Apartheid An illustrated history

by Michael Morris

The thing that looms largest over South Africa's future is South Africa's past - most especially the nearly five decades of division and conflict that marked one of the C20th most infamous social experiments. This book examines the defining experience of modern South Africa's transition from colonialism to democracy. What began in May 1948 as an ambitious project to engineer white supremacy at the expense of the country's black majority spawned 46 years of repressive authoritarianism and bitter resistance, which claimed the lives of thousands and pushed the country to the brink of civil war.
Journalist Michael Morris draws on the work of scholars and historians as well as contemporary reporting in an unsentimental and highly readable account, vividly complemented by photographs and cartoons.

Genres: History

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[LC]

This really helped me develop a decent foundation of knowledge on apartheid, especially coming from knowing so little.

I gave it 4 stars because its literally just scoped to the apartheid years, and it just drops you in there, I had to read a couple articles to catch myself up on the Boer Wars for example.

But still, its a great book, good pacing, and engrossing. Like I was really hooked on a book about apartheid for a good couple weeks.

Some things that Im marinating on:


• Before reading the book, I had assumed that Apartheid had always been the governing system in SA. I learned that although not technically, I wasnt far off. They had already been oppressing black people, this was just an intensifying of that.

• The nationalist party made the African national congress accept PRIVATE PROPERTY and FREE MARKET ECONOMY in exchange for their HUMANITY. That absolutely stinks of the US meddling

• The Nationalist Party kept winning elections as long as the economy was good. That tracks.

• Obviously dismantling the apartheid system didnt really make a dent in wealth inequality because the wealthy Afrikaners gof to keep their money smh.

• I gotta read Mandelas autobiography ASAP

[Anna Kathryn Baxter]

You need to have been there to really understand what the author is talking about but very good

[Lyn]

A clearly written, illuminating account of the apartheid years, richly illustrated with wonderful photos.

[Sam H (Will Read for Booze)]

its tough to pick this up and read it without knowing anything else about this period of time