South Africa: A Narrative HistoryIn this epic narrative Frank Welsh explores South Africa's eventful history through the clash and engagement of cultures -- tribal, Afrikaner, and British, among them -- that have made this nation on the tip of Africa not only the most powerful country on the African continent but also the most controversial. South Africa: A Narrative History begins in pre-colonial times, when South Africa was home to the now extinct Bushman, and ends with Nelson Mandela's last year of power as the first black leader of the post-apartheid nation. Among the seminal events that take center stage in this drama are accounts of the Jameson Raid, the Great Trek, the Zulu Wars and the Boer War, and the struggle of the African National Congress for legitimacy and political power. Welsh, the author of A Borrowed Place: The History of Hong Kong which the New York Review of Books called "a magnificent, much-needed and compendious history", has now written an essential book on South Africa, a book for anyone wishing to understand the historical and economic underpinnings beneath the present day realities. |
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SOUTH AFRICA: A Narrative History
User Review - Jane Doe - KirkusThis massive, thoroughly competent history of South Africa has everything except the final, galvanizing spark of life. As Welsh shows, from the first stirrings of recorded history, South Africans have ... Read full review
South Africa: a narrative history
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictWith bold strokes that some may find candid but others coarse, Welsh sketches South Africa's history from the Portuguese landing in 1488 to the evolving nation's first democratic election in 1994. He ... Read full review
Contents
The Fairest Cape | 1 |
An Inn on the Road to the Indies | 21 |
Victualling Station to Colony | 40 |
Copyright | |
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accepted Albert Lutuli annexation apartheid attempted Basuto Basutoland became Boer Botha Britain British government burghers Cape Colony Cape Town Carnarvon cattle cent century Cetshwayo chief civil Colonial Office Colonial Secretary colonists Coloured command communities constitution Council developed Dingane Dutch election English English-speaking established European farmers farms fighting force franchise frontier Governor Grey Griqua Hertzog Hofmeyr hundred Imperial independent Indian insisted Jabavu Kaffirs Khoikhoi Kimberley Klerk Kruger labour land later leaders liberal London Lord majority Malan Mandela ment Merriman mfecane Mfengu Milner missionaries Moshoeshoe Natal Natalian National Nationalists native Nelson Mandela non-whites Orange Free Orange River parliament Party political population Potgieter President Pretoria Prime Minister protection remained Republic Rhodes settlement settlers Shepstone slaves Smuts society South Africa successful territory Thembu thousand took traditional Transvaal trekkers Tswana Union Volksraad voortrekkers vote Xhosa young Zulu