Africa Books

Susan Williams' The Colour Bar tells both a love story and a political history. When Seretse Khama, the hereditary "kgosi" or king of one of the Tswana tribes of the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland, married Ruth Williams, a British woman he met while in school in England, it set off a scramble among the leaders of apartheid South Africa and of Rhodesia as well as Britain, to exile and depose him. It would be untenable to have a mixed race couple living among and influencing the people between these very racially segregated and oppressive societies. The lengths to which the British government went to exile Seretse Khama and to hide its reasons for so doing, as well as the responses of the Khamas and of the people of what would become the Republic of Botswana, makes spell-binding reading. I intended to use this for my bus commute read, but once I started it, I couldn't put it down and devoted a weekend to finishing it up. Highly recommended for history buffs or people interested in getting a very different view of an African republic. This one is at least a partial cure for U.S. tunnel vision.

I would highly recommend this book. I would go so far as to say it should be required reading in schools. Children need to know how things were to appreciate the world today. Today's world is not perfect but at least things are better.

I was appalled at the attitude of the British government and its treatment of Seretse and Ruth Kharma.

Susan Williams did a splendid job of writing and a thanks must go to all the people who helped in the research. It was considerable.

I found the book so interesting I could hardly put it down. Only when the attitude of others was so poor did I take a break.

I would have liked more detail about the private lives of the Kharmas, more about the children etc though I realize the subject was the colour bar and more their public lives.

Today there is not a colour bar as such. Racism is more subtle. If only people could remember we are all God's children.

I would like to close with a quote from his, "I have a dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr., "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character."

To all Amazon's readers. Look in to your hearts.

Over a decade has passed since the end of apartheid in South Africa, yet it seems longer ago that such a nightmare actually existed in the modern world. Reading this book, which relates just one example of the many wrongs endured by the majority of inhabitants of that country, is guaranteed get your blood boiling all over again.

Originally published in Australia as "Upington: A Story of Trials and Reconciliation," Andrea Durbach's book recounts her role as a lawyer in the murder trial of 25 residents of Pabellelo, a black township in Upington, South Africa. After a peaceful meeting in November 1985, during which residents complained about such township conditions as "issues of house rents and the use of alcohol by schoolchildren," a group of youths made their way to a soccer field, disrupting a game. A confrontation with police ensued, and, for the next three days, local law enforcement clamped down on local unrest, at one point shooting and killing a pregnant woman. Responding to unfounded rumors of an officially sanctioned town-wide gathering, 3,000 inhabitants assembled and were then violently dispersed by police. In the subsequent melee, police fired tear-gas canisters into the crowd. A black police officer, with a past reputation of cruelty and corruption, was flushed from his nearby home and assaulted by a mob, ultimately killing him.

Twenty-six residents were arrested. Evidence tied only three or four of them directly to the scene of the crime; five of the accused were actually arrested when they "volunteered" for the lineup and were then selected by alleged eyewitnesses. To avoid the problem of the complete lack of evidence--not to mention the inconvenience of numerous alibis--the Upington 25 (minus one of the accused who pled separately) were tried under the doctrine of "common purpose." Most frequently used against, say, a group of bank robbers when one of them commits a murder during the course of the crime, the South African justice system extended the doctrine to allow that participation (or even mere attendance) in a crowd is evidence enough for "criminal liability" or "commitment to action" for any illegal acts that might result.

Ultimately, all 25 were convicted of murder, 14 of them (including a 60-year-old grandmother) received the death penalty--and the case instantly became an international cause celebre. During the late 1980s through 1991, during the dying days of apartheid, Durbach and her colleagues persisted in battling the outcome of this farcical "show trial." They, along with the accused, are true heroes against an oppressive system. Still, writing from her new home of Sydney, Australia, Durbach is able to reflect on past events with an admirable mix of sensitivity and detachment.

Yet the true villain of the book is Jan Basson, the justice of the Upington Supreme Court who presided over the trial. Although Durbach is remarkably even-handed in her treatment of this rogue, the facts speak for themselves, and the reader closes the book with the belief that there must be a special place in Hell for such callous, mindless tyrants.

Even though the trial's outcome and South Africa's destiny is known from the start, "A Common Purpose" is still a page-turner that recommends itself to any reader who cares about racial justice and social democracy.

Durbach is truly one of the century's greatest women. Amidst the overwhelming power of the repressive apartheid State she joined with her fellow lawyers to resurrect the power of the rule of law. The personal toll of making a difference in that time and under that regime was extraordinary. This book is an inspiration for young and old lawyers alike, as well as anyone who believes that injustice has to be accepted.

We purchased this book when we were in Botswana this August. This book is magnificient! It was an invaluable resource as we saw an incredible array of birds in the wild. It also is a great book to have around here in the States as the pictures are fantastic. Good resource info on the evolution and classification of birds as well. A must buy for anyone interested in birds, especially those of Southern Africa.

Through years of living in Southern Africa this book has helped me with its comprehensive descriptions and photographs. Though, due to its massive size, it is hardly a worthy travel-companion, it is a very lovely coffee-table or study-table book

I was given this delightful book in 1982. The recipes are easy to follow and friends often ask me for the recipes .The Bobotie pie is a real favourite.
I have used this book so much it is falling apart, but to my delight I have found new copies on the internet using [...]
For any newly weds this would be a must as often a recipe I cant find in other books I see it in Magdaleens book.
Thora Angell

This is my bible of cookbooks. I have had a copy for 25 years and have never had a recipe flop or prove to be a diaster. The recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients tend to be easily available. The book has an excellent section on cuts of meats and how to best cook them. It also has a conversion section that is concise and extremely useful.

For those wanting South African recipes this book offers many. From koeksisters to bobotie to biltong to boerewors the recipes are excellent.

I have often found that the baking sections of many general cookbooks tend to be less then great. This is not true of "The Complete" cookbook. My husband has managed to make scones using the basic recipe! My daughters have both learnt to cook using this book and have rarely had any failures.

This is a cookbook that allows cooks from basic to advanced the opportunity to find good recipes that offer a variety of choices and many new recipes that will become family favourites.

This book is mandatory reading for any political science major. In a media driven age where the truth is intentionally distorted to further political agendas, Adam-Slabbert&Moodley provide the cold-blooded truth about the hypocracy of contemporary South African politics. In so doing, they lift the veil of piousness surrounding the 'heros' of the apartheid struggle and reveal the true motives of these modern day pirates. Extemely thought provoking reading.

"This timely book is comparable to a seminar on contemporary politics in South Africa. The authors are all veteran analysts of South African political changes since the 1960's. In South African terms, they are moderate left. Thus, they avoid the triumphalism of the celebrants of the demise of apartheid and instead comment searchingly on the dilemma of promoting liberal democracy while engaging in massive attempts to reduce inequality... Part serious-popular history, part comparative political analysis, part sociology, part academic journalism, the discussion is not for a beginner but for the reader already initiated into South Africana...The conclusion is rather sober: politics in the future is no longer about race but about the underclass challenging the "liberation aristocracy." Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and researchers." -H.Glickman, Haverford College Taken from: Choice. June 1999

This is a wonderful purchase for anyone interested in the African influence in Latin America.

Gleaton's work is gorgeous. These photos are treasures for anyone who calls the Americas home. What's he working on now? Can't wait for the next Gleaton collection!

This is a great book from anybodys perspective. It is informative yet entertaining. George writes as if you were sitting next to him around a mopane fire in a nice safari camp. His years of devotion to Professional Hunting and Africa make him an excellent source for information. This is a must read for all Africana fans.

GREAT BOOK FOR A LOOK AT MODERN AFRICAN HUNTING. ALOT OF DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE BEST RIFLES TO USE AND A LOT OF FAIRLY RECEENT HISTORY AS IT APPLIES TO AFRICAN HUNTING. WORTH THE MONEY.

This book, the third in a trilogy (The Silent War and Warfare by Other Means), stands alone as a masterful account of South Africa's operations to quell the insurgency in Namibia between 1967 and 1989 and provides an in depth hundred page description of events between March 31st, 1989 and April 9th, 1989 when 1,700 SWAPO guerillas invaded Namibia on the eve of independence.

This book is a personal account dealing with individuals that fought in Namibia and the story is based almost entirely on interviews with key participants such as the founder of Koevet, Lt-general Hans Dreyer. A huge number of people were interviewed and this means that much of the storytelling is as close to being there as possible for the reader. This is not an academic book, it is an adventure from the first page to the last presenting, in the end, the history of Namibia during this period and presenting text-book lessons in counter-insurgency warfare that many nations could well learn from. Excellent color pictures complete the story.

The story begins with the "stirring of black nationalism" in Northern Namibia, known as Owamboland because of the tribe that resided there. With the Portuguese flight from Angola, Operation Savannah and the intervention of South Africa and Cuba in that country in 1974 the `frontline' of insurgency now came to the doorstep of Namibia which was being administered by South Africa. The first counter-insurgency school was opened in South Africa in 1968 but it was not until 1978 that `Operation K' or Koevet, Afrikaans for crowbar, would be put into action in Namibia to quell the insurgency launched by SWAPO guerillas. However what distinguished operations in Owamboland was the use of local black Africans to work alongside the South Africans. In addition the use of landmines by the guerillas necessitated the creation of special armored vehicles to deal with them. The book then becomes a story about operations in the north along the Angolan border. Maps and diagrams complete the stories so the reader is rarely lost and his attention is always drawn to what will happen next. Peter Stiff is a first class storyteller in this respect. This book is yet another masterpiece in his trilogy. Another must read for all South Africans.

Seth J. Frantzman

Counter-insurgency warfare has never been a lounge sport, and good counter-insurgency forces are always quick to be marked as the vilans. This book shows how the South African Police, during the late 70's deceided to fight SWAPO on its own terms. A fighting vehicle capable of withstanding small arms fire and landmines was developed. This new Vehicle, the Casspir, was armed and gave the Police mobility and fire power. Every vehicle was manned by a Car Commander (initially a white South African) and 8-10 black special policeman. Casspirs worked in groups of 4 and was supported by a logistic vehicle. Operations ussaully lasted a week to 2 weeks in the bush. Leads where followed and as soon as track where picked up, the Wambo trackers started following the tracks. The end result was in most cases a violent but uneven shootout, between the SWAPO insurgents and the 40 odd policeman and their heavily armed fighting vehicles. Needless to say the international press and anti-South African lobby were soon to brand the Policemen as the vilans. What this book is doing, is to tell the story about policemen doing soldier's jobs. No mercy was given by both sides, and black and white fought and died together to resist the communist onslaught from Angola, being run under the blanket of African nationalism. Fortunately the cold war ended and the communist approach died with it. Today Namibia is a independant and prosperous country, but if it was not for these brave Policemen Namibia could have looked much different from what it is now. Reading the book also raises a number of questions. Why did SWAPO invaded Namibia in 1989? Why did SWAPO after 15 years of independance not claimed it's dead from the mass graves they were buried in? How big was the intimidation before and during the 1990 elections? It seems it must have been substantial. Firstly huge numbers of the Wambo people supporting the Police and volunteering to fight SWAPO & weeks later everybody voteing for SWAPO!!! This a unique book in its approach and a must read for people with a tac for military history and tactics- although these men where mostly policemen. This book also gives a face to ordaniry policemen, not being interested in politics but rather in doing an outstanding and committed job. There is also another side to the Namibian Border War. Read this book and experience what you did not read in the Anti-Apartheid literature.

This was an excellent book! The Hendricks piece together a few accounts on the events that led to the Creole Mutiny and the circumstances surrounding the lead figure of the mutiny, Madison Washington. This includes stories by Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown. They also include interesting facts about other heroic individuals who went far and beyond for freedom. It's a definite keeper and great reference book for the history of Africans in America. (For more on this subject and more visit: [...])

George Hendrick and Willene Hendrick's THE CREOLE MUTINY may prove of interest to a narrower audience of students of Afro-American and regional American history, but it's no less powerful for its coverage. Here is a story of revolt aboard a slave ship in 1841: one which led to British authorities offering freedom to the slaves who took over their captors and sailed into Nassau. Little has been written about this revolt because little has been known of it: pieces from different sources are brought together to fill in the gaps, here.

The African (usually Nigerian) scammer letter has become iconic in western culture over the past 20 years. In the 80's I got letters in the mail, in the 90's it was faxes, and these days e-mails of course. There has been plenty of coverage about horror stories connected with these letters, that it's amazing that there are still people stupid and greedy enough to fall for them. As someone who has read so many of these for the comedy value, I find it only fitting that someone should turn these into works of art. This book is a collection of 36 of the author's favorite letters, wonderfully illustrated to depict the sob stories, promises of vast riches, etc.

Makes a fun quirky gift to anyone who is familiar with these letters.

German illustrator, Henning Wagenbreth, illustrates 36 scam emails from Africa .. not only are the illustrations amazing .. the emails are hilarious. I highly recommend this book!