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Parcel of Death recounts the little-told life story of Onkgopotse Abram Tiro, the first South African freedom fighter the apartheid regime pursued beyond the country’s borders to assassinate with a parcel bomb. On 29 April 1972, Tiro made one of the most consequential revolutionary addresses in South African history. Dubbed the Turfloop Testimony, Tiro’s anti-apartheid speech saw him and many of his fellow student activists expelled, igniting a series of strikes in tertiary institutions across the country. By the time he went into exile in Botswana, Tiro was president of the Southern African Student Movement (SASM), permanent organiser of the South African Student Organisation (SASO) and a leading Black Consciousness proponent, hailed by many as the ‘godfather’ of the June 1976 uprisings. Parcel of Death uses extensive and exclusive interviews to highlight significant influences and periods in Tiro’s life, including the lessons learned from his rural upbringing in Dinokana, Zeerust, the time he spent working on a manganese mine, his role as a teacher and the impact of his faith in shaping his outlook. It is a compelling portrait of Tiro’s story and its lasting significance in South Africa’s history. ‘A biography of Onkgopotse Tiro, who was at once a catalyst and an active change agent in the South African struggle for freedom, is long overdue. For generations to come, this book will be a source of valuable information and inspiration.’ – MOSIBUDI MANGENA
In this captivating collection of essays, Tinyiko Maluleke invites his readers on a journey that begins with his eventful boyhood in Soweto and his life-changing sojourn in Limpopo. His reflections on the roles of his mother, maternal grandmother and aunts in his upbringing will melt many hearts. In a deep sense of the word, this is a ‘feminist’ book with large sections profiling and promoting the contribution of women in national development. Included in this memoir is the story of Maluleke’s journey through academia, his rise through the ranks, and the many lessons he learnt along the way. All the while, Maluleke presents his story as a microcosm of the human story of all South Africans, challenging his readers to rethink the history of the country, villages, townships and their own selves. Maluleke does not pull any punches in the essays where he provides analysis of critical issues facing the country. Deploying solid scholarship, to undergird a variety of literary genres and writing strategies, Maluleke’s book is also a compendium of and an ode to the moments, places and people – celebrated and ordinary – who have shaped and continue to shape his outlook. His profiling of a few fellow university leaders is particularly riveting. Faces and Phases of Resilience will make you think, laugh, yell and cry. In a way, this book is not merely an individual memoir, it is the memoir of a country, a memoir of a historical epoch and a memoir of a people – it is an invitation to the tragedy, the beauty and the hope that define South Africa. The book ends, forty-nine chapters later, with a heart-rending essay on the bane of xenophobia, foretelling the death of Maluleke, chillingly titled, ‘The Day I Die’.
The new book from the award-winning and No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of THE FIVE: THE WOMEN WHO WERE KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPER In 1910, the name Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen entered legend. The remains of his wife, the music hall performer, Belle Elmore were discovered in his London cellar, while he and his secretary Ethel Le Neve were found masquerading as father and son on a ship bound for Canada. Meanwhile, in New York, the Irish family of Charlotte Bell, Crippen's first wife were investigating the mysterious circumstances of her death, nearly 20 years earlier. For over a century, Belle Elmore's murder has been retold as a tale about a cold-blooded killer and the heroic men who brought him to justice, however the real story is one that hasn't been heard. It is told by the ranks of women who dominated the case, not only the larger-than-life Belle, the rebellious and ambitious Ethel, and the courageous Charlotte, but an army of Edwardian actresses, circus performers, singers, horse trainers, landladies, secretaries, bookkeepers and medical professionals whose version of events has been drowned out by those of law enforcement and even by the murderer himself. Their perspectives paint a chilling picture of an Edwardian world, not so entirely distant from our own.
Every now and then a book comes along that is both timely and remarkable, that integrates all aspects of life; from recognising one’s roots, developing a moral grounding, building from strong family foundations to follow a chosen path to reach one’s goals, and remaining humble when it all comes to pass. Time and Chance is an account, in a variety of contrasting images, voices and experiences gained from travelling the world in pursuit of business, where LAZARUS ZIM, industrious Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) enthusiast, recounts his journey to become one of South Africa’s business leaders, with several firsts, while navigating the political minefield – disclosing descriptions of behind-the-scenes intrigue and conspiracy – and his interactions with Heads of State in South Africa and around the globe. The recounting of Zim’s extraordinary rise to success oscillates between hope, faith, ethics, and diligence as he lays bare his successes and failures, and the organic wisdom, knowledge, and wit that have framed his business acumen and moral grounding. It is a poignant reminder of a black child’s quest to fulfil his purpose in which the writer dares everyone to dream, even in the face of hopelessness.
Samuel Daniell can be described as one of the most accomplished yet least-known artists from the era of British exploration. He travelled around southern Africa between 1800 and 1803, and lived in Ceylon until his death in 1811. His vivid sketches, drawings and watercolours are individuated and accomplished art works. Daniell’s representations of people of colour are remarkable for their perceptiveness and are perhaps unmatched in their sensitivity in the colonial era. He also produced many drawings and paintings of animals that are noteworthy for their accuracy. His biography is a fascinating example of how art contributed to the accumulation of scientific knowledge and the extension of British imperial power. Daniell’s drawings are widely scattered, and mostly unpublished. This biography reconstructs his life and travels by bringing together his known works from collections across the world.
The son of pastors and gospel artists, PJ Morton grew up in church,
singing gospel music, grounded by its soulful sound. As he was drawn to
R&B and pop, PJ experimented in combining genres to create his own
sound that record labels struggled to categorize. Pressured to align
with industry standards but committed to his own dream of his original
music, he defied expectations and risked launching his own label,
Morton Records. Under it, he developed six self-released and
self-produced albums that garnered twenty Grammy nominations and
awards, and included collaborations with such acclaimed artists as
Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin, and Lil Wayne.
A charming, moving account of one man's race to save a herd of elephants. When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival - dangerous and unpredictable, they would be killed if Anthony wouldn't take them in. As Anthony risked his life to create a bond with the troubled elephants and persuade them to stay on his reserve, he came to realize what a special family they were, from the wise matriarch Nana, who guided the herd, to her warrior sister Frankie, always ready to see off any threat, and their children who fought so hard to survive. With unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, this is an enthralling book that will appeal to animal lovers and adventurous souls everywhere.
This is a memoir about the life of an extraordinary South African poet, educator, and activist that tells a lesser-known social history of people, families, communities and places. Poli Poli is intentional in grounding Masekela’s experiences in a social history of the country over generations. Masekela uses her life story to illustrate the features and characteristics that typified life in particular places, like Kwa-Guqa in the 1940s, Johannesburg, Alexandra Township, and Inanda Seminary School (for Coloured girls) in Mpumalanga. This memoir is filled with intimate details about the growing pains of a childhood inhibited by strict beliefs and systems, first-hand experiences of struggle and sacrifice, violence and other forms of inhumanity and the deep scars they etch, while also telling the story of the author’s life-giving relationship with her siblings. Poli Poli is a remarkable history that speaks to issues of then and now – belonging, African identity, women’s rights, and femininity, and is written in the lyricism and transporting detail of one of the country’s greatest wordsmiths.
We Two from Heaven is a singular memoir, a four-part fugue on the tricks and traps of memory, a shuffling of the cards of time. Episodes from the early life of writer James Whyle are interwoven with the letters of his father from the Western Front during the First World War. Their formative experiences – war, conscription, injury, desertion – flash by, juxtaposed, as if in counterpoint. How do we know who we are? Upending the reader’s expectations of a memoir, Whyle then explores the violence and madness of apartheid society as the narrator passes through boarding school and university and takes his first steps to become a writer. Raw and rhythmic, lyrical and caustic, this is an unsparing, formally inventive dissection of human vanities and illusions. At the end of history, on the shores of a blue bay, the voices of the past can be heard as we await the arrival of the barbarians – or the baboons, whoever comes first.
Game-changing wisdom from pioneering coach and Nike executive George
Raveling, coauthored by bestselling author Ryan Holiday - with a
foreword by basketball legend Michael Jordan
THE NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, STARRING STEVE CARELL AND TIMOTHEE CHALAMET. "What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong?" - Those are the wrenching questions that haunted every moment of David Sheff's journey through his son Nic's addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic Sheff became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. With haunting candour, David Sheff traces the first subtle warning signs: the denial, the 3am phone calls (is it Nic? the police? the hospital?), the attempts at rehab. His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and the obsessive worry and stress took a tremendous toll. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every avenue of treatment that might save his son and refused to give up on Nic. This story is a first: a teenager's addiction from the parent's point of view - a real-time chronicle of the shocking descent into substance abuse and the gradual emergence into hope. Beautiful Boy is a fiercely candid memoir that brings immediacy to the emotional rollercoaster of loving a child who seems beyond help.
Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat
to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make
them. Welcome to Facebook.
Adapted for younger readers from Born a Crime: And Other Stories- the #1 South African and New York Times bestseller ‘If my mother had one goal, it was to free my mind. My mother spoke to me like an adult. She was big into Psalms. I had to read Psalms every day. She would quiz me on it. “What does the passage mean? What does it mean to you? How do you apply it to your life:” That was every day of my life. My mom did what the school didn’t. She taught me how to think. In Born a Crime, Trevor Noah shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child to exist. But he did exist and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his quick wits and humour to navigate a harsh life. This edition of Trevor’s fascinating memoir blends drama, comedy and tragedy to depict the day-to-day trials that turned a mischievous young boy into a restless young man. Against all the odds, and supported his mom’s unwavering love and indomitable will, Trevor overcame many obstacles and created a promising future for himself. Born a Crime provides a fascinating and honest perspective on South Africa’s racial history and it will also inspire readers looking to improve their own lives. TREVOR NOAH is a much-loved South African comedian, who is currently the host of The Daily Show.
As a young journalist, roped into court reporting to cover Jacob Zuma’s
2006 rape trial, Karyn Maughan could not have known that she would be
reporting on Zuma’s legal woes for the next two decades – and
would herself become his target. Disarmingly honest and deeply
personal, this book takes a razor-sharp look at how powerful men
use attacks on individuals who try to hold them accountable, as well as
on the media and the courts, to undermine democracy.
200 women from a variety of backgrounds are asked the same five questions. Their answers are inspiring human stories of success and courage, love and pain, redemption and generosity. From well-known activists, artists, and innovators to everyday women whose lives are no less exceptional for that, each woman shares her unique replies to questions like “What really matters to you?” and “What would you change in the world if you could?” Interviewees include US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, actor and human rights activist Alfre Woodard, and Nobel laureate Jodi Williams, along with those who are making a difference behind the scenes around the world, such as Marion Wright Edelman, head of the Children’s Defense Fund. Each interview is accompanied by a photographic portrait, resulting in a volume that is compelling in word and image — and global in its scope and resonance. This landmark book is published to coincide with an immersive travelling exhibition and an interactive website, building on this remarkable, ever-evolving project. With responses ranging from uplifting to heartbreaking, these women offer gifts of empowerment and strength inviting us to bring positive change at a time when so many are fighting for basic freedom and equality. Local interviewees include Graça Machel, Caster Semenya, Zelda la Grange, Mpho Tutu van Furth, Hlubi Mboya, Sahm Venter, Joanne Fedler, Ingrid le Roux, Gillian Slovo and Zoleka Mandela, among others. A minimum of 10% of the project’s revenue will be distributed to organisations devoted to protecting and advancing the rights of women. Each interviewee can nominate an organisation (or themselves if they are in financial need) to receive their portion of the charitable pool or they can select the principal charitable partner, the Graça Machel Trust.
“the bird is freed”
From the scene-stealing star of Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids comes a refreshingly candid, hilarious, and inspiring book about her unconventional journey to Hollywood success and loving herself. This “beautiful, brave book,” (Jenna Bush Hager, the Today show) is the story of Rebel Wilson’s remarkable personal transformation, from a painfully shy child in Australia who literally had to be dragged to drama classes and achieved break-out success in the US through iconic roles in Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids, and Isn’t It Romantic. Through “stunningly personal revelations” (The New York Times), Rebel shares the extraordinary experiences that shaped her life. A malaria-induced hallucination? An all-style martial arts fighting tournament? Junior handling at dog shows? And this was all BEFORE she moved to Hollywood! From her painful relationship with her father, weight gain and loss, a late-in-life sexual awakening and fertility issues, Rebel shares her incredible journey to self-love in writing that is “frank and fun.” (CBS Sunday Morning) Rebel leads you through her hard-fought path to “making it,” constantly questioning, “Am I good enough? Will I ever find love? Will I ever change and become healthy?” This extraordinarily entertaining memoir shows us how to love ourselves while making us laugh uncontrollably.
South African playwright Hannah Meade arrives in London for the opening night of her new play. She has arranged to meet Pierre, the student she was in love with when she taught English in Paris. During their time together, they lied their way towards truths they were too young and inexperienced to endure. Perhaps this time they will have a second chance. As the reader is drawn from contemporary London back to Paris on the eve of the war in Iraq, the mystery of past events is brought to vivid life in a series of dramatic, intriguing and deeply moving encounters. Written in layered, stark prose, The White Room lays bare many of our assumptions about language, identity, memory, loss and love. ‘Craig Higginson is at the vanguard of the latest and most exciting novelists in South Africa, both robust and sensitive, offering a barometer of the best to be expected from the newest wave of writing in the country.’ – André Brink ‘In its conception and execution, The White Room is remarkable ... Evocative and dreamlike, yet all too nightmarishly real, this is a story so moving that it leaves a powerful afterimage on the reader’s imagination.’ – Craig Mackenzie
At the pinnacle of motorsports, a humble young man from Stevenage, England has risen to become the most dominant and influential Formula One driver of his time. This authoritative biography follows Hamilton's pathway from his early days karting on local tracks to the glitz and pressure of the Formula One circuit. Along the way, we witness Hamilton's single-minded determination to reach the top, even as he challenged racial barriers and opposition at every turn. His triumph over adversity is all the more inspiring given Hamilton's pioneering role in making motorsports accessible to marginalized communities. Beyond his unparalleled on-track exploits - leveling the record books held by the legendary Michael Schumacher – Hamilton has used his platform to advocate for social justice, environmental sustainability, and diversity. Hamilton has emerged as a voice of moral clarity, leveraging his fame to push Formula One and global sports to be a force for positive change. As Hamilton nears the twilight of his racing career, this book examines his lasting legacy. From shattering stereotypes to inspiring new generations of motor enthusiasts, Hamilton's impact extends far beyond just his championship trophies. The book culminates with Hamilton's potential final act - chasing a record-setting 8th world title at the wheel of the iconic Ferrari team, the ultimate validation of his greatness.
In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa,
author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network
personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal
story with readers hungry for a seat at her table.
The full story of Taylor Swift's stratospheric rise to fame; all any dedicated Swifty needs to know about the pop superstar who's taking over the world. A small-town girl with an incredible talent, and the strength to realise her dream, Taylor has grown into an award-winning, chart-topping artist and worldwide star, as well as a strong and stylish woman. But how did she get there? And what lies in store for her in the future? From childhood dreams of a musical future in Pennsylvania, to determined and budding teen musician with a trademark she's stayed faithful to ever since: honest lyrics about real-life events; her fight to be taken seriously in the music industry, through to the rewards of success and the intense pressure of expectation, Taylor Swift: The Whole Story is a full account of Taylor's incredible journey, with everything you need to know about America's Sweetheart. This compelling book is packed full of fascinating details revealing the true Taylor - what drives, motivates and moves her, how she overcame the challenges that loomed on the road to fame and looks at how authentic her wholesome image is, plus the truth about her relationships with Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor Kennedy and who she's really talking about on her tracks. The full portrait of a girl who could so easily have faded into the background - but who blossomed in the spotlight into a grounded, graceful and inspiring young woman.
In The Eight Zulu Kings, well-respected and widely published historian John Laband examines the reigns of the eight Zulu kings from 1816 to the present. Starting with King Shaka, the renowned founder of the Zulu kingdom, he charts the lives of the kings Dingane, Mpande, Cetshwayo, Dinuzulu, Solomon and Cyprian, to today’s King Goodwill Zwelithini whose role is little more than ceremonial. In the course of this investigation Laband places the Zulu monarchy in the context of African kingship and tracks and analyses the trajectory of the Zulu kings from independent and powerful pre-colonial African rulers to largely powerless traditionalist figures in post-apartheid South Africa.
One of the most celebrated political leaders of our time, Nelson
Mandela has been written about by many biographers and historians. But
in one crucial area, his life remains largely untold: his marriage to
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Discover the tales behind the ties in Stephen Fry's witty companion to our most distinguished accessory, the perfect gift for the tie-wearer in your life. 'A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life' Oscar Wilde 'What do ties matter, Jeeves, at a time like this?' 'There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter' P.G. Wodehouse Every single one of Stephen Fry's ties - whether floral, fluorescent, football themed; striped or spotty, outrageous or simply debonair - tells an intimate tale about a moment in Stephen's life. Inspired by Stephen's hugely popular Instagram posts, this book will feature beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations and photographs to celebrate his expansive collection of man's greatest clothing companion: The Tie, in all its sophisticated glory. Distinctively funny and offering witty asides, facts and personal stories, this book will make the perfect gift for anyone who has ever worn a tie.
With a racing career spanning more than four decades, coming second is never an option for Peter Lindenberg. Troubled by a lack of self-confidence, Peter’s ‘average’ childhood saw a bitter parent who doubted his abilities, a demanding school system that forced him to fit the mould, a younger brother who was better at everything, and brutal, undeserved beatings with a sjambok. But when Peter tasted the buzz of barefoot water-skiing he found it impossible to resist, and went on to break records, earn numerous Springbok Colours, and win many world championships. This, however, was just the start. Little did Peter know the sporting magic that would follow in his life – first as a powerboat racer and then as a race car driver. Despite counting on pins and metal to hold his battered body intact, being arrested unjustly, a serious motor racing accident with his car going up in flames, and a brain haemorrhage, Peter keeps going flat out and quickly ranks on the international championship charts, cheats death twice, and presses the reset button to positively influence a failed marriage. Flat Out and Fearless is Peter’s cut-to-the-chase life journey that has rendered him one bionic man who is proud of his blatant honesty and his courageous quest to uplift and transform the lives of the downtrodden. |
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