South Africa Books

Banned when it was first published in South Africa in 1963, Modisane's account of life as a black in South Africa in the 1940s and 50s is still for me one of the most vivid and insightful reminiscences of apartheid. As he remembers his youth in Sophiatown, his survival tactics, the deaths of his siblings of starvation and his father in a brutal gang fight, he returns again and again - as a refrain - to the last days of Sophiatown whose eerie emptiness echoed his own internal alienation and sense of futility during the darkest days of apartheid. In his evocative style he paints a picture of the vibrant shebeen culture of Sophiatown and some of its famous and notorious inhabitants but without the romantic gloss of some writers. What is refreshing is his lack of romanticising, his inclusion of graphic descriptions of the casual violence and lawlessness of gangs - unrestrained by the white police - who terrorised the community. He was one of a team of black writers, first for the 'Golden City Post', then for 'Drum' magazine, became an actor and playwright and left for West Germany in 1958 when Sophiatown was finally bulldozed. His keen sense of the terrible ironies and absurdities of apartheid, as well as a wealth of historical and political detail provided for me, as a white growing up in 1950s and 60s South Africa, a fascinating, sobering and illuminating window on the experience of a black intellectual trying to survive in South Africa in the 1950s.

In South Africa, even in the most modern of cities, practitioners of magic hold sway over the population. The ones who work for the benefit of their client are revered but there are some like the Albino that use the dark powers of the spirits to achieve their own ends. The Albino has built up an empire based on heroin and human smuggling and he performs mudi (organ) murders so he can harvest human organs for his spellcraft.
When a black child's body is found in a ditch, it is easy to see it is a mudi murder because the heart is missing. Detectives Harry Morgan and Jacob Tshabalala are assigned the case. While Harry uses tried and true police methods, Jacob believes in the magic of his people. A major heroin bust disrupts the Albino's empire, causing him to commit crime against those that betrayed him. The Albino's empire is linked to the little girl's murder so it is inevitable that he will cross paths with Harry and the police many times. The case is broken wide open by a British reporter who identifies the top guns in the criminal empire. Harry begins to realize there is more to the world of spirits than he ever knew.

The exotic locale and the supernatural beliefs of many people living in South Africa will give armchair travelers a thrill. It is fascinating to watch the metamorphosis of Harry from non-believer to believer. Both Harry and Jacob are well developed characters with demons they have to exorcise if they want to live normal lives. Richard Kunzmann's debut novel is a smash hit.
Harriet Klausner

Most avid readers of history know of Winston Churchill's mature works about the First and Second World Wars; and occasionally they know of his histories of the "English-speaking peoples" and of his biography of his illustrious ancestor the Duke of Marlborough. But it is much rarer to encounter someone who knows of, much less who has read, this volume of his collected dispatches as a correspondent to the Boer War. That's a pity, for these very early works, written around the turn of the century when Churchill was in his late twenties, provide an illuminating window into the developing character and literary style of one of this century's preeminent journalists, historians, and statesmen. But the stories are of interest not only because of their author. These collected dispatches serve as a primer on one of this century's first and least-well-known wars, one whose brutality and political intrigue foreshadowed the nation-draining slaughters to follow in this bloody century. The prose is a bit less polished and more stiffly Victorian than in his later works, but Mr. Churchill's sense of his destiny and his place in history, as well as his pugnacious self-confidence, shine through. Well worth a read for those who'd like a glimpse at the formative years of this great man. (by Michael Sebastian)

Does not go much into the background and the reasons for the war, but concentrates on the strategies and battles in the years 1899-1902. Displays lots of interesting pictures, drawings, original maps and also several pictures of the different battlefields as they look today. And very readable.

This is a good chance to have a general overview of that important conflict that marked the transition to modern XX century warfare and the last colonial war of the Victorian British Empire. Information is very complete considering the limited 40 pages. Art work could be more detailed but this is the style of this artist. Art work descriptions are short and undetailed, dissapointing in this point. A very good choice...

I was looking for a book which would explain to me why the hardline Afrikaners gave up power to South African blacks without the bloodbath we had been dreading for decades. This was the unlikely but very insightful book I found. It's repetitive at times, but along the way the author's interviewees -- most of them fascinating South African "types" -- give all the answers that make sense. To truly enjoy the wonderful bits of local humor, one needs some Afrikaans (a consistent C for Afrikaans up to and including matric, like mine, is surprisingly sufficient). Highly recommended.

The book combines beautiful photographs, excellent maps, and more concise commentary than other guides to this country. On the downside, the quality of different travel agencies, lodgings, etc. is not appraised. The information is useful for all but rock-bottom travelers (Botswana isn't cheap, anyway), however, the authors are inappropriately condescending toward the options available to budget and mid-range travelers and frankly colonial in their attitudes toward the locals. Still, if you can tolerate a few nauseating passages in the introductory chapters, you get a useful supplement to the Lonely Planet, Rough Guide etc.

A novel that looks at the miscarriage of justice that happened to some soldiers in the time of the Boer War. Or, again, you shouldn't get caught shagging the superior officer's woman, or that can mean very very bad things.

An interesting look at a period of military history.

In _The Burden of Empire_, Stanford professors Gann and Duignan argue that imperialism (in the 19th century and early 20th century) was not all that bad - the regions of the world ruled by the European powers gained much from the experience - participation in the world economy, a modern, industrial infrastructure, political and educational institutions, access and participation in higher education, roads, health care facilities, and ports. All true, and these points are well argued and well presented.

However, there is one glaring fact that is not addressed: that all of these wonderful things built and brought to Africa and Asia (at European expense) were created FOR the Europeans, and were designed with the intent of suiting the needs and wants of the European powers - roads, canals and ports, for example, were built exclusively for the extraction of raw materials in the quickest and most expedient manner possible - without thought or concern for the indigenous people. The same is true with the hospitals, schools and universities, civil service, and other social and political institutions.

While admitedly this book is an "apology" for European imperialism, it is nonetheless a marvelous read, its point of view well argued. In the end, however, its agruments are unconvincing.

This is Witton's "Scapegoats of Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morant's Bushveldt Carbineers" under a new title. Witton was the third Carbineer alongside Morant and Hancock who were prosecuted for murder in the midst of the war.