Alan Paton: A Biography

by Peter F. Alexander

Alan Paton is best remembered as the author of Cry, the Beloved Country, the most lyrical and moving plea for racial reconciliation to have come out of South Africa this century. His reputation, however, extends far beyond the fields of fiction and literature, for in addition Paton was a teacher, prison reformer, and politician whose achievements have ensured him a lasting place in the troubled history of his country. This is a rich and fascinating story, told against the backdrop of profound political changes in a country that still struggles to achieve the harmony Paton strove for; Paton's own greatness can now be seen for the first time to arise from moral struggles no less profound.

528 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 1994

About the author

Alexander, P. F.
Alexander, P. F. (Peter F.)
Alexander, Peter
Alexander, Peter F.
Alexander, Peter Fraser, 1949-

Peter F. Alexander was educated at the universities of the Witwatersrand, Leeds and Cambridge. He has written biographies of Roy Campbell, William Plomer, and Alan Paton (all published by OUP). He has also edited a selection of the verse of Roy Campbell for OUP, and has collaborated in a four-volume edition of all Campbell's writing. He is Emeritus Professor, School of the Arts and Media at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.