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Books > Biography > General
The world's most famous mountain, Everest remains for serious
high-altitude climbers an ultimate goal. Ed Viesturs has gone on
eleven expeditions to Everest, reaching the summit seven times.
He's spent more than two years of his life on the mountain. No
climber today is better poised to survey Everest's various
ascents-both personal and historic. In The Mountain, Viesturs
delivers just that: riveting you-are-there accounts of his own
climbs as well as vivid narratives of some of the more famous and
infamous climbs throughout the last century, when the honour of
nations often hung in the balance, depending on which climbers
summited first. In addition to his own experiences, Viesturs sheds
light on the fate of Mallory and Irvine, whose 1924 disappearance
just 800 feet from the top remains one of mountaineering's greatest
mysteries, and on the multiply tragic last days of Rob Hall and
Scott Fischer in 1996, the stuff of which Into Thin Air was made.
Informed by the experience of one who has truly been there, The
Mountainaffords a rare glimpse into that place on earth where
Heraclitus's maxim-character is destiny-is proved time and again.
Complete with gorgeous photos of Everest, many of which were taken
by Viesturs himself, and shots taken on some of the legendary
historic climbs, The Mountainis an immensely appealing book for
active and armchair climber alike.
The fifth volume of memoirs from the author who inspired the BBC
and Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small. During his
decades spent as a country vet in Yorkshire, James Herriot has seen
huge advances in medical science, technological leaps, and a world
irrevocably changed by war. Yet some things have always stayed the
same - gruff farmers, hypochondriac pet owners, and animals that
never do quite what you expect them to. From a green young man in
his first job in the 1930s, to an experienced veterinary surgeon,
married with two children, James has spent his entire career among
the people and animals of Darrowby. And there's nowhere else he'd
rather be. Since they were first published, James Herriot's memoirs
have sold millions of copies and entranced generations of animal
lovers. Charming, funny and touching, Every Living Thing is a
heart-warming story of determination, love and companionship from
one of Britain's best-loved authors. I grew up reading James
Herriot's books and I'm delighted that thirty years on, they are
still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny
as they were then' - Kate Humble
The second collection of memoirs from the author who inspired the
BBC and Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small. Now settled
into the sleepy Yorkshire village of Darrowby, and married to Helen
the farmer's daughter, James Herriot thinks he's finally got
himself sorted. But life as a vet in the 1930s was never going to
be easy. Quite aside from his unpredictable colleagues, brothers
Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, he must contend with new-fangled
medical techniques, delivering calves after far too much home-made
wine, and a grudge-holding dog called Magnus who never forgets. And
then, with Britain on the verge of war, James faces a decision that
could separate him from Darrowby - and Helen - for ever . . . Since
they were first published, James Herriot's memoirs have sold
millions of copies and entranced generations of animal lovers.
Charming, funny and touching, All Things Bright and Beautiful is a
heart-warming story of determination, love and companionship from
one of Britain's best-loved authors. 'I grew up reading James
Herriot's books and I'm delighted that thirty years on, they are
still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny
as they were then' - Kate Humble 'Herriot's enchanting tales of
life in the Dales are deservedly classics. Full of extraordinary
characters, animal and human, the books never fail to delight' -
Amanda Owen, bestselling author of The Yorkshire Shepherdess This
omnibus edition comprises the majority of chapters from Let
Sleeping Vets Lie and Vets in Harness.
Die digter, advokaat, joernalis, avonturier, dwelmverslaafde en
natuurkenner Eugene Marais bly 'n boeiende figuur. Die groot
verlange bied nie alleen 'n fassineerdende blik op een van die
veelsydigste en merkwaardigeste Afrikaners wat ooit geleef het nie,
maar gee terselfdertyd ’n panorama van ’n groot gedeelte van die
geskiedenis. In hierdie uitgawe word die belangrikste omissie in
die eerste drie uitgawes van die teks, naamlik Marais se rol in die
ontdekking van die broodboom wat na hom genoem is, reggestel. Die
teks bevat ook nuwe bevindinge uit bronne wat vroeer oor die hoof
gesien is.
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.
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'This is Doro and he is beautiful.' So begins the extraordinary
story of Doro Goumaneh, who faced an unimaginable series of
adversities on his journey from persecution in The Gambia to refuge
in France. Doro was once a relatively prosperous fisherman, but in
2014, when the country's fishing rights were stolen and secret
police began arresting Gambian fishermen, Doro left home, fleeing
for his life. From Senegal to Libya to Algeria and back to Libya,
Doro fell victim to the horrific cycle of abuse targeted at
refugees. He endured shipwreck, torture and being left for dead in
a mass grave. Miraculously, he survived. In 2019, during one of his
many attempts to reach Europe, Doro was rescued by the boat
Sea-Watch 3 in the Mediterranean, where he met volunteer Brendan
Woodhouse. While waiting out a two-week standoff - floating off the
coast of Sicily, as political leaders accused Sea-Watch, a German
organisation that helps migrants, of facilitating illegal entry to
Europe - a great friendship formed. Told through both Doro's and
Brendan's perspectives, Doro touches on questions of policy and
politics, brutality and bravery, survival and belonging - issues
that confront refugees everywhere. But ultimately it is one man's
incredible story - that of Doro: refugee, hero, champion, survivor
and friend.
In the 1990s, deep-cover police agent RS536 took on the Durban underworld as part of a new organised crime intelligence unit. He rubbed shoulders with drug lords, smugglers and corrupt cops, and was instrumental in busting an international drug ring and foiling a bank heist, among many other dangerous engagements.
But then, as the country’s new democracy birthed a struggle between the old and the new guard in the South African Police Service, his identity and his life came under threat. In this action-packed account, Johann van Loggerenberg describes how, as a young policeman, he worked closely with the investigative team of the Goldstone Commission to uncover the ‘third force’ – apartheid security forces that supplied weapons to the Inkatha Freedom Party to destabilise the country.
He also delves into how and why, at the height of state capture at the South African Revenue Service in 2014, he was falsely accused of being an apartheid spy, a lie that persists up to today. Here, finally, is the truth behind deep-cover police agent RS536.
Carrie Kills A Man* is about growing up in a world that doesn't
want you, and about how it feels to throw a hand grenade into a
perfect life. It's the story of how a tattooed transgender rock
singer killed a depressed suburban dad, and of the lessons you
learn when you renounce all your privilege and power. When more
people think they've seen a ghost than met a trans person, it's
easy for bad actors to exploit that - and they do, as you can see
from the headlines and online. But here's the reality, from someone
who's living it. From coming out and navigating trans parenthood to
the thrills of gender-bending pop stars, fashion disasters and
looking like Velma Dinkley, this is a tale of ripping it up and
starting again: Carrie's story in all its fearless, frank and funny
glory. *"Spoiler: That man was me." - Carrie
Both in South Africa and in Namibia, the name Hans Merensky summons a multitude of well-known public places and instututions: There is the famous Merensky Reef in the Bushveld Complex, the Merensky Dam and Hans Merensky Nature Reserve near Tzaneen, the Hans Merensky Hotel and Golf Estate in Phalaborwa, the Hans Merensky Library at the University of Pretoria, a Hans Merensky Foundation and a Hans Merensky High School, to name but a few. These names, however, leave untold a biography that resembles an adventure novel: The story of Hans Merensky’s extraordinary discoveries.
Born the son of the well-know missionary Alexander Merensky at Botshabelo in the eastern Transvaal, trained as a geologist in Germany and drawn back to South Africa by his creative ambition to explore the potential of the country of his birth, Hans Merensky (16 March 1871 – 21 October 1952) proved to be far more than the “wizard geologist” the press dubbed him during his heyday. Today it is obvious that Merensky was not only a scientist of note, but also an extremely far-sighted economic strategist, agricultural trendsetter, humanitarian and philanthropist. Nothing could extinguish his enthusiasm for his adopted homeland’s undiscovered treasures and despite bankruptcy, internment, illness, political obstacles and later, old age, Hans Merensky saw only opportunity wherever he went.
From the discovery of the richest deposit of alluvial gem diamonds ever found at Alexander Bay to the initial attempt at the commercial cultivation of avocados and pecan nuts – almost everything Hans Merensky touched turned to gold.
MaZwane has become a legend in South Africa as a pioneering entrepreneur – and an inspiration for those who ask questions about opportunities in the informal township economy. Her answer to those who doubt whether they can make it, is that you do it through perseverance, sacrifice, seizing opportunities, and offering superior
products and service.
In 1989 Phumlaphi (‘Rita’) Zwane left KwaZulu-Natal to find work in Johannesburg after becoming a teenage mother. She could count on the love of her family, a matric certificate and her faith, but had no job prospects, and no knowledge of the business world or life in the big cities. Her memoir takes the reader from the tough times of finding her feet in Johannesburg, through a variety of jobs and life experiences, to finally fighting her way to success as a respected member of the township economy and starting the successful Imbizo Shisanyama business. MaZwane tells how she progressed from having virtually no income or permanent home to becoming the first person to formalise and commercialise shisanyama in the townships – and provide a comfortable home and legacy for her children.
Along the way, she befriended many people who contributed accommodation, job opportunities, advice, and companionship. With them cheering her on, she learned how to navigate the different and difficult aspects of the hospitality industry – and slowly reach her desired place of independent security. Conquering the Poverty of the Mind shows the true grit of a Zulu girl who believed in herself – and did it against all odds.
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