1900 the British Army was pushed across the Tugela River, & heroes of the British Empire met their downfall. Bobs Roberts, George White, Redvers H. Buller, & Charles Warren had to appear before a Royal Comm. of Enquiry in London to answer why an apparently one-sided conflict could have cost so much in terms of men, money & material. This fresh investigation sheds new light on the controversial strategies, directives, opinions & reports which permeated every element of the campaign. Illustrated

The British Army, "with armaments and reserves that would be insufficient for a third class military power", was embarrassed by its poor showing (225 surrenders) against a force of scruffy farmers (Boers) in the Natal Campaign of 1899-1900.
After the war, so costly in men and money, a commission was established to review the conflict to examine the failures and correct the deficiencies. This book skillfully weaves the proceedings of that Commission with admirably readable narrartive to uniquely illuminate that unfortunate episode of history, the echoes of which can be heard yet today in South Africa.
"What did the Commiussion achieve? It changed the way Britain made war in the future. It changed the structure of command. It changed the attitude of the common soldier, and it spelt the end of the cavalry charge...".
And it laid the groundwork for the British Expeditionary Force of 1914, one of the finest armies in history.
Excellent reading for the general reader of military history, and essential for students of the Boer War and the British Army.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings).