South Africa Books

This book recounts the life of Nelson Mandela beginning in childhood up to the present age. It is written by Mandela himself - it's honest, straightforward style seems to be an honest attempt by Mandela to portray himself objectively, avoiding the tendency to be self-serving.

A fascinating book. It begins with Mandela in his young childhood living in a pre-industrial society of native Africans in the countryside of South Africa where white settlers have dominated industrialized society. It is an engaging society, - perhaps more advanced than our own - as one must reconsider what it means to live in harmony and in cooperation; A true democracy, based on the ideals that all are equal.

Mandela undergoes culture shock when he runs away from his traditional homeland to seek his fortunes in the big city of Johannesberg. Here is encounters white society up close, and is mortified at the inequity that exists between the native blacks, and the immigrant whites that make every attempt to dominate their country and exploit its indigenous peoples.

Mandela encounters a small group of educated, free-thinking educated blacks, and joins the African National Congress. Here he encounters several other oppressed peoples: Indians, Communists, and liberal whites. He slowly makes his life's objective to be a freedom fighter. A fighter for civil rights for all people. A life of struggle, where one must be willing to pay the ultimate price. And he nearly does.

He becomes the inspiration for downtrodden average black citizen, nearly enslaved within their own country. He willingly faces grave danger, is tried several times for his political ideals, denounced as "treason" and is eventually sent to prison "for life."

Mandela's life in prison is austere. But he and his colleagues never yield in their commitment to freedom for all South Africans. His wife, Winnie is an example of true dedication - equally a woman of integrity and worthy of the highest praise. She undergoes severe hardships being married to a "freedom fighter."

Mandela avoids the tendency to give up in the face of severe conditions, showing true mettle as he remains dedicated to the rights for all people to live free in racist South Africa. 27 years later having risked his life and surviving harsh prison conditions, he emerges a national hero.

A must read for anyone - Mandela is history in the making.

The rain goddess lives in the clouds, but though her home's gorgeous, she isn't happy but lonely. The gods provide her with no husband so she decides to look among the mortals, with unusual results. A fine South African myth.

Current, well thought out, easy to read, easy to locate all regions. These Michelin maps are always your best bet.

This gentle, brave man was explorer, missionary, doctor, scientist and anti-slavery activist. He traveled 29,000 miles in Africa and added about a million square miles to the known portion of the earth. His writings were decisive in ending three hundred years of African slave trading. And here's the end of the story: he died of fever in a small African village while kneeling in prayer by his bedside. His body was returned to England and is buried in Westminster Abbey. But his heart, as he wished it to be, was buried by the natives, in Africa.

A fascinating life, well-told. A book to not only enjoy, but treasure.

This is a fantastic tale of two young women - thoroughly engaging. Anyone who wants to learn about what it was like to live in Apartheid South Africa should read this book, however it would appeal to any young woman who knows what it is to have friendship. Despite the author being my grandmother - I can honestly recommend this book to all ages. It is a wonderful piece of fiction that is not to be missed!

"Teams of researchers from three areas with longlasting conflicts--Israel, South Africa, and Northern Ireland--report on the role peace and conflict resolution organizations have played in the promotion of peace. The authors provide not only a considerate account of an era of initiatives to resolve a protracted conflict, but they have also successfully integrated for the first time literatures on social movements, non-governmental organizations, and civil society. A groundbreaking and unique project."

Bert Klandermans, Dept. of Socio-Cultural Sciences, Free University, Amsterdam

"Peace making is a virtuous circle. Ending intransigent conflict requires successful political negotiations, a continual commitment to non-violence, and the demonstration of new ways of living together. Professors Gidron, Katz and Hasenfeld provide the ground breaking analysis of how peace and conflict resolution organizations show conflict-torn societies how to reimagine their futures. Examining Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Israel/Palestine, these scholars and their colleagues demonstrate the organizational structure of hope-and the whole world owes them a debt of gratitude for it."

Barbara J. Nelson, Dean, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research

"Gidron, Katz and Hasenfeld have edited a volume of extraordinary reach, an extensive and complex series of case studies of peace and conflict resolution organizations in three national arenas. Carefully contexualizing the nature of ethno-racial and socio-political conflict in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Israel-Palestine, they examine the networks among peace advocates and the role of voluntary sector organizations in seeking peace and justice. They grapple in exemplary fashion with cross-national problems of coming to consensus about definitions, research methods, theoretical schemes and the resultant politicization of findings. A major work with enormous implications for students of national and international conflict and for policy-makers and public advocates concerned with conflict resolution and peace-making."

Mark Chesler, Professor of Sociology, University of Michigan

I spent almost all of my professional career concerned with the mapping of Africa. And in the course of mapping one scans and extracts a lot of information from various open sources. In the course of this study I became familiar with the social, economic, and military happenings in Southern Africa.
I can say that except for the works of Al J. Venter, a reporter from South Africa, there are very few books with detail on the bush wars conducted by black nationalists in opposition to the minority white rule resulting from colonialism. And often the insurgents had clashed among themselves for ethnic reasons and some blacks remained loyal to the minority governments.
In other cases, when the white rulers gave up and went home as did the Portuguese in Angola and Moçambique the remaining contenders began civil wars backed by the west and by the Communists respectively. In 1976, the Portuguese Army had revolted in protest to the endless bush wars in Africa and overthrew the government. The army had been especially disgusted with the conflict in defense of Portuguese Guinea-(now Guinea-Bissau) located on the shoulder of West Africa, a hot and worthless swamp land which had no economic value and a land where there were few white settlers.
In contrast, the Portuguese ruled lands in Southern Africa had a large settler class, intermarriage was common,for there was no color line there, as there was in English speaking colonies. But still the post independence unrest was such that most of the settlers migrated back to Portugal and some to Brazil. A civil war ensued which is still going on.
Immediately to the south of Angola lies the land of SW Africa, now Namibia, whose international status was not that of a colony but that of a UN mandate gone bad. After WW I the League of Nations had assigned the governing of the former German colony of South West Africa to the Union of South Africa recently formed from the former British colonies of Cape Province and Natal and the two former Boer Republics, conquered in the Boer War at the turn of the century. At that time world opinion backed the poor pitiful (sic) Boers against the big bad British Empire. The black inhabitants of the area had had no say in the matter. They were just there.
The unique thing about the Boers or Afrikaaners, as we now call them is that, first, they had been settled originally some 400 years ago. The cape was a natural stopping point for ships sailing to India before the Suez Canal was buit and the magnificent harbor of Capetown was a busy place. So busy that the English started to settle there, finally took over and the Boers moved inland to get away and enjoy self rule.
This is part of the national legend of the Voortrekkers. Oxcarts across the prairies to the promised land. Does this sound like our western movement in the US? Especially that of the Mormons. The anology certainly rang a bell with American public opinion in the days of the Boer War.
The Boers were a hard people in a hard land. When they moved northeast in their great migration, they ran into another great migration coming southwest from the area of present day Zimbabwe. These were the ancestors of the Zulus who were quite a contrast to the meek Bushmen that the Afrikaners had first encountered. Another hard people. Well the Boers won the first round and subjugated the African tribes. The African majority finally achieved political freedom under the leadership of Nelson Mandela after fifty years of struggle. Now we can hope they get it all sorted out and enforce the social peace which is lacking and spread the economic bounty to a wider participation. The majority is composed of pure blooded Africans.
Now we know why the Afrikaners were so stubborn in clinging to their rule. Even though they were descended from Dutch settlers, so many years ago, their language is now a distinct one. Afrikaans is even the mother tongue of the Colored peoples, the term used for people of mixed white and black ancestry. What this means is that, contrasted to the British descended South African whites and those from India, the fourth major racial group in SA, they are a tribe and think of themselves as such. They are not transplanted Englishmen who, if displaced, could fly back to Blighty; the Afrikaaners cannot go back, they are home. Thus their stubborn efforts to resist assimilation for all the 200 years since the British came to Cape Colony.
For many years the Afrikaaners saw the tides of black nationalism and liberation wash up far away from their borders; so long as Portugal held out in southern Africa and the white Rhodesian regime remained in power there was precious little that armed opposition could do. International sanctions imposed by the UN in response to the refusal to give Namibia its freedom, meant little with such a huge barrier area. Although Namibia had been long ruled as the "Fifth Province", its economic system integrated into that of SA, it is still rich enough in resources and has a population that can go it alone.
Finally, the South African forces which had operated in Namibia and in southern Angola after its independence came home.

I.M. Lewis is the recognized expert on Somali cultural anthropology. He presents detailed and accurate information on clan and family structure that aids in understanding issues facing the culture (and nation/s) today.

I would send a comprehensive write up later

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book - but I found a truly original piece of work. A series of short stories, each of which can be read in isolation, but with common threads which tie the stories together...so that, when "Moss" is taken as an entire work, numerous layers of meaning are revealed beneath each story.
I find it impossible to summarise the plot of any of the stories - I just don't think I could do them justice - read and enjoy!
This is not a book to be skimmed through or read when you are tired; it is one to be savoured slowly, so as not to miss those layers of meaning - but it comes highly recommended if you like stories that make you think!