156 Hands that built South Africa — the 1956 Treason Trial by Phyllis Naidoo (self published) (First published: September, 2006) One of the critical events in the history of the anti-apartheid struggle was the treason trial of 156 men and women which began in Johannesburg’s old Drill Hall in December 1956. It was, and remains, […]
January 6, 2011
George Soros is a household name associated mainly with philanthropy, but also for his advocacy for “open societies”. This, his ninth book, probably stands in place of an authobiography; it is by turns interesting and annoying, but provides considerable insight into a eccentric whose concerns are widely shared, even if his notions about the way forward may not be.
December 8, 2010
edited by Adekeye Adebajo, Adebayo Adedeji and Chris Landsberg (University of KZN Press) (First published, June 2008) This excellent volume does not deal with the prospects of a post-Mbeki presidency or with any of the possible fallout from the internecine feuding within the ANC. And this should not matter, for no matter the outcome now […]
December 2, 2010
Cyril Ramaphosa, lawyer, trade unionist, politician and businessman, remains one of the most popular figures on the South African political scene. Yet his deeper beliefs and opinions remain hidden. The author of this biography, which Ramaphosa made clear he did not want written, does provide some excellent insights, but the subject remains an enigma.
November 30, 2010
Truth is a strange fruit; A personal journey through the apartheid war By David Beresford (Jacana ) Review: Terry Bell (First published September 26, 2010) The publishers defined this book as “a personal journey through the apartheid war”. With rather more accuracy, the author describes it in his introduction as a montage or collage. However, […]
January 6, 2011
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