Harriet Vane Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Looking at traveling to South Africa in the future. Can anyone recommend a good South African history book and a modern guide to South Africa? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 When we went a few years ago, I read/reread A Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela - his classic autobiography - while this is not a "history book" per se, it is very thorough and provides a good historical background particularly from the black perspective (it doesn't delve deep into the British/Boer/Afrikaans part of the history though obviously does touch on the highlights). There's a kids' version that your library probably has, to just get the highlights, which if you plan to visit Robbins Island (HIGHLY recommended) would be worth doing. Mandela’s Way: Lessons on Life, Love and Courage, by Richard Stengel. Stengel collaborated on the autobiography and came back to Mandela again 15 years later to do this one. It's structured around 15 different life lessons / leadership principles. It doesn't quite fit into either history or memoir, but it's excellent -- I ended up using it as the spine of my son's writing program for a month -- and if you're pressed for time, it condenses a whole lot of SA and Mandela into a very manageable read. South of the Limpopo, by Derva Murphy - a completely hilarious memoir by a completely crazy intrepid middle aged Irish woman who decided to spend the two years of the (quite dicey at times) political transition biking through the most remote corners of the country. Best account of the Chris Hani turmoil I've read anywhere. Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton - the original classic fiction, first published in 1948. Most important fiction IMO, though there is a great deal to choose from. None to Accompany Me, by Nadine Gordimer (South Africa) - Gordimer has produced a very large body of very good fiction; this one is set after the transition in the lead up to the first election, an interesting time. Other important and very good writers: Athol Fugard (playwright) and JM Coetzee (novelist). Like Gordimer, they both have a huge lifetime opus. Finally, not my usual genre, but I'd recommend Invictius. When are you going, and to what parts? It's a beautiful, fascinating country. We loved it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 If you like James Michener (historical fiction), I LOVED The Covenant. Absolutely one of my favorites. My husband grew up in South Africa and loved the book as well. It does a great job tracing the interests/conflicts of the Dutch, British and native South African people groups. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I was also going to recommend the Mandela book. But I came to it having some basic understanding of the Boer wars etc. I found the Mandela book very useful for giving me better context for 20th century history. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Here are three more recommendations hyperlinked to Amazon: The South Africa Reader: History, Culture, Politics A History of South Africa Selected Speeches and Writings of Nelson Mandela: The End of Apartheid in South Africa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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