The following is an annotated list of books about South Africa that list members have read and enjoyed. It's divided into two sections, fiction and nonfiction, then alphabetized by author's last name. US editions are listed preferentially (since that's where I am, it was easiest for me to find bibliographic info for them); if anyone would like other editions added, please send references to me. Initials in parentheses are those of list members who recommended the book or provided comments to the brief reviews. I also stuck on a few books that I've heard of but that no one has read that I know of -- if you have, and have comments, I'd love to have them. "In my opinion" should be understood in all cases. :-)
PB = Paul Bennett
DeWC = DeWayne Chiasson
DC = Debbie Camelin
ALE = Anne Erdmann
SH = Suan Holanik
SM = Sheila Millage
DS = David Sacks
NS = Nick Shears
ACS = Alicyn Cathleen Simpson
MS = Mike Squires
De Villiers, Marq (1988). White tribe dreaming. Viking, NY; 420 pp. The story of the Afrikaner in SA as reflected in one man's family history. The author is a liberal white SA journalist who moved to Toronto in the 1970s. It gave me a new perspective on things. (MS)
Godwin, Peter (1996). Mukiwa: a white boy in Africa. Atlantic Monthly Press, NY; 418 pp. Actually about the author's coming of age and adulthood in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe rather than SA. A lot of parallels, however, and the final episode of the book, in its unexpected twist, brought tears to my eyes. (ALE)
Goodwin, June (1984). Cry amandla!: South African women and the question of power. Africana Publishing Co., NY; 253 pp. Interviews and discussions with mainly Afrikaner and black SA women. (ALE)
Goodwin, June, and Ben Schiff (1995). Heart of whiteness. Scribner, NY; 415 pp. Summaries of interviews with Afrikaners in the 1990s. (ALE)
Hochschild, Adam (1990). The mirror at midnight. Viking, NY; 309 pp. The first book about SA I read and still one of my favorites. Highly recommended as a starting place if you're embarrassed that you don't know that much about SA and want to know more, like I was. Insightful opinions as to the Afrikaaner mindset, at least from a US perspective. (ALE) Also recommended by SH.
Joseph, Helen (1986). Side by side. Morrow, NY; 249 pp. By one of the early white activists. Not recommended for SA novices; it helps to know a bit about the events, players, and chronologies before delving into this one. Written when she was 80, this book's descriptions of how she stumbled into her activist life are fascinating. (ALE)
Lapping, Brian (1989). Apartheid: A history. G. Braziller, NY; 197 pp. An excellent short non-fiction history. (NS)
Lelyveld, Joseph (1985). Move your shadow. Time Books, NY; 390 pp. The explanation of the title of this book, in the preface, is in its own way one of the most chilling and unforgettable indictments of apartheid I've ever seen. Another good overview book (which won the Pulitzer Prize in the US), again from a US perspective (Lelyveld was the New York Times' SA correspondent). (ALE)
Malan, Rian (1990). My traitor's heart. Atlantic Monthly Press, NY; 349 pp. By a self-admitted angry confused young white Afrikaaner (yes, he is related to the infamous Daniel Malan). A perspective all his own. Especially notable for his ability to skewer his own pretensions and behavior. Not like any other SA book I've read. (ALE) ACS says: I don't think it's extremely well written, but it does draw the reader on really magical journeys in some chapters. It is the view of South Africa in the 1980s as experienced by a white South-African journalist. Also recommended by NS.
Mandela, Nelson (1995). Long walk to freedom. Little, Brown; Boston; 558 pp. Mandela's autobiography. Not to be missed. We're lucky to have this book. (ALE) Also recommended by PB and NS.
Manning, Richard (1987). They cannot kill us all. Houghton Mifflin, Boston; 255 pp. Recommended by SH.
Mathabane, Mark (1986). Kaffir boy. MacMillan, NY; 354 pp. By a black SA who found his way from the townships to the US. His portrayal of his mother is unforgettable and drives home how much of the strength of black SA is in its women. (ALE)
Mathabane, Mark (1989). Kaffir boy in America. Scribner's, NY; 303 pp. A sequel to Kaffir Boy, describing Mathabane's experiences with life in the US. (ALE)
Mathabane, Mark, and Gail Mathabane (1992). Love in black and white. Harper Collins, NY; 274 pp. A book on the interracial marriage of the author of Kaffir Boy. (ALE)
Morris, Donald R. (1986). Washing of the spears. Simon and Schuster, NY; 655 pp. About the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879. Morris is or was an American historian who spent seven years in Kwazulu/Natal researching material for his book. I am told that it is a good read and really covers the subject. (ACS)
North, James (1985). Freedom rising. MacMillan Publishing Co., NY; 336 pp. Another good overview, but less personal than the Hochschild or Lelyveld books. Also describes his excursions in Zimbabwe. (ALE)
Sparks, Allister (1990). The mind of South Africa. Alfred A. Knopf, NY; 424 pp. Written as a conscious parallel to the book "The Mind of the South" (about the southern US), this is mainly a history book. The author is a native of SA and has considerable insight into his country; he dealt with a lot of the questions I had in my own mind about how this all could have happened. (ALE) Also recommended by NS.
Sparks, Allister (1995). Tomorrow is another country. Hill and Wang, NY; 254 pp. A sequel to "The Mind of South Africa" about the post -1990 SA events. (ALE)
Stengel, Richard (1990). January sun. Simon and Schuster, NY; 202 pp. Describes a day in the life of three residents of a small South African town: one Afrikaner, one black, one Indian. (ALE)
Suzman, Helen (1993). In no uncertain terms. Alfred A. Knopf, NY; 300 pp. By the woman who for years was the lone PFP member in the SA parliament. Helpful to know something about the players, events, and chronologies before reading this one. (ALE)
Woods, Donald (1981). Asking for trouble. Atheneum, NY; 373 pp. Woods has described this as his autobiography; it was written after he and his family escaped to England. (ALE)
Woods, Donald (1991 - 3rd revision). Biko. Henry Holt, NY; 418 pp. Originally published in the US in 1978, this is the classic work on Stephen Biko. It contains almost as much of Biko's writings and speeches as it does of Woods. (ALE) Also recommended by PB, SM, and NS.
Woods, Donald (1981). Black and white. Ward River, Dublin; 142 pp. About the impact of apartheid on sports, and of sports on apartheid. The only edition of this that I've been able to find was published in Ireland. (ALE)
Woods, Donald (1987). Filming with Attenborough: The making of "Cry Freedom". Henry Holt, NY; 163 pp. If you liked the movie, the book about how it was made is great fun. Just when Woods starts sounding a bit too pompous, he laughs at himself and all's well again. (ALE)
Woods, Donald (1987). South African dispatches: Letters to my countrymen. Henry Holt, NY; 190 pp. A collection of Woods' editorials from 1975 to 1977, while he was editor of the Daily Dispatch in East London, SA. (ALE)
Brink, Andre (1991). An act of terror. Summit Books, NY; 834 pp. Despairing novel about a white radical. (NS)
Brink, Andre (1978). Rumors of rain. Morrow, NY; 446 pp. A fine fictional account of the events surrounding the 1976 Soweto "riots". (DS)
Courtenay, Bryce (1989). Power of one. Random House, NY; 518 pp. The coming of age of a white SA boy. (ALE). Also recommended by PB, DeWC, DC, and SH.
Coetzee, J.M. (1983). Life and times of Michael K. Secker and Warburg, London; 250 pp. Kafkaesque poetic novel set in a breaking-down SA. (NS)
Gordimer, Nadine, tons of books. I have to admit this isn't one of my favorite authors, however. Can anyone else do her justice? (ALE)
Hope, Christopher (1981). A separate development. Scribner, NY; 199 pp.
Hope, Christopher (1982). Private parts. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London; 164 pp. This and the preceding are brief comic novels set in 1960s SA. (NS)
Michener, James (1980). The covenant. Random House, NY; 873 pp. Recommended by MS, who recalls that it was pretty good when he read it. Also recommended by NS, who says it is possibly the best fictional introduction to SA history for a novice.
Paton, Alan (1948). Cry, the beloved country. Lots of editions in hardback and paperback throughout the years. A deserved classic and still moving on the second or third re-read (especially if the first one was required for a class :-). (ALE) Also recommended by PB and NS.
Paton, Alan (1981). Ah, but your land is beautiful; (1953) Too late the phalarope. Many editions of both. More finely crafted prose, for anyone who enjoyed "Cry, the beloved country".
The following have been discussed or mentioned by list members, with "good" being a matter of opinion:
Cry Freedom (1987): based on the books "Biko" and "Asking for Trouble", by Donald Woods
In a Time of Violence (1994): SA mini-series dealing with post-apartheid SA
Power of One (1992): based on the book of the same name by Bryce Courtnay
Sarafina! (1992): one of the earlier movies filmed in post-apartheid SA
Shaka Zulu (1984): TV miniseries
Zulu Dawn (1979)
Wilkes, Arnett, and Nkosi, Nicholias (1995). Teach Yourself Zulu. NTC Publishing Group, Chicago. 268 pp. Highly conversation-based, with grammatical explanations often coming much later in the text than where the rule is first applied. Comes with or without tapes. The title is optimistic.
Nyembezi, S.C.L. (1992). Learn Zulu: 5th edition. Shuter and Shooter, Pietermaritzburg, SA. 264 pp.
Nyembezi, S.C.L. (1970). Learn more Zulu. Shuter and Shooter, Pietermaritzburg, SA. 548 pp. A sequel to "Learn Zulu".
Cope, A.T. (1982). Zulu: A comprehensive course in the Zulu language. University of Natal, Durban. 407 pp. Highly grammar-based, with lots of repetitive drills.
Also: a company called Audio Forum has a short audiotape course on Zulu. It includes two cassettes and a phrase book. They describe it as "a quick, highly condensed introduction to the words and phrases you'll need to communicate effectively in the country you're visiting". Their e-mail address is 74537.550@Compuserve.com
Sure. Here's a compilation I did out of several texts for some of the trickier consonants, plus instructions and demonstrations from my Zulu instructor. Keep in mind that I am an abject beginner in Zulu. :-) The "Teach Yourself Zulu" (see question C3, above) also has a concise introduction to pronunciation.
tsh -- like the initial ch in church
th -- aspirated, much like the t in tea. Never like th in thing.
ph --like the p in pen, aspirated. Never like ph in phone.
p -- like the p in spoon, but without aspiration
kh -- like the c in can, aspirated
k -- usually closer to g (as in good) than to k
bh -- despite the h, no aspiration - said with heavy voice, almost a p
hh -- voiced h (almost like a 'huh' sound)
hl -- "like the Welsh ll"
dl -- voiced hl sound -- like the d and hl sounds pronounced together (good luck!)
(note: "aspirated" meaning "with a little puff of breath")
Click pronunciations. This is a combination of instructions from as many books as I could find plus what our Zulu instructor has said. Anyone out there who knows better or differently, please let me know!
For all of these, the lips should be nearly closed and close to a normal at-rest position (if practicing them alone -- doesn't apply if part of an actual word). Our instructor barely moves any of the outside of her mouth at all. Also note that in no cases do you actually say the English "c", "q", or "x" -- these are just place-holding letters for the click sounds, and could have just as well been called 1, 2, and 3. (This caused me some confusion at first.)
c: place tip of tongue in approximate area where front teeth and gum meet. Depress center of tongue a bit. Release tongue tip, pulling it slightly backwards. Some books say it resembles the "click of annoyance, as in the English tut-tut". (Does anyone know anyone who actually says "tut-tut"? Oh, never mind. :-)
Another book said that the c click should resemble the sound made when trying to extract a pip [seed] from the front teeth -- kind of a suction-like noise, but not too much. I found this more helpful. Our instructor makes only a slight suction noise, but it's there.
This click can also be aspirated (ch), nasalized (nc), or voiced (gc). For ch, do the c click with an immediate puff of breath afterward -- like you were starting to say "hah" but not quite all the way. For nc, the normal n sound and click happen almost together. For gc, the g sound (as in good) and click also happen almost together -- almost like grunting the click out, is what it seems to sound like.
A good word to listen for the "c" sound in is kancane/bancane (there are a lot of Clegg songs in which this word appears -- try "Kancane Kancane", for example).
q: "resembles the sound of a cork being drawn from a bottle". Press tongue tip near the junction of the front tooth ridge (not the teeth themselves) and the hard palate. (This might be a centimeter or so behind one's teeth.) Raise the back of the tongue to touch the roof of the mouth and depress the center of the tongue. (At this point your tongue should be pretty curled.) Release the tip of the tongue rapidly and sharply downward. You should make a sharp, almost popping sound.
This click can also be aspirated (qh), nasalized (nq), or voiced (gq).
It's easiest to learn q where the sound begins a word. Try "Giyani"or "Ibhola Lethu". Harder (for me) is when it's in the middle of a word -- my main practice song for those is "Trouble Musa Ukungilandela", but unfortunately not all instances of the q words appear in the printed lyrics. Also for mid-word q's, try "Your Time Will Come" -- this one is good because the first line, with its two mid-word q's, is repeated over and over, for plenty of practice opportunities. :-)
x: "the sound generally used in urging a horse" (maybe this will be more helpful to others than it was to me :-). Place the tongue tip in the same place as for q. Raise the back of the tongue toward the roof of the mouth. Withdraw *one side* of the tongue from the upper teeth. This click is also sometimes referred to as a lateral click, because (in the aspirated form) air escapes more from the side than the front of the mouth.
You guessed it: this click can also be aspirated (xh), nasalized (nx), or voiced (gx).
For practice with x, about the only song anyone could come up with was "Asimbonanga", in the spoken section where Victoria Mxenge's name is said. Our instructor said that this click is often pronounced "k" by people who can't make the click, so that the word "Xhosa", for example, becomes "Kosa". ("k" as in the English k, not the Zulu k.)
Zulu is also a tonal language, with word and syllable meanings that can change depending on the tone in which they are said. A discussion of this is beyond the scope of this FAQ; see one of the references in question C3 if you're interested in this aspect of the language.
Regarding syllables dropped, words run together, etc. -- this is referred to as elision and is a recognized feature of the language. It doesn't appear in the written language, only in spoken language. Zulu's structure is typically C-V-C-V-C etc. (C = consonant, V = vowel), so if two vowels occur together in consecutive words, elision will occur there so as to eliminate the consecutive vowels. Final and initial syllables may be combined as well. (At least, so is my simplistic interpretation of what these books say.)
One other note on following along with lyrics: it helps to start with songs in which the printed lyrics are reasonably faithful reflections of what's being sung. For example, in the recording Musa Ukungilandela, songs like "Zodwa" and "Trouble Musa Ukungilandela" are Bad in this respect. Songs like "Akanaki Nokunaka" and "Ibhola Lethu" are Good. :-)