I have just finished reading a 660 page biography of Mahatma Gandhi. Its author, Rajmohan Gandhi, is one of his grandsons, a noted historian.
Gandhi wI have just finished reading a 660 page biography of Mahatma Gandhi. Its author, Rajmohan Gandhi, is one of his grandsons, a noted historian.
Gandhi was an idealist with a highly original mind. After a childhood in Gujarat (part of western India), he studied in London and became a barrister. After a brief return to India, Gandhi set off for South Africa to dwork as a barrister. He remained in South Africa for many years, managing his legal practice and fighting for the rights of Indians living in the country - actually, countries as South Africa was only unified in 1910. His struggles for the rights of the Indians was the proving ground for methods of non-violent revolution which he brought to India when he returned there for good in 1915.
It is no exaggeration to claim that Gandhi's activities and his saintly persona, more than anything else, prepared the Indian masses for a desire to become liberated from the yoke of British imperial rule. Rajmohan Gandhi describes and explains this lucidly. So great was the respect for Gandhi all over India, that he was able to resolve numerous problems with the government or between different communities simply by fasting. He was willing to starve himself to death, but neither the British authorities nor most Indians were prepared to lose him. So, they gave in to his not unreasonable demands. His mass non-violent protests that were joined by thousands of ordinary people, who were prepared to be imprisoned or to be beaten by the police without offering resistance, often achieved their aims.
By the mid-1940s, the situation in India was such that the British began planning to leave it. During the lead up to Independence in August 1947 and after the Partition of India and the formation of the new state of Pakistan, India was plagued by excessively violent inter-communal conflicts: Hindus vs Muslims and Sikhs vs Muslims. Despite numerous fasts, Gandhi was unable to keep the peoples of India unified.
Gandhi's ideals included seeing India achieve its independence. He was also keen to maintain harmony between members of India's different religions. He did witness India's freedom from the British, but had to suffer in the knowledge that despite his efforts, Independence was achieved whilst inter-communal violence kept increasing.
There were many in India who did not share Gandhi's desire for inter-religious harmony. Amongst these were the so-called 'Hindu nationalists'. It was a group of them who assasinated the Mahatma in 1948 at one of his prayer meetings in New Delhi.
Rajmohan Gandhi's account of his famous grandfather is thorough. It gives a good idea of the Mahatma's personality and his brilliance with dealing with everyone from the humblest harijan ('untouchable' or 'dalit') to the most pompous of politicians both Indian and British.
In brief, this book is first class and I can strongly reccommend it....more
This is a BRILLIANTLY written biography of a brilliant man, whose achievements rivalled, or even exceeded, those of Alexander the Great.
Love him or haThis is a BRILLIANTLY written biography of a brilliant man, whose achievements rivalled, or even exceeded, those of Alexander the Great.
Love him or hate him, admire him or despise him, there is no doubting that Napoleon Bonaparte was a genius in several fields including: military, intellectual, writing, and government.
Many of Bonaparte's ideas and developments remain valid in both France and many other countries. A good example of this is his 'Code Napoléon', a system of laws that forms the basis of many legal systems even today.
He could be both ruthless and compassionate when dealing with those who were against him.
Andrew Robert's well-researched, thorough biography provides a very well-balanced study of this Corsican born leader of France. It is a highly readable book which, if it were not for its physical weight, would be 'un-put-downable'....more
Early on in this EXCELLENT book, the author makes it clear that no contemporary accounts of Alexander's life exist. All that the historian can rely onEarly on in this EXCELLENT book, the author makes it clear that no contemporary accounts of Alexander's life exist. All that the historian can rely on is material written long after Alexander's death, and much of it biased. Despite this, Lane Fox does his best to try to separate the wheat from the chaff in order to produce a plausible biography of one of the world's military and political geniuses.
This wonderfully written book traces Alexander's life from Macedonia to India and back to Babylon. It is highly readable, and a great achievement.
Now, I shall tackle Napoleon Bonaparte's life!...more
This is a well-written and interesting novel set in an African 'township' near Johannesburg in the 1980s during the 'height' of apartheid. It is narraThis is a well-written and interesting novel set in an African 'township' near Johannesburg in the 1980s during the 'height' of apartheid. It is narrated by a teeneage girl, Tihelo, who watches life declining around her as members of the township engage in violent opposition to the apartheid government and are wickedly punished by the regime's vindictive and sadistic police force. Tihelo, who has a far paler complexion than those around her including her mother and sister, worries about her paleness and also becomes involved in revolutionary activities. Eventually, she is arrested and tortured. Near the end of the book, she learns something that surprises her very much.
This novel provides a frighteningly realistic glimpse into what life under apartheid was like for 'black' South Africans, and is well worth reading....more
Marabi music was played in the 'black' townships especially during the early 20th century.
This book, set in the 'slums' near Johannesburg, is a novel Marabi music was played in the 'black' townships especially during the early 20th century.
This book, set in the 'slums' near Johannesburg, is a novel about the clash between African tribal customs and traditions and modern (20th century) ways of life.
Martha, the heroine of the story, falls in love with a Marabi musician George. Many other girls have already fallen for him. Her family and the neighbours are not keen on this relationship.
Martha's uncle wants his son to marry her. As with many 'arranged' bethrothals, love is not at the primary concern of her uncle.
This short but densely packed novel skilfully explores the competition between 'tribal' mores and the stresses of living and working as a 'black' person in the racist South African environment of the 20th century....more
Muriel is an office worker at Metropolitan Radio, a shop in Johannesburg selling radios and household goods to both 'white' and mostly 'black' people.Muriel is an office worker at Metropolitan Radio, a shop in Johannesburg selling radios and household goods to both 'white' and mostly 'black' people. Many of the customers buy goods on an installment plan; many of them are unable to pay the installments. Muriel is 'black' but has to work in close proximity to 'white' office workers. In this book, Muriel describes many episodes during her career at Metropolitan during the 1970s, in the depth of the apartheid era in South Africa.
This book provides a delicately portrayed depiction of what it was like being a 'black' person under apartheid. By downplaying her anger at the iniquity of life as a second-class citizen in South Africa, Muriel provides one of the most effective criticisms of apartheid that I have read so far. Rarely does Muriel 'lose her rag', but as a reader I began to understand how awful and unfair life for hard-working 'black' people was during the era of apartheid.
This is a brilliantly written humorous novel. Oversimplifying things greatly, it concerns the fate of an atomic bomb made by South Africa's apartheid This is a brilliantly written humorous novel. Oversimplifying things greatly, it concerns the fate of an atomic bomb made by South Africa's apartheid regime which finds its way to Sweden by accident. It also describes how a latrine worker in Soweto (near Johannesburg) finds her way to a potato farm in rural Sweden and then meets the country's king.
If well-written madness and mayhem appeal to you, then start reading this superb story NOW!...more
Sadly, this is a true story. It is the author's account of his attempts to discover what happened to his father, an opponent of Libya's Gaddafi, afterSadly, this is a true story. It is the author's account of his attempts to discover what happened to his father, an opponent of Libya's Gaddafi, after his abduction from Egypt.
On the whole, the book is brilliantly written although ocasionally I was mildly annoyed by the author's desire to show off his not inconsiderable cultural knowledge. Apart from that, this book was both fascinnating as well as tragic and worrying....more
This book has an excellent title. Each of the 3 protagonists in this triple biography - Leo Amery and his sons Julian and John - spoke for England, buThis book has an excellent title. Each of the 3 protagonists in this triple biography - Leo Amery and his sons Julian and John - spoke for England, but each in his own way. Leo and Julian were British patriots, John ('Jack') was executed as a traitor after WW2.
During his long life, Leo was involved both in South Africa and later in India. Julian fought alongside guerillas in Albania in WW2, whilst at the same time his brother John assisted the Nazis by broadcasting propaganda against Britain and her allies.
This complicated story of the most famous 3 members of the Amery family is brilliantly handled by David Faber. Full of well-researched information, it reads as easily as a good novel. This is a great book for anyone interested in the machinations of British politics in the years leading up to, and following WW2. It is also a readable 'human interest' story of the best kind....more
This is a superb example of family history writing. It rivals my other favourite in this genre, Vikram Seth's Two Lives. Roger Cohen's book is a tour-This is a superb example of family history writing. It rivals my other favourite in this genre, Vikram Seth's Two Lives. Roger Cohen's book is a tour-de-force because it combines the story of his family, its flight from Lithuania to South Africa and elsewhere, with an account of the plight of the Jewish people. Cohen covers many aspects of the complex story of the Jews and their relationships to people of differing ethnicities and beliefs.
In this intricate, beautifully written book that makes skilful use of his family's history, Cohen tackles, amongst many other topics, the question of British anti-Semitism and the true meaning of the criticism of Zionism, namely as an expression of anti-Semitism. At the same time, he explores what is wrong in Israel and the (difficult to achieve) possibilities of resolving the country's problems.
I can heartily reccommend this fascinating and compelling book....more
1950s South Africa viewed through the eyes of a young boy. Brilliant, compelling, and evocative. A fine example of concise, expressive writing. And, i1950s South Africa viewed through the eyes of a young boy. Brilliant, compelling, and evocative. A fine example of concise, expressive writing. And, it is a most interesting view of the lives of humble European people living in non-glamourous parts of sothern Africa....more
I CANNOT REVIEW MY OWN BOOK., but this is what another reader has published as his 5 star review on Amazon:
"The biography of Senator Franz Ginsberg prI CANNOT REVIEW MY OWN BOOK., but this is what another reader has published as his 5 star review on Amazon:
"The biography of Senator Franz Ginsberg provides a wonderful insight into the tensions and sequence of events of a bygone age that shaped modern South Africa, and specifically into the significant role played by this public spirited and liberal minded Jewish entrepreneur who came out from Germany as a young man filled with hope and aspirations to make South Africa a better place for himself and all its peoples. This important work further enhances our understanding of the global events and the prevailing anti- semitism in Europe that influenced the difficult decisions faced by many Jews at the time, such as that of Dr Nathan Ginsberg to send his son of eighteen to King William’s Town in South Africa in 1880. It gives substance to the life, and context to the role played by Senator Ginsberg as a humble, principled, pragmatic and humanistic leader, who gained the respect of the people as a German and a Jew, and loyal British subject. A Victorian South African with a deep love for his adopted homeland and all its peoples. This well-researched book reveals how this young man quickly established himself as an industrialist and politician, successfully dabbling in many enterprises ranging from match-making,photography and diamond mining, from candle making to farming, and from the manufacture of soap to the first elected Jewish Senator of the Union of South Africa. Yamey weaves a compelling narrative of Ginsberg’s remarkable political journey to the Senate, first starting a lifetime of public service in the Council of the Borough of King William’s Town, rising from councillor to mayor, and later to Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Cape Province prior to his election to the Senate of the South African Parliament upon unification. Through meticulous research into old press articles and public records he shows how Ginsberg came to grips with the structures and mechanisms of government, and developed a deep understanding of the needs of Colonial industry and the aspirations its citizens of various cultures and persuasions. Always wanting to do good and always looking to improving the lives of all peoples including those less fortunate, he promoted Colonial industry tirelessly and campaigned for the introduction of protective tariffs to allow colonial industries to become more competitive. Yamey describes how Ginsberg, a self professed liberal, gained the respect and confidence of the German settlers and the Xhosa people, how his humanitarian approach influenced decisions at various levels of government, and how he strongly opposed the voices of prejudice. The beginnings of separate development and seeds of Apartheid had been sown many years before in the hearts and minds of Europeans and was evident in all his dealing with the different levels of government even in those early days. Despite his prescience there was a certain inevitability that seemed to conspire against him. The author is able to connect events like the advent of bubonic plague in the late 1800’s, which gave rise to the need to address sanitary conditions in “King”, and consequently led to the establishment of a “location” for “natives” outside the town, how the “locations” were later used for political purposes by proponents of separate development which led to the dark days of apartheid. It was in this location named “Ginsberg location” that Steve Biko lived. The politically intensive process of coalescing common sentiment and benefit to be derived from the formation of a the union or federation of South Africa was mainly focussed on economic benefit rather than the franchise for all. Hardline positions taken by most Boer politicians resulted in the vote for “Natives” being forfeited in order to achieve the unification of South Africa in 1911. The intriguing and maybe not so well known was the fact that there was limited franchise for “civilized Natives” of the Cape Province prior to Unification. The history of our country would have been so different if it was felt that this most important issue could not be shelved for resolution at a future time. In telling the story of the life of Senator Franz Ginsberg, Yamey reveals the rich tapestry of the complexity of life for early settlers in the Eastern Cape, their difficulties, challenges and the importance of family in achieving their aspirations of a better life. Adam Yamey and I are both great grandchildren of Senator Franz ,and I am grateful to him for his research, and for having dedicated the book to his cousins, Jane Rindl and myself. It is a well written and researched book criss-crossed with references to well known personalities of the time and will be of interest to all those who wish to learn more about the contribution of Jewish settlers and about the early beginnings of what forces influenced the political landscape as we know it today."
Too much blood and gore, not enough of anything else. Rather like watching someone playing a high-speed computer game. I could not manage more than 12Too much blood and gore, not enough of anything else. Rather like watching someone playing a high-speed computer game. I could not manage more than 124 pages. Pity, as on the whole I enjoy Wilbur Smith....more
I had several reasons for wanting to read about the South African anti-apartheid martyr, Steve Biko (1946-1977). First of all, I knew little about himI had several reasons for wanting to read about the South African anti-apartheid martyr, Steve Biko (1946-1977). First of all, I knew little about him and the reasons for his murder by the South African security forces. Secondly, he was born and lived in the township called Ginsberg, which is part of town of King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape, where many of my mother’s family lived. One member of her family, her grandfather, was the late Senator Franz Ginsberg (1862-1936), in whose honour Biko’s township was named when it was founded in the early part of the 20th century. Thirdly, Biko was a friend of my cousin Geoff Budlender, who, as a student-leader in Cape Town became an important white anti-apartheid activist. Finally, this particular biography was written by Xolela Mangcu who arranged for me to visit Ginsberg Township in 2003, where I had the honour of meeting Biko’s elder brother Khaya briefly after having visited the house where Steve lived whilst under a banning order.
At an early stage in his book, Mangcu quotes Christopher Hitchens’ view of writing a biography in which he points out that a good biography should leave the reader wishing that he or she had been able to meet the individual being described. Mangcu managed to achieve this in his book. From what he wrote about Biko, it would seem that he got on with most people, and that along with his brilliant mind accounted for some of his success as a politician who appealed to the ‘masses’. Indeed, although very busy with matters of national importance, Biko found time to do things, such as founding a crèche and a clinic, to ease the lot of his neighbours who lived under difficult material conditions in Ginsberg.
Mangcu’s biography traces the development of Biko’s intellectual ideas back to the years when Europeans first began landing in what is now South Africa and started harassing its indigenous inhabitants. Mangcu then describes the influence of religious establishments and Biko’s acquaintances in Ginsberg, a ‘hotbed’ of anti-apartheid thinkers and activists, on Steve’s gradual politicisation. One of these activists was his elder brother Khaya. He also describes in great detail the importance of student groups in South Africa in the development of movements to counter apartheid. Biko, who was not entirely comfortable with the main white-dominated student union, NUSAS, developed a ‘black’ students’ union SASO.
Steve Biko developed the Black Consciousness Movement (‘BCM’). In brief, as I understand it, he wanted ‘Black’ people (and in Biko’s mind this included not only Black Africans but also Indians and also ‘coloured’ people) to shed their feelings of inferiority to the white people, and to recognise that they were equal, but maybe different in outlook and aspirations, to the white people who had been suppressing them for several centuries in South Africa and elsewhere. During Steve’s lifetime, the non-white - and especially the black - man was considered by most white people in South Africa as being inferior to the white man. I find it hard to understand the kind of arrogance that led white people in South Africa (and also in other colonial societies such as British India) to believe in such nonsense, but they did. Another factor encouraging belief in superiority was the white man’s fear of the black man’s potential for competition and opposition. It is possible that the feeling that the ‘man of colour’ was inferior to the white man engendered, at the best, the (paternalistic) feeling that it was the duty of the white man to help the coloured man to strive for the benefits of the white man’s civilisation, or, more likely, at the worst, to suppress him so that he remained a source of cheap and easily dominated labour. Whatever the reason, Steve Biko felt that the black people of South Africa could not expect to liberate themselves from domination by their white neighbours until, to quote him “…whites must be made to realise that they are only human, not superior. Same with Blacks. They must be made to realise that they are also human, not inferior.”
Steve Biko’s ideas and influence were not only taken seriously by the ‘black people’ in South Africa, but also by the ruling ‘white’ regime. The latter considered him such a serious threat to the status quo of apartheid, that they arrested and killed him without trial, and in the knowledge that they would not be held account for their brutal treatment of him. The details of Steve’s tragic demise, so far as they are known, are described in Mangcu’s fascinating biography.
My cousin Geoff Budlender expressed Biko’s political desire to change ‘his’ peoples’ attitudes well in an interview that he gave after the end of apartheid, and long after Biko’s murder: “…I came from this white liberal background where the premise was that if only black people were like us everything would be fine. Steve Biko showed that black people didn’t want to be like us, they wanted to be like them. They wanted a liberation of a kind which was much more fundamental than simply becoming integrated into white society.” Would they have achieved this if Steve Biko had lived long enough to experience post-apartheid South Africa? Mangcu feels that they would have had a better chance of doing so had Biko not been killed. In the final pages of his interesting and thought-provoking book, he laments the current South African leadership’s betrayal of the hopes and dreams that the black people harboured when Nelson Mandela shook hands with De Klerk at the end of apartheid. ...more
Published in 1946, not long after the USA had dropped atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, this book must be one of the earliest reactions (in fictPublished in 1946, not long after the USA had dropped atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, this book must be one of the earliest reactions (in fiction) to these horrific events.
Set mainly in the heart of Africa, this badly written novel is by a prolific, but now largely forgotten, South African author. I was not sure whether this book was supposed to be an adventure story or simply a vehicle for moralistic outpourings. It contains much pseudo-science and other similar rubbish. I read it out of curiosity and because I am interest in the history of the atomic bomb and also because the author was South African.
This book has to be the worst book that I have ever read by a South African writer....more
Maybe it was a mistake to read three novels by Wilbur Smith in a short period, which is what I have just done. By doing so, I began to recognise the tMaybe it was a mistake to read three novels by Wilbur Smith in a short period, which is what I have just done. By doing so, I began to recognise the tricks that the author employs to achieve his incredibly exciting style of story-telling.
This story, which begins in the trenches in France during the First World War, continues in South Africa during the period of labour troubles in the goldmines of the Witwatersrand in 1922 before moving on to the story of a game reserve in the Zulu lands of Natal.
Episodes of nail-biting excitement are separated by over-detailed descriptions of romantic intimacy and also less interesting interludes. A whole host of well-described, sometimes believable, characters populate the novel, often being conveniently killed off by the author when he is not sure what to do with them next. The hero of the book, Mark Anders, survives an unbelievable number of incredible near-death situations. I was amazed that he managed to survive from beginning to the end of this long novel.
A thread of interesting South African history is woven into the story, but somehow I felt that the whole novel was more contrived than it needed to be.
I will read more of Wilbur Smith, but maybe not for a while!...more
This adventure story is set mainly in German East Africa and Portuguese East Africa before and during WW1. It is a tale of revenge.
The first half of tThis adventure story is set mainly in German East Africa and Portuguese East Africa before and during WW1. It is a tale of revenge.
The first half of the book, which is almost comical at times, is not as good or exciting as the second half, but it is essential to understanding the latter part of th tale. As usual, Wilbur Smith writes passages that are so exciting that one cannot read fast enough to see what will happen next.
The main characters are mostly credibly portrayed. Somehow, I did not enjoy this book quite as much as "The Power of the Sword", which is the first and only other Wilbur Smith novel that I read. Although "Shout at the Devil" is perfectly readble, it does not contain so much of the fascinating details and aspects of history that the "Power..." book contains, and its plot is weaker.
However, my interest in Wilbur Smith's writing has by no means be distinguished ... I have begun reading yet another of his books. ...more
This book, which is set in southern Africa and Nazi Germany, is both very interesting and exciting. Very infrequently does its pace even begin to flagThis book, which is set in southern Africa and Nazi Germany, is both very interesting and exciting. Very infrequently does its pace even begin to flag during its nearly 870 pages. It is un-put-down-able.
This is a story of hatred between two brothers and between two races: the Afrikaners and the English South Africans. It is also the story of rich versus poor, and black people versus white. Above all, it is a well-told adventure story set against the background of the flow of South African history between WW1 and the advent to power of a Nationalist majority parliament in South Africa in 1948. in addition, the novel is well spiced with romance.
The numerous characters are well-drawn and mostly credible. The author portrays their differing outlooks on life well and sympathetically. He interweaves historical facts almost seamlessly. It matters not whether you are actually interested in the history of Southern Africa, but this book will kindle an interest in the subject.
The book provides great entertainment. Whilst it might not be great 'literature', it makes for compelling reading. I felt as if I was watching a huge-scale epic movie (film) whilst reading it. It made me feel that Wilbur Smith is to novel writing what Bollywood is to movie-making, and I mean that in the very best sense....more
This book is 'un-put-down-able', but I have savoured it in short bursts to make it last longer! I have really enjoyed reading it.
This novel, set in thThis book is 'un-put-down-able', but I have savoured it in short bursts to make it last longer! I have really enjoyed reading it.
This novel, set in the UK and South Africa is: funny, ribald, outrageous, raunchy, and at the same time quite serious.
The novel is set during the apartheid era. Leon, a wealthy South African, living in north-west London is married to his English wife La. She is a typical example of a white liberal concerned about the evils of apartheid. When Leon goes to a South African airline booking office in London, he meets Gertje, a real 'Boer', who is mysterious about his past. Leon and La are both attracted to Gertje, and this attraction is reciprocated.
Just after Gertje leaves their lives, Leon and his wife fly to Cape Town in order to celebrate Leon's parents golden anniversary. When they arrive in the midst of the South African winter, nothing goes according to plan. A series of peculiar situations lead to Leon, his wife, and his father driving into the depths of the South African wilderness. There, another series of incidents lead to the finale of the novel which is a true cliff-hanger.
Antony Sher writes with flair. He tells a gripping tale that never flags. He provides a fascinating insight into the mindsets of both pro- and anti-apartheid persons. His observations of well-meaning white English liberals are both perceptive and entertaining. This novel also helps the outsider understand a little of what went through the minds of hardened supporters of apartheid.
This entertaining book is essential reading for anyone interested in having both a good laugh and also in learning about South Africa before Nelson Mandela was released from Robben Island.
Review by author of "ROGUE OF ROUXVILLE" & "ALIWAL", both set in 19th century South Africa. ...more
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