0
Your cart

Your cart is empty

Browse All Departments
Price
  • R0 - R50 (4)
  • R50 - R100 (14)
  • R100 - R250 (210)
  • R250 - R500 (659)
  • R500+ (46)
  • -
Status
Format
Author / Contributor
Publisher

Books > Local Author Showcase > Biography

Legends - People Who Changed South Africa For The Better (Paperback): Matthew Blackman, Nick Dall Legends - People Who Changed South Africa For The Better (Paperback)
Matthew Blackman, Nick Dall
R340 R269 Discovery Miles 2 690 Save R71 (21%) Ships in 5 - 7 working days

We have a lot to be positive about in South Africa. With all our problems, it’s easy to feel bleak. But hold those thoughts, because Legends might be just the tonic you need to drive off the gloom. This book tells the stories of a dozen remarkable people – some well known, others largely forgotten – who changed Mzansi for the better.

Most South Africans are proud of Nelson Mandela – and rightly so. His life was truly astounding, but he’s by no means the only person who should inspire us. There’s King Moshoeshoe, whose humanity and diplomatic strategies put him head and shoulders above his contemporaries, both European and African. And John Fairbairn, who brought non-racial democracy to the Cape in 1854. Olive Schreiner was a bestselling international author who fought racism, corruption and chauvinism. And Gandhi spent twenty years here inventing a system of protest that would bring an empire to its knees.

Legends also celebrates Eugène Marais’s startling contributions to literature and natural history (despite a lifelong morphine addiction); Sol Plaatje’s wit, intelligence and tenacity in the face of racial zealots; Cissie Gool’s lifetime fighting for justice and exposing bigots; and Sailor Malan’s battles against fascists in the skies of Europe and on the streets of South Africa. And then there’s Miriam Makeba, who began her life in prison and ended it as an international singing sensation; Steve Biko, who shifted the minds of an entire generation; and Thuli Madonsela (the book’s only living legend), who gracefully felled the most powerful man in the land.

Engagingly written and meticulously researched, Legends reminds South Africans that we have a helluva lot to be proud of.

A Pretoria Boy - The Story Of South Africa's Public Enemy Number One (Paperback): Peter Hain A Pretoria Boy - The Story Of South Africa's Public Enemy Number One (Paperback)
Peter Hain
R300 R268 Discovery Miles 2 680 Save R32 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

A highly readable, dramatic story of a colourful South African journey in politics lasting over 50 years, from anti-apartheid protester to Right Honourable Lord, from Pretoria childhood to senior British Cabinet Minister.

A Pretoria Boy begins with the story of how Peter Hain’s journey came full circle when he used parliamentary privilege in 2017–18 to expose looting and money laundering, supplied with the ammunition by his ‘deep throat’ inside the Zuma State. In so doing, he put South Africa’s state capture and corruption on the front pages of the New York Times and Financial Times, which some suggest played a part in Zuma’s toppling. Going back to an anti-apartheid childhood in Pretoria in the late 1950s and early 1960s, there are vivid descriptions of his parents’ arrest, banning, harassment, helping an escaped political prisoner, the hanging of a close white family friend, and enforced exile to London in 1966 after the government prohibited his architect father from working.

It tells of how, at aged 19, Hain organised and led militant anti-Springbok demonstrations in exile in London in 1969–1970, for which he was denounced by the South African media as ‘Public Enemy Number One’. It is about how he narrowly escaped jail after a South African government-financed prosecution landed him in the Old Bailey in 1972 for conspiracy to disrupt those all-white South African sports tours and, then in 1975, how he was framed for a bank theft committed by an apartheid security agent. His return to South Africa came first on a secret mission in December 1989, then as a parliamentary observer during the 1994 elections.

The book ends with his perspective on the country’s future.

I Write The Yawning Void - Selected Essays Of Sindiwe Magona (Paperback): Sindiwe Magona I Write The Yawning Void - Selected Essays Of Sindiwe Magona (Paperback)
Sindiwe Magona; Compiled by Renée Schatteman
R350 R323 Discovery Miles 3 230 Save R27 (8%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

These essays bring to life many facets of Magona’s personal history, her deepest convictions, love for her country and belief in her ability to activate change. They are a meaningful supplement to her fictional works, while offering insightful responses to the conditions that inspired them.

Sindiwe Magona is a celebrated South African writer, storyteller and motivational speaker known mainly for her autobiographies, biographies, novels, short stories, poetry and children’s books. I Write the Yawning Void is a collection of essays that highlight her engagement with writing that span the transition from apartheid to the post-apartheid period and addresses themes such as HIV/Aids, language and culture, home and belonging.

Magona worked as a teacher, domestic worker and spent two decades working for the United Nations in the United States of America. She has received many awards for her fearless writing ‘truth to power’. Her written work is often informed by her lived experience of being a black woman resisting subjugation and poverty.

These essays bring to life many facets of Magona’s personal history as well as her deepest convictions, her love for her country and despair at the problems that continue to plague it, and her belief in her ability to activate change. They demonstrate Magona’s engaging storytelling and mastery of the essay form which serve as meaningful supplements to her fictional works, while simultaneously offering insightful responses to the conditions that inspired them.

Nomad Heart - Adventures On And Off The Set (Paperback): Ian Roberts Nomad Heart - Adventures On And Off The Set (Paperback)
Ian Roberts 1
R493 Discovery Miles 4 930 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Actor and musician Ian Roberts is something of a South African icon, renowned for his roles as the rugged Boer fighter Sloet Steenkamp in the TV series Arende and as Boet in the immortal and immensely popular Castrol advertisements. In Free Spirit he looks back on his long and illustrious career in which he became known for having a flair for languages and acting from the gut.

As a boy, young Ian ran wild on his family’s citrus farm in the Eastern Cape, preferring the company of the local farm boys (and Kees the baboon). It was here that he first learnt the art of communicating with an audience through song and story.

A master storyteller with a wicked sense of humour, Ian offers a highly entertaining glimpse of how actors make the magic happen, whether on a theatre stage or before the TV cameras. Drawing on a career that runs from Long Street to Los Angeles, and from Shakespeare to Tsotsi, Ian provides a masterclass on the art of acting, making his life story a vital guide to aspiring actors.

His no-nonsense and fearless approach to life means he has never hesitated to tackle challenging roles and to do things in his own, unconventional way. Today, as frontman for Die Radio Kalahari Orkes, he continues to follow his heart.

From Para To Dakar - Overcoming Paralysis And Conquering The Dakar Rally, A Journey Of Courage And Determination (Paperback):... From Para To Dakar - Overcoming Paralysis And Conquering The Dakar Rally, A Journey Of Courage And Determination (Paperback)
Joey Evans 2
R310 R277 Discovery Miles 2 770 Save R33 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

Joey Evans has always loved bikes, from his first second-hand Raleigh Strika at the age of six to the powerful off-road machines that became his passion later on in his life. His dream was one day to ride the most gruelling off-road race in the world, the 9000km Dakar Rally. In 2007 his dream was shattered when he broke his back in a racing accident. His spinal cord was crushed, leaving him paralysed from just below his chest. Doctors gave him a 10 per cent chance of ever walking again. Many would have given up and become resigned to life in a wheelchair, but not Joey Evans.

Not only would he get back on his feet and walk, but he would also keep his Dakar dream alive. It was a long and painful road to recovery, involving years of intensive rehabilitation and training, but he had the love and support of both family and friends and an incredible amount of determination. Joey shares the many challenges he and his family faced, relating the setbacks, as well as successes, along the way to the Dakar start line. But the start line was only the first goal – his sights were set on reaching the finish line, which he did in 2017 – the only South African to do so.

From Para To Dakar is so much more than the story of one man reaching the Dakar finish line. It is a story of friendship and respect, compassion and kindness. It is about defying the odds to reach a dream, it is about grit, endurance and raw courage, and it is inspiring in its true heroism.

Living Lekka - From Mitchells Plain To Aeroplane (Paperback): Yusuf Daniels Living Lekka - From Mitchells Plain To Aeroplane (Paperback)
Yusuf Daniels
R180 R99 Discovery Miles 990 Save R81 (45%) In Stock

Yusuf Daniels brings this book to life with some epic stories from falling in love for the first time, parading in his orange Speedo on Clifton Beach to travelling the world as a flight attendant, experiencing life like you have never seen before.

"We are all different and we all have been through many experiences in life. Some good and some not so good. What I have discovered is that this journey which is filled with laughter, tears, regrets, mistakes, and multiple chapters in our life, prepares us for later in life. If all of this didn’t happen to me, I would not have finished my second book. If you told me this just over a year ago, that I would be releasing my second book, I would have told you that you are crazy. It is our legacy and we need to leave it behind so it can be told by our great grandchildren one day. Don’t be scared to tell your story, don’t be scared to write it the way you feel it should be written. You don’t need a degree to be able to write your stories. Just look at me. There is no ONE way of writing, as we are all individuals and all unique. Don’t listen to the naysayers as they are just there to stall your growth and take you with them on their negative path. Stay positive, be true to yourself and just be you, because there’s only one of you. So, make the best of you and keep on LIVING LEKKA."

Living Coloured (Because Black & White Were Already Taken) (Paperback): Yusuf Daniels Living Coloured (Because Black & White Were Already Taken) (Paperback)
Yusuf Daniels 2
R153 Discovery Miles 1 530 In Stock

Once in a while a publisher receives a book submission that makes them sit back in their chair, read out loud what is in front of them and laugh at the pure joy the writing and imagery evoke. This was the case with the first three short stories author Yusuf Daniels submitted to Jacana Media.

They were instantly recognisable. They were funny as hell. The nostalgia, triggered by the mere mention of a sight, sound or smell, instantly transported the reader to a time and place that spoke to Coloured culture and lived experiences on the Cape Flats and surrounding townships. There was something magical about the way Daniels recollected his memories from his childhood in those first three stories, which he had also posted on Facebook, eliciting a slew of likes, shared experiences and feedback from his followers to “write more” and “do you remember, Yussie …”.

Living Coloured (because Black and White were Already Taken) is a compilation of short stories that is an ode to an era all Cape Coloured people will instantly recognise – from the nightclubbing at Space Odyssey and the shenanigans at the Mitchells Plain public swimming pool, to the traditions of delectable food exchanges during Ramadan among Muslims and Christians, alike. This book truly is a tribute to all that the Coloured community holds dear and sings of the spirit which helped them eek out an existence on the dusty flat plains of the Cape.

But as you read story after story, you will also be confronted with the blatant racism that was the Group Areas Act, the legacy of a people removed and dumped in this windswept place that wasn’t of their own making, and the constant forging ahead to make life worthwhile under very harsh political and economic circumstances. The stories will also leave you seething with anger at the sheer brutality of what this community had to endure (and still do), while their black counterparts in the township next door lived even harsher realities.

Boardroom Dancing - Transformation Stories From A Corporate Activist (Paperback): Nolitha Fakude Boardroom Dancing - Transformation Stories From A Corporate Activist (Paperback)
Nolitha Fakude
R320 R290 Discovery Miles 2 900 Save R30 (9%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

Nolitha Fakude grew up as a shopkeeper’s daughter in the Eastern Cape, studied at the University of FortHare and then entered the workplace in 1990 as a graduate trainee at Woolworths. Subsequently, she has worked in very senior positions at some major blue-chip companies, including Woolworths, Nedbank and Sasol. She was also managing director and then president of the Black Management Forum (BMF).

Over a career spanning 29 years, Nolitha spearheaded programmes that ensure the development of women and marginalised communities in the workplace and society. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, she has earned a well-deserved reputation as a corporate activist.

Nolitha is held in high regard within business circles and serves on numerous boards including the JSE Limited, Anglo American plc and Afrox Limited. Although Boardroom Dancing is her personal journey, it is also a lesson for South Africans committed to the transformation of boardrooms and the economy, and for women looking for role models as they climb corporate ladders and become thought-leaders

Nolitha Fakude was born in Cenyu a small village in the Eastern Cape outside Stutterheim and worked her way up from the shopfloor as a Graduate Trainee at Woolworths to become one of South Africa’s most respected and successful black business women. Nolitha is a humble leader who is widely respected as a pioneer who was at the forefront of transformation strategy, both within the companies she worked for and as a leader at the Black Management Forum where she worked with business, government and unions to drive change in South Africa.

Marius Weyers (Afrikaans, Paperback): Chris Vorster Marius Weyers (Afrikaans, Paperback)
Chris Vorster
R469 Discovery Miles 4 690 Ships in 6 - 10 working days

Hierdie biografie van Marius Weyers deur sy vriend en mede-akteur Chris Vorster is ‘n nodige blik op die omvangryke loopbaan van ‘n Afrikaanse teaterlegende en ikoon.

Hy is in 2021 vereer deur die SA Akademie vir sy uitsonderlike bydrae tot rolprent en TV-kuns.

Daarna het hy aangekondig dat hy aftree ná 55 jaar in die bedryf en klaar is met toneelspel.

Christo Wiese - Risk And Riches (Paperback): T J Strydom Christo Wiese - Risk And Riches (Paperback)
T J Strydom
R350 R312 Discovery Miles 3 120 Save R38 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

Once the owner of a diamond mine, a wine farm and the most expensive house in Cape Town.

Former chairman of South Africa’s largest retailer, director of the Reserve Bank and the richest man in the country. As a young man, Christo Wiese cut his teeth at Pep Stores. Over the years he built a mighty business empire, which included Shoprite and a number of other enterprises. His recipe for success: an endless love for cutting deals, a fearless appetite for risk and a keen eye for a bargain. This man of great charm has never been afraid of sailing close to the wind. Over the course of 50 years these calculated risks paid off, making him one of the most successful businessmen of his generation – until he encountered the furniture group Steinhoff, and things went awry. Business journalist and writer TJ Strydom tells the story of one of South Africa’s best-known business giants in a fresh, engaging way.

‘A fabulous, sweeping adventure read – almost a thriller – that chronicles the rags to riches rise of yet another giant of Afrikaner capitalism.’ – Peter Bruce

Across The Border - Surviving The Secret War In Angola (Paperback): Norman McFarlane Across The Border - Surviving The Secret War In Angola (Paperback)
Norman McFarlane
R350 R312 Discovery Miles 3 120 Save R38 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

Norman McFarlane was just out of high school when he was conscripted for national service and sent to Angola.

Like so many other ordinary troopies, he was thrown into the horror, deprivation and banality of war. He recounts his loss of innocence in Angola, the subsequent ‘camps’ and his journey towards confronting his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Told with disarming honesty and humour, he gives voice to a generation of white South African men forced into a grisly, life-defining experience.

Black Racist Bitch - How Social Media Reveals South Africa's Unfinished Work On Race (Paperback): Thandiwe Ntshinga Black Racist Bitch - How Social Media Reveals South Africa's Unfinished Work On Race (Paperback)
Thandiwe Ntshinga 1
R310 R149 Discovery Miles 1 490 Save R161 (52%) In Stock

There has been a lot of furore in the United States about Critical Race Theory (CRT). Opponents to it claim that it has saturated society at different levels, including the alleged indoctrination of school children and the poisoning of the media and public life. The assertion is that it is divisive and racist towards white people. It is sometimes referred to derisively in the shorthand ‘woke’. This panic has now reached our shores. Critical whiteness studies is an offshoot of CRT that Thandiwe Ntshinga believes is desperately needed in South Africa.

She pokes holes in the belief that leaving whiteness undisturbed for analysis creates justice and normalcy. Instead, she says perpetually studying every other identity can only create the assumption that they are perpetually the problem. By design.

The title of this book comes from one of the first comments she received on Tiktok when discussing her findings and research.

Parcel Of Death - The Biography Of Onkgopotse Abram Tiro (Paperback): Gaongalelwe Tiro Parcel Of Death - The Biography Of Onkgopotse Abram Tiro (Paperback)
Gaongalelwe Tiro
R310 R281 Discovery Miles 2 810 Save R29 (9%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

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

Born White, Zulu Bred - A Memoir Of A Third World Child (Paperback): G.G. Alcock Born White, Zulu Bred - A Memoir Of A Third World Child (Paperback)
G.G. Alcock
R350 R312 Discovery Miles 3 120 Save R38 (11%) In Stock

You may have read GG Alcock’s books about the kasi economy; now follow his journey to the dynamic world of KasiNomics and learn about the tribal forces that shaped him.

Born White Zulu Bred is the story of a white child and his brother raised in poverty in a Zulu community in rural South Africa during the apartheid era. His extraordinary parents, Creina and Neil Alcock, gave up lives of comfort and privilege to live and work among the destitute people of Msinga, whose material and social well-being became their mission. But more than that, this is a story about life in South Africa today which, through GG’s unique perspective, explores the huge diversity of the country’s people – from tribal Zulu warriors to sophisticated urban black township entrepreneurs. A journey from the arid wastes of Msinga into the thriving informal economies of urban townships.

GG’s view is that we do not live in a black and white world but in a world of contrast and diversity, one which he wants South Africans, and a world audience, to see for what it is without descending into racial and historical clichés. He takes us through the mazes of township marketplaces, shacks and crowded streets to reveal the proud and dignified world of township entrepreneurs who are transforming South Africa’s economy. This is the world that he moves in today as a successful businessman, still walking those spaces and celebrating the vibrant informal economies that are taking part in the KasiNomic Revolution.

GG’s story is about being truly African, even as a white person, and it draws on the adventures, the cultural challenges, the informal spaces and the future possibilities of South Africa.

The House At 6001 - A Memoir Of Uprising And Exile (Paperback): Lebo Diseko The House At 6001 - A Memoir Of Uprising And Exile (Paperback)
Lebo Diseko
R360 R289 Discovery Miles 2 890 Save R71 (20%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

On 16 June 1976, thousands of Black South African school children took to the streets of Soweto in protest against the introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction under apartheid education. Met with brutal police force, many never returned home. This pivotal day, now remembered as the start of the Soweto Uprising, also reverberated through the walls of 6001, Lebo Diseko’s family home in Orlando East.

In The House at 6001, Diseko traces the intertwined lives of her parents and her aunts and uncles who gathered, organised and resisted within their four-room Soweto house. From banning orders and exile to late-night parties filled with music and defiance, their story captures both the intimacy and the enormity of South Africa’s struggle.

Drawing on unsealed government documents, interviews and her own personal journey to revisit her family history and home, Diseko offers a moving memoir of resistance, secrets and the lasting cost of freedom.

Biltong En Dior - Avonture Van 'n Afrikaanse Fransman (Afrikaans, Paperback): Louis Jansen van Vuuren Biltong En Dior - Avonture Van 'n Afrikaanse Fransman (Afrikaans, Paperback)
Louis Jansen van Vuuren
R320 R245 Discovery Miles 2 450 Save R75 (23%) In Stock

As grootoog seun in die ou Oos-Transvaal het Louis Jansen van Vuuren nooit kon dink dat hy eendag die Franse kunswerke in ’n ensiklopie in sy pa se studeerkamer in lewende lywe sou sien nie, wat nog te sê dat hy ’n château in die Franse platteland sou besit.

Louis se liefde vir alles wat Frans is, is so aansteeklik dat ’n rits ander Suid-Afrikaners die afgelope paar jaar ook blyplekke in die Boussac-omgewing gekoop het. In Biltong en Dior deel hy kostelike vertellings oor hoe inkommers in ’n vreemde land met ’n haas onleerbare taal en eiesoortige gewoontes moet oorleef.

Hulle tel baie op oor Franse styl en kultuur, maar die Franse leer ook iets oor Suid-Afrikaners se onblusbare ondernemingsgees en gasvryheid. Sy stories word verryk met boeiende brokkies oor die Franse geskiedenis, taal en kultuur.

Uiteindelik gee hierdie Afrikaanse Fransman se lewe in die vreemde gee hom ook ’n nuwe waardering vir dit wat hom uniek en trots Suid-Afrikaans maak.

Blood On Her Hands - South Africa's Most Notorious Female Killers (Paperback): Tanya Farber Blood On Her Hands - South Africa's Most Notorious Female Killers (Paperback)
Tanya Farber
R300 R268 Discovery Miles 2 680 Save R32 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

Meet Daisy De Melker, who 'lovingly' prepared a flask of strychnine-laced coffee for her son. She is very different from Najwa Petersen, who carefully planned a 'house robbery' to eliminate her musician husband. Chané van Heerden placed her victim's facial skin in the freezer for preservation, yet Phoenix Racing Cloud Theron wished to dispose of her mother's body before it was even cold. And Dina Rodrigues? She 'wouldn't harm a fly' - but then went and organised a hit on a baby.

Women are not paragons of virtue who cannot commit murder. Nor are they always insane when they do deliberately cause death. And the women with 'blood on their hands' are not homogeneous.

In Blood on Her Hands, award-winning journalist Tanya Farber investigates the lives, minds and motivations of some of South Africa's most notorious female murders, from the poisonous nurse Daisy de Melker, to the privileged but deeply disturbed Najwa Petersen, to the mysterious Joey Haarhoff, who died before revealing the fate of her victims. Written in a style lighter than the subject matter might suggest, Blood on Her Hands will keep you reading until late at night.

The Hell Inside Our Heads - Managing Anxiety And Practical Steps For Better Mental Health (Paperback): Brandon Fairweather The Hell Inside Our Heads - Managing Anxiety And Practical Steps For Better Mental Health (Paperback)
Brandon Fairweather
R290 R215 Discovery Miles 2 150 Save R75 (26%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

When the body breaks and the mind spirals, this is what it takes to fight your way back.

Born with a congenital aortic valve defect, Brandon Fairweather was always destined for open-heart surgery but never expected to need it at just 28 years of age. He shares his encounters with gripping spells of physiological and medical-related anxiety on his journey to, and beyond, the life-changing surgery. After years of struggle, and determined to no longer let the crippling disorder rule his life, he resolved to document the process as a form of therapy, but also in the hope that it might help others battling similar mental turmoil.

Following successful heart surgery in 2011, Brandon experienced several further complications, including a stroke ten years later, followed by a devastating, life-threatening loss of blood in the same year. Adding insult to injury was a brutal cancer diagnosis in 2023, after a misdiagnosis the year before.

The Hell Inside Our Heads is an inspirational journaling of thoughts and a discovery of meaning and happiness born from the depths of severe anxiety. Readers are encouraged to flip the narrative from pain to purpose and to use adversity as an advantage. The ambition in this book is simple: to feel healed, healthy and stronger, while offering practical, effective lessons to navigate mental health struggles with greater ease.

This deeply personal account of life at the height of severe anxiety combines vulnerability, authenticity, humour, and practical solutions to help manage day-to-day anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. It’s a patient’s perspective, filled with golden nuggets of coping mechanisms and processes aimed at short- to medium-term peace and recovery.

Chris van Wyk: Irascible Genius - A Son's Memoir (Paperback): Kevin van Wyk Chris van Wyk: Irascible Genius - A Son's Memoir (Paperback)
Kevin van Wyk
R360 R326 Discovery Miles 3 260 Save R34 (9%) In Stock

When he died in 2014, author Chris van Wyk left behind an impressive literary legacy. The scope of his work was broad – poetry, children’s books, short stories and biographies. But perhaps he is best remembered for his memoir Shirley, Goodness & Mercy, which chronicles his growing up in Riverlea and introduces us to the colourful characters who helped to shape his life and inform the stories he wrote.

The public persona of this witty and wise raconteur was well known, but behind it was a family man, who liked nothing better than to spend time with his two sons Kevin and Karl, his wife and childhood sweetheart Kathy, and the friends and family who were his primary sources of inspiration.

Using the unique vantage point of oldest son, Kevin van Wyk’s astute observations of his father and the strong bond they enjoyed throughout Chris’s life have resulted in a memoir that is as affectionate as it is entertaining. In taking us behind the scenes into the Van Wyk household, we witness the inner workings of the mind of a storyteller, from the flowering of his father’s activism, wit and wisdom to the sources of his occasional quirky outbursts. If storytelling runs in the genes, Kevin may just be proof that his father’s spirit lives on.

The Vagabond - Is Your Life Worth Living? (Paperback): Frank Rautenbach The Vagabond - Is Your Life Worth Living? (Paperback)
Frank Rautenbach 1
R285 R255 Discovery Miles 2 550 Save R30 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

Frank Rautenbach left South Africa for Los Angeles with stars in his eyes. After having great success with Egoli, 7de laan and movies like Faith like Potatoes and The Bang-Bang Club he thought the world was his oyster.

After years of trying and driving more than 10 000 kilometres to one failed audition after the other Frank had to find a job - a proper job that could put food on his table. He ended up driving a taxi in Los Angeles, just to lose that job too.

Eventually became the church's janitor.

But Frank felt betrayed - God promised him a life of abundance - why hasn't he received it yet? Frank felt like all God’s promises had come to nothing; he felt angry and embarrassed.

Frank had to learn that he couldn't ask God to make all this dreams come true, he is in God's service, not the other way around. Life is not about him, it is about God.

Escaping The Sun - My Life Beyond Sol Kerzner (Paperback): Peter Venison, Melinda Ferguson Escaping The Sun - My Life Beyond Sol Kerzner (Paperback)
Peter Venison, Melinda Ferguson
R350 R285 Discovery Miles 2 850 Save R65 (19%) Ships in 6 - 10 working days

The blazing, untold story of a man who lived in the orbit of a giant, and finally managed to escape the sun.

For decades, Peter Venison stood in the shadow of the volcanic brilliance of Sol Kerzner, the hotel-world titan whose vision reshaped skylines and rewrote the rules of luxury. Together they conjured empires: Sun City, the Lost City, Atlantis, the Royal Mirage. But this isn’t just a backstage pass to the world’s most audacious resorts. It’s a memoir of survival – of ambition, obsession, loyalty, betrayal, and the strange gravity of genius.

Venison takes us from bombed-out Beirut to deals forged in the palaces of Dubai; from boardroom battles waged in London basements to working with designers like Giorgio Armani who demanded perfection down to the last pleat.

We watch the corporate wars that followed Venison’s acrimonious breakup with Sol, fought across continents and fuelled by egos. Beyond the fireworks, this book reveals a world few outsiders ever glimpse: post-apartheid power broking in Alexandra shebeens; the birth of Tsogo Sun; royal dinners at Windsor Castle; Mandela and Muhammad Ali leaving rooms breathless with grace.

Bold,witty,reflective and fiercely candid, ESCAPING THE SUN is not just the story of an empire-builder’s right-hand man – it’s a memoir about Venison stepping out of Kerzner’s blaze, reclaiming his light and understanding that the real legacy of a life well lived isn’t just the monuments built, but the meaning found beyond them.

The Eight Zulu Kings - From Shaka To Goodwill Zwelethini (Paperback): John Laband The Eight Zulu Kings - From Shaka To Goodwill Zwelethini (Paperback)
John Laband
R320 R286 Discovery Miles 2 860 Save R34 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

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.

Time And Chance - Daring To Dream (Paperback): Lazarus Zim Time And Chance - Daring To Dream (Paperback)
Lazarus Zim
R365 R337 Discovery Miles 3 370 Save R28 (8%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

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.

Coming in From the Cold - An Autobiography (Paperback): Bonang Francis Mohale Coming in From the Cold - An Autobiography (Paperback)
Bonang Francis Mohale
R360 R321 Discovery Miles 3 210 Save R39 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

From Daveyton to Davos, Professor Bonang Francis Mohale has defied odds, challenged the status quo and used every opportunity afforded to him to carve his own way in the world. More than that, he has chosen to take as many people as possible along with him.

Having already written two books on business, leadership and ethics, he now puts pen to paper to share a more personal story – his own life journey.

In Coming in From the Cold Bonang reflects on the experiences, decisions, principles and people that have shaped his journey – the good, the bad, the joyful and the painful. With thoughtful vulnerability, he opens a window into his private world, from a childhood enriched by his grandmother’s proverbs to meeting Susan, his lifelong love, in high school and marrying her at just 17.

For the first time, he shares openly and publicly his philosophies on family and parenting, the intense fear of poverty that fuelled his career ambitions, and the memories he holds most dear. As he reflects on the forks in the road that led to a level of success unimaginable to a young boy from the township outskirts of Benoni, he also offers pearls of wisdom to those who wish to learn from his legacy.

Troep (Afrikaans, Paperback): Bun Booyens Troep (Afrikaans, Paperback)
Bun Booyens
R340 R304 Discovery Miles 3 040 Save R36 (11%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days

In Troep! vertel meer as ’n honderd oud-troepe wat hulle onthou van diensplig: om op skool opgeroep te word, te gaan oorlog maak en twee jaar later weer huis toe te kom. Tussenin lê stories van varkpanne, tiekiebokse, twee-komma-viers, boeliebief, die DB, ryloop, pakkies, bosbussies, naweekpas, ratpacks, stof, Buffels, landmyne en skrapnel – en ook herinneringe van vriende, seuns en broers wat nie teruggekom het nie.

Bun Booyens voeg al hierdie stemme saam tot die verhaal van die uitsonderlike dinge wat duisende gewone seuns beleef het. Hierdie stories sal ’n snaar by veterane roer, en hul naastes help om te verstaan watter dinge hierdie mense vandag steeds met hulle saamdra – dit wat hulle onthou, maar ook dit wat hulle nie kan vergeet nie.

Free Delivery
Pinterest Twitter Facebook Google+
You may like...
Aerodynamics
Mofid Gorji-Bandpy, Aly Mousaad Aly Hardcover R3,101 Discovery Miles 31 010
Doctor Bones
Joanne Cook Hardcover R589 Discovery Miles 5 890
Dark, Depressing, and Hilarious - My…
Thom Hazaert Paperback R995 Discovery Miles 9 950
Hypersonic Vehicles - Past, Present and…
Giuseppe Pezzella, Antonio Viviani Hardcover R3,066 Discovery Miles 30 660
Fundamentals of Cryptology - A…
Henk C.A. van Tilborg Mixed media product R1,540 Discovery Miles 15 400
Language and Superdiversity…
Zane Goebel Hardcover R3,574 Discovery Miles 35 740
Third Eye Awakening - 4 in 1 Bundle…
Chloe Brisbane Hardcover R943 R822 Discovery Miles 8 220
National Belonging and Everyday Life…
M. Skey Hardcover R1,521 Discovery Miles 15 210
Wind Energy and Wildlife Interactions…
Johann Koeppel Hardcover R4,211 R3,410 Discovery Miles 34 100
The North Tower
Michelle N Hagood Hardcover R700 Discovery Miles 7 000

 

Partners