South Africa Books

Well written and inspiring little book. Murray was a calvinist with a real devotion to Christ - that's enough of an endorsement for me to buy a biography. This quote from Andrew Murray in the book ought to sum it up: "I trust that our gracious God is bringing me somewhat to feel the necessity of an initmate experimental soul-knowledge of the precious truth to be proclaimed, and, above all, of that one glorious central truth - the amazing wonder of the love of a crucified Jesus."

Well written and readable account of the second Anglo-Boer War. Good illustarions really bring the text to life. Worth getting!

You can find absolutely anything related to the racial policies of the Apartheid-era Republic of South Africa in this book. Everything from the Republic's "Race Classification", "Homeland", and "Pass Law" policies, to detailed statistics of South African education, housing, and transport. In addition, many of the key laws of Apartheid are explained in detail. The writings in each chapter are modelled on a question and and answer approach.

If you have a to write a report on South Africa's Apartheid policies, are if you are just generally interested in this dark age of the country's history, this book is all you'll need!

"Inkosi Sikeleli Afrika" - "God Bless Africa"

Dr Nick Middleton is an allegedly upper-middle-class, seemingly soft-living geographer who has travelled and explored more than 70 countries and published books (as sole writer) going back as far as 1988.

However, "soft-living" is not a phrase that could be used to describe his exploits into the world's harshest - truly harshest - environments.

With an extremely (pun intended) engaging personality which is more apparent in the Channel Four programmes he's made than in his writing - Nick scribes with a sense of humility and honesty, but beyond explaining his motivations for going to such extreme locales never alludes to any personal details - meaning his books reveal little behind the man, the preference being to concentrate on travel and the environments themselves. This makes for objective correspondence, but also provides an enigma to the man behind it - a point, perhaps, that makes his work so totally engrossing and leaves you wanting, or rather needing, more.

The style with which he writes is far more accessible than that of say Jack London or Henry David Thoreau (okay, so Nick is contemporary - there lyeth the answer - but even so, he could, but doesn't, add any pretence) without elaborate allegories, but is also infinitely more enchanting than a lot of the more modern day off-the-beaten-track travel writers.

As a younger end Thirty Something, I always prefer the to see the middle aged exploring and writing about this type of travel, and along with Michael Palin, Nick Middleton is now well and truly a favourite. Of the younger generation of travel writer, I think only Simon Reeve comes close.
All in all, Nick Middleton's books on Extremes are truly fascinating works of brilliance. I only wish he'd cover some of the more anthropogenic extremes like Bhopal, Chernobyl (which he has said is on his list, but which is - unfortunately - no longer off-the-beaten-path, being as it's now a tourist attraction) The Banqioa Dam, Goianas, etc, as he did with Voz Island (Rebirth Island) in this book.

Many thanks Nick, congratulations on your first child.

Written by Donald Woods, a white South African who was editor of the Daily Dispatch until he was forced into exile, Apartheid: A Graphic Guide is a great introduction to the history of Apartheid in South Africa. Woods is famous for his biography of Steve Biko which was made into the feature film "Biko." While not a graphic novel each page is illustrated with black and white drawings by Mike Bostock, mostly depictions of the major historical figures.

This book follows the complicated history of the region starting from the first contact with white Europeans. The first Dutch settlers are described, including their strange corruption of Calvinist beliefs that they use to deny the rights of the non-white population. Their transition into a separate group, Afrikaners, with a unique language and culture, is also detailed.

The conflicts with the British over diamond and gold mines, which culminate in the Boer War are described, as well as the strange Anglo-Afrikaner white people collaboration that comes into existence after the war to suppress the non-whites of the area.

The history of black and non-white opposition to the infringements on their rights is also described. Their attempts at non-violent solutions, and the brutal massacres by the white government in response are presented.

The book is limited because, having been written 20 years ago, it doesn't portray the final ending of Apartheid and the aftermath. However, for someone trying to come to grips with how such a despicable policy existed into the late 20th century, this is a great place to start.

I found out that the British general Kitchener developed the first Concentration Camps during the Boer War to "concentrate" the Afrikaner women, children, and servants so he could burn and raze the farms that were the source of enemy supplies. Many thousands died in these camps from unsanitary conditions and overcrowding. Also, I learned that Ronald Reagan's policy of constructive engagement in the 1980's actually encouraged the white regime to continue in their doomed course of continued Apartheid. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the roots of racial discrimination.

First off, the book was an amazing resource to get me the historical information on the formation of apartheid. It includes various details that other resources did not have. The author obviously did his research, including not only a detailed account of ALL events associated with apartheid (and leading up to it) but succeeded in capturing the major causes happenings, and results of South African apartheid.

At some points, however, it was a difficult read. The book was a very good source but sometimes the chronology of events was hard to understand and follow (sometimes the book focused on a certain time period then skipped ahead to years later, only to return back again). All in all, it allowed the me, as the reader, to leave with a greater understanding of the South African apartheid. Apartheid, A History is a commendable book that will serve to educate the reader thoroughly,guarenteed.

A comprehensive book, Thou might be a little daunting to beginners due to the complexities of the terminology used in the African context.

I was so pleased to stumble across this superb book. I didn't know about the Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa before but the essays collected here provide a penetrating and wide ranging critique of the damage that neo-liberalism is doing to the hopes that so many, in and out of the country, had for post-apartheid South Africa. There is also much here that is directly relevant to students and professors elsewhere in the world. Imperialism is, after all, everywhere.

I can recommend this book to anyone interested in South Africa and to anyone interested in university struggles under contemporary imperialism.

The author adds:
The book is a road-trip companion that covers the various routes between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It includes maps, directions and historical background on the beautiful city of Cape Town, the False Bay coastline, the famous Garden Route, the charming Little Karoo and the dramatic Cape Agulhas coastline. It also includes information about many of the exciting mountain passes throughout the region.

I was honored to read this book prior to its publication, and found it an absolutely riveting history of events. I recommend it highly as a first person account, a great tale of personal struggle and triumph. A really uplifting story of a young man's life in South Africa.