An invaluable collection of 10 South African plays about experiences of black women, written from the early 1980's to the late 1990's. It includes works by well-known playwrights like Fatima Dike and Maishe Maponya aswell as new work by previously unpublished playwrights like Lueen Conning and Thulani Mtshali. The plays range from frighteningly serious to hilariously funny. The collection is supported by material gathered through interviews with the playwrights, offering insight into their artistic purpose and their take on theatre in post-apartheid South Africa. The book is easy to read and makes an important contribution to recording the vibrant body of new South African theatre which is muscling its way onto stages around the country.

This is the very best kind of street reporting-exploring, experiencing, communicating with the camera. And always with equal measures of mind and heart. That it all happens deep within one of the most gripping historical sagas of the century makes Kendall Hunter's book a must-read.

Employing an exhaustive amount of first-rate materials and interviews into his research, Andrew DeRoche, an up and coming scholar of diplomatic history, has provided a splendid account of the complexities - setbacks, victories, racism, pain, pleasure and other elements that were a part of the relationship between the United Staes and Rhodesia(eventually Zimbabwe) from the Eisenhower years to the latter years of the Clinton Administration. DeRoche uses outstanding research to provide his arguments. His analysis (often cutting edge) of the more than 4 decade relationship (45 years to be precise) is nothing short of splendid. The book was enormously informative and it was a pleasure to read. I would reccomend it for anyone who is intersted in groundbreaking work in diplomatic history.

Ivan Van sertima may at time jump overboard,but He is often misunderstood by the people who try to label him a Afronazi. Van Sertima sets straight with actual proof Africans did excel in Science before the conquest of the Europeans. What the Europeans thought of as withdoctors were actually people that had great knowleadge of herbal medicine. The recent find in South Africa is that African bush willow has been shown to help with the treatment of cancer. What westerners don't tell you that there is plenty of herbs in African that has been dhown to fight such dieases as Aids. The problem is drug companies exploit cheifs and priest for their knowleadge of herbal medicine. The drug companies don't want common people to know about these herbs because it will make them go bankrupt.I recommend anyone reaching and exploring to shatter the myths of primitive Africans to read this book. Another thing this book explores is the evidence they found in kenya of an astronomical observatory. The book does show the lack of study in the scientific nature of indigenous African people. The book does not mention that bantus of Southern Africa have the ability of accupunture,and this ability according to records has been with man since he first evovled. I wish Sertima would have explored the indigenous calender system. I am glad however that he showed that secret socities in Africa comunicated with symbols andf sighns, and had a form of written language.

The most exciting page in Blank_____: Archtecture, Apartheid, and After is its contents page. Rather than as a table listing, the author's names are presented on a graph of concepts related to post- apartheid planning issues in South Africa. The names float around areas of focus such as "fortification," "rural and urban weave," and "community building," all situated on a background of a number and letter grid such as the kind used to locate street names on a map. It is an inspirational presentation of the book's varied, complex, yet integrated essays. This modernness is entirely appropriate to the treatment of an area which lies at the forefront of the next generation's planning goals and obligations.

After twice reading the chapter about the Battle of Hlobane Mountain in "Washing of the Spears" and even visiting the battlesite in South Africa, my understanding of this elusive battle was still weak. But thanks to Ron Lock, author of "Blood on the Painted Mountain", my grasp on this confusing conflict has been greatly strengthened. Not only is the information he gives much clearer and vivid, but his style of writing keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. The maps provided are also most helpful and necessary, for even having been on the mountain myself, one can easily lose sense of direction. For those who are Anglo-Zulu War enthusiasts such as myself, I would highly recommend adding this book to your collection.

After having spent nearly three years in Angola with an international organization, I have my own views on Angola, the Government and the laboured peace process and left Angola more than a little cynical. Mr. Bredin and Ms. Logan's book covers not only Angola, but (the former)Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It was with great pleasure that I read the book which also accounts the tumultuous events in Angola of 1992, all related with a healthy dose of humour. It brought back a lot of good memories for me and I feel it really captured the essense of the country and the people, not only of Angola, but the other countries through which the Benguela Railroad passes. Armed with this book, I visited some of the major towns along the railway including Benguela and Huambo during my time there, a fascinating experience made all the better by "Blood on the Tracks". An excellent book and a great introduction to the realities of life in Southern Africa.

Reading this book was a breath of fresh air. I have not read such beautiful prose since finishing Gimpel the Fool by Isaac B. Singer. Within a few sentences of each story I felt myself being transported to the tropical local of each story. The protagonist/girl/young woman of each story melded into a single character trying to find her place in a crazy world. I was sad to see each story end, as I felt I wanted to know more. All young women should read this book, so they will know they are not alone in their journeys

The types and numbers of all offical Boer republic purchases of longarms are discussed in detail with excellent research to back up to findings and conclusions.

This is the book to have to identify any Boer longarm of the 1899 to 1902 conflict.

Highly recommended for the Mauser, Krag, Guedes and Martini collector.

Academic accounts of regional conflicts are often dry and tedious reads. Dr. van Hartesveldt's retelling of the history of this conflict is engaging and accessible. He gives life to the stories of the men who fought in this bitter struggle and provides an understanding of the importance of the Boer war in the greater story of the rise and fall of the British empire. An enjoyable and enlightening read.