BLOODY EARTH – Louis Masterson

“’...That panther piss will kill any germs you might have. Have you ever thought about spending a little more and buying a bottle with a label on it?’ ‘I don’t drink paper, and besides, I like my poison to be a surprise...’” (p.12)

Louis Masterson’s “Bloody earth” is a very entertaining work. It tells the story of authorities trying to keep order amidst mass colonization in the state of Oklahoma, as well as a woman’s search for identity and some sort of emotional security. What is also fascinating about “Bloody earth” is the way in which the main protagonist, Morgan Kane, feel sympathy towards the original inhabitants of Oklahoma who is on the very verge of losing all they ever had.

The setting of the story in a boom town provides the natural backdrop for an almost perfect entertaining read. “Bloody earth” is loaded with action and tension, but perhaps most of all; it is funny and full of amazing punch lines in wonderful Western fashion.

“‘...the likes of him, I’d rather have him calling me cuss-words than calling me his friend.’”(p.42)

“I’ve heard plenty about you, and none of it good. Which means you may be the exact man I’m looking for, so long as I don’t turn my back on you”(p.52)

Yet, despite the work being really funny, the story seem to drift for a long time. It’s not easy to write in a way that every chapter is a page turner and it took a long time for things to ‘heat up’ in this work. Masterson compensates for all this by being really really funny and providing some of the most amazing lines. . .

“Whores screamed and cried, dashing from the wagons naked and bolting in all directions. Men followed them, hopping and skipping while trying to pull their pants up” (p.89)

“Sherman, you may know whoring, but I know about Cheyenne. You just leave that detail to me.” (p.94)

When taken into consideration the many shades there is to this work, it is truly amazing. In fact, one is almost ambivalent towards “Bloody earth” since, despite the fact that the story is not always very fast moving, and despite the fact that it is even a bit predictable at times, “Bloody earth” still succeeds in being entertaining and even fascinating. Morgan Kane is no typical lawman, and as a lead character, he is a huge success. He is an unusual man – not always giving you what you exactly expect.

What more is there to say? One begins to read works like “Bloody earth”, expecting one thing, and ending up receiving something else instead. The more I am confronted with these works, the more I am starting to believe that Westerns is not just simple Westerns. They are stories that are often underestimated. Despite having read in total only three Western novels now, of which “Bloody earth” is the second by Masterson, one can clearly start to see patterns in the work of Masterson that differs from DeRosso. But without any further ado, the verdict: “Bloody earth” is a good read and it is because of characters like Kane and works like “Bloody earth” that Western novels should not be overlooked, and least of all underestimated . . .

The rise and fall of apartheid – David Welsh

The Rise and Fall of Apartheid is a very balanced book about the era of apartheid in South Africa. What is very notable is that the book provides an overview of ‘both sides’, namely that of the African National Congress (ANC) as well as the National Party (NP). It also looks at the activities of political groups from all over the spectrum including the PAC, the PFP, the DA, the CP and the AWB. Most importantly, this is not another book about white politics. This is a book that leaves you with insights into the past of all the people of South Africa, and especially about their leaders.

There are many things that I liked about this book, but there are many things less enjoyable also. For me, the style of writing is quite boring. It is very academically written and not exactly Dickens or the like. But still the work is really very ‘informative’, as one observer described it.

To me the most annoying thing though, is the fact that it seems that the book gives you a lot as to the WHY, but less so as to the WHAT. And what I mean by that is that this work does not leave you with the feeling that you have experienced a great story. Rather it left me confused, much like the way South Africa as a country makes one feel in general.

But there are many details that the book do provide that I did not know, and for that I am happy. I would recommend this work, if only for the fact that it splendidly drives the point home that there were no ‘winners’ in South Africa. And that the policy apartheid failed because it was deemed to fail and because it was an artificial way of sorting a country. And more importantly, this book also showed once again that the supposed thick line between black and white in South Africa is not thick at all.

Jesus’ resurrection in Joseph’s garden – FLIP SCHUTTE

A “believer within the Christian paradigm”, that is how Flip Schutte is described according to this little book. But Schutte’s book, I suppose, will by no means be a ‘little’ one for some readers. Quite the contrary.

I wonder how many preachers there are today that does not believe in the trinity anymore. In the reformed churches, one is often led to belief that the interpretation of the life and meaning of the life Jesus is understood very uniform. Of course very few members of reformed churches are informed about catholic tradition (this excludes learned people of course). And so, believers are often totally unaware of the different ways in which the life of Jesus is understood.

Schutte provides at least some of the very important reasons as to how and why Jesus’s life is understood differently by Christians.

Schutte’s work tries to provide answers, but I do not know if any of these will, in the long run, provide answers to some of the most difficult questions facing the church today. At the very least, Schutte gives the reader a perspective on different views, and this is important for whoever cares to take notice.

In “Jesus’ resurrection in Joseph’s garden”, Schutte summarizes a great deal of history impressively, using the eye of a philosopher. As a source on the history of Christianity, this work is a useful point to start off, but the book is more about rationalizing disbelieve within the church than it is about the history of Christianity. Nevertheless, Schutte explores a wide range of themes, most of which is about the nature of narrative and the ancient approach to sacred texts. A lot is also being said about canonization.

Reading this book, what came to my mind time and again, is that the church is very often its own worst enemy. While on the one hand many theologians maintain that Jesus is the son of God, others like Schutte argue that ‘Jesus is a myth to live by’ (p.186). There is very often no continuation between what theologians say. This situation is to my mind not sustainable at all. While some very smart theologians with PhD’s and many years of experience may find it possible to rationalize their disbelief in Jesus as the son of God while still being part of the church, ‘ordinary’ Christians, those who have to face the demons of this world every day and who turn towards Jesus for their hope and inspiration, might not understand things that way...

THE DARK BRAND – H.A. DeRosso

“He was one of the lost, seeking what the restless wind sought...” (pp.7-8 )

“He heard the urgent whisper of the wind as it sought to tell him its numberless secrets...” (p.94)

THE DARK BRAND by H.A. DeRosso is a very impressive action packed work. Officially, it bears the classification of Western, however, a Thriller would be a much better description of this wonderful story.

Possibly the most refreshing aspect of DeRosso’s THE DARK BRAND is the simple fact that this book has that quality one craves from any book and that is that it is a page turner. Although speaking only on my own behalf, I can confirm that never once did I find myself lacking motivation to continue reading. THE DARK BRAND provides one with that motivation from the moment you pick it up.

But what is most surprising about THE DARK BRAND, apart for its exciting story, is the book’s wonderful characterization. As with most colonial style works (and Westerns tend to fall in that category, be it novels of films), there are the ‘good guys’ and the ‘baddies’ in THE DARK BRAND. However, DeRosso almost confronts the reader with a protagonist who is flawed in his own right. The main protagonist, one Driscoll, is not only a ‘dark’ man in his reasoning, he is even an ex-convict having been jailed for a crime that he openly admits he committed.

“He felt a gloom come over him, a premonition of the grave, darkening his spirits a moment, filling him with an instant’s futility.” (p.211)

Apart from this a-typical hero side to Driscoll, he displays trades typical to many men of his time. He is a loner and not used to company:

“He felt very uncomfortable, because this was something strange to him, eating at a table in a home, with china plates and cups instead of tin, without the somber darkness of prison or the guttering smoke of a lonely campfire stinging his ears and wind blowing grit into his food. Something touched him deeply and he kept his eyes on his plate.” (p.61)

He remains a dark sort of character all the way; it is only at the end that one really starts to feel that you are getting to know him a bit. But this image of Driscoll fits in lovely with the rest of THE DARK BRAND. There is a somber air to the whole work. Somber. And the word keeps creeping up. In THE DARK BRAND, there is even a mountain range carrying that name – the Sombras. A word unfamiliar to my spellchecker, which is set on English (South Africa), somber, a word similar to gloomy, dark and very serious, according to other dictionaries at my disposal. But then, even DeRosso’s title, THE DARK BRAND, suggests the dark backdrop against which this story is set. Death is all over, even in the opening two chapters, where a man is subjected to capital punishment.

There is an air of futileness about THE DARK BRAND. Of people being uncertain, not only about the world around them, but one sense also about themselves in the world...

“He swore at his softness, at this strange person that had taken command of him, and mounted the black and, leading the other two horses, rode westward, toward the Sombras, the mountains of shadow and sorrow.” (p.192)

“I get lonesome very often but this is a lonely country to begin with, and somehow I don’t feel at home unless I am lonely with it” (p.70)

There is only one thing that one miss in this work, and only a little bit, and that is that you do not get that strong feel of country or being in the ‘wild’ of the ‘wild’ west. There are very few descriptions of the environment, animals and the countryside. It is as if the work is almost completely people orientated in a way, but then again, Driscoll himself, with his criminal record, doesn’t come across as your typical hero that is set to tame the wild. He displays most of the trades one expect from a hero, apart from this little fact, and it makes the world of difference with regards to the reading experience. The lack of ‘feeling’ the country, however, in this work, didn’t do too much harm to my overall impression of the work.

THE DARK BRAND is a simple yet powerful story. Maybe it is because the story is so simple that it is so powerful. It tells the story of a man who is wrongfully suspected of knowing where a former fellow jail inmate hid the money he stole. Apart from all the treats of this wonderful work, the story has some amazing twists as well.

THE DARK BRAND, in my mind, is a very very interesting and unusual work. It is well worth the read for anyone with a taste for Westerns, and even those who do not typically fancy it will possibly find it refreshing. In my search for the perfect Western novel, the DARK BRAND now ranks number one. However, the search will go on. It is a spiritual quest, and although I am not certain of success, I know that the journey will be far more important than the destination...

Alan Paton: Selected letters. Edited and introduced by Peter F. Alexander

‘Alan Paton: Selected letters’ is a collection of letters that was written by the well-known author Alan Paton. This collection of letters will be of interest to anybody with a passion for 20th century South African and African history in general. As a source on the life and work of Alan Paton it is also very valuable.

Alan Paton wrote his letters on a great number of subjects. His correspondents include family members, colleagues, friends and a list of well-known individuals including authors and politicians. The first of these letters was written while Paton was still a student. The last letter was written shortly before his death.

Although Paton touches on a wide range of issues in his letters, and although Paton was a man who partook in a variety of projects during his life, what is of particular interest is of course Paton’s process of authorship and his frustrations as an author. Paton was a man who had a passion for literature from a very early age in his life, but after the success of his world famous novel ‘Cry, the beloved country’, Paton was not able to write another book with as much success. This led to frustration for Paton, something that comes to the fore in these letters.

The process of writing and the particulars of a famous novel receive a lot of attention in this book. And it is in a fascinating format since it was not written specifically for this publication. It is written piece by piece for individuals and presented as an enjoyable and compact whole.

Of great interest is Paton’s political activism – something that is lesser known about him to those interested in his work. For many years Paton was a member of the parliament in South Africa. He was a staunch critic of the policy of apartheid and racial segregation, but Paton was never a revolutionary politician. Alan Paton’s views as a politician is well reflected in these letters.

A lot is also to be learned of Paton’s personal relationships in these letters. Alan Paton was married twice, had children and had close friendships. A lot of the letters was written to his family, especially during the time while he was working on ‘Cry...’.

It is very important to study primary sources of historical nature. It brings us much closer to the past than any textbook can do. This publication makes precisely that possible and therefore it is a very valuable contribution to the collection of important documents in our historical heritage and very well worth the read.

THE BLACK ICE – Michael CONNELLY

“There was always a baby at his mother’s breast. And, sometimes, a baby alone in a dumpster. Somewhere.” (p. 114)

When it comes to crime fiction, in my mind, there is no author that can compare to Michael Connelly. And when it comes to main characters in crime novels, in my mind, there none more cut-out for being a crime novel hero than Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch. In Harry Bosch, Connelly has created the almost perfect protagonist. A flawed man, Harry is utterly successful, if not always as a cop, then at least in the joy he provides for the reader.

And so it is with THE BLACK ICE. THE BLACK ICE is just one of the many novels featuring Bosch as its main character, and it is perhaps not even the most entertaining of them all, yet it is entertaining enough, if for no other reason, then for the fact that it features Bosch. It is set in a world filled with violence, drugs, failed relationships, distrust and the like, yet as usual, despite the dark nature of this work, there is always an amount of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. It is always enjoyable to read works of a cross border nature. THE BLACK ICE is such a work. It reminded me of a Western novel in many ways, perhaps a Morgan Kane adventure. On the one hand, there is L.A. And then there is Mexico. It speaks a different language, and the people are unpredictable, and they don’t always like Americans. And this makes for lots of leisure reading pleasure. In fact, THE BLACK ICE is perhaps nothing but a modern day Western. There are the good guys, the baddies, and a whole lot to munch on as they vie for victory.

In THE BLACK ICE, Bosch typically runs into trouble with his own department. Being Bosch, one has to cause many many troubles for oneself, in order to solve the greatest of them all. While trying to solve cases, and being under pressure to do so at lightning fast pace, Bosch sets of to Mexico, disobeying orders along the way and causing a great general stir, landing himself in great trouble, all this while continuously confronting his own demons along the way. Perhaps this story takes a while to get going. This was my impression, and this is a-typical of Connelly’s works. Often times, these novels are edge of the seat stuff from the word go. Yet despite this particular novel struggling to really ‘get going’, Connelly still is able to hold one’s attention.

There were some memorable moments in THE BLACK ICE. Having read most of Connelly’s works, THE BLACK ICE certainly does not rank number one in my mind when compared to his other works. Yet it is certainly worth the read. For fans of the ‘Bosch’ character THE BLACK ICE is of course a must read and those unfamiliar with Connelly’s works might also be hooked after putting this one down.

Action. Adventure. Bosch. Enough said.

The war diary of burgher Jack Lane, 16 November 1899 to 27 February 1900. Edited by William Lane

The war diary of burgher Jack Lane chronicles the experiences of a member of the South African Republic’s military during the long and bitter Anglo-Boer war of 1899 to 1902. It is a very insightful account of the war. The author of this work partook in the war against his will, being an Englishman who settled in South-Africa. Subsequently he is very critical of the Boer forces, despite being part of a Boer commando.

This publication is in many ways a very important one. There is a lot known about the South African war, and yet, for some reason, it remains a very over-romanticized line of events in the history of South Africa. Where it is often portrayed as a war of bravery, it was very often marked by the opposite.

The Anglo-Boer war was a bloody, tragic and largely unnecessary business. It was a war that should have never taken place. It was a season of disinformation, lies and big ego’s, both on the Boer side as well as the British side. It was a war, not between two civilized races, but against civilians (much like modern day jihad). It can thus be said to have been a war fought by cowards, won by losers and lost by idiots. The war dairy of burgher Jack Lane confirms this, at least to me.

But most of all, it was a war of innocent victims, caught up between the political egos of cowards calling themselves statesmen. One often encounter, while you read through the pages of this work, how many Boers would brag about their bravery, but would run away from gunfire or would try to injure themselves to obtain sick leave. Rich influential men, often having being politically affiliated with the president Paul Kruger, would obtain powerful positions in the force – not because they are the best men for the job, but because they are able to manipulate the election processes.

Inevitably, this led to a poor and disorganized Boer force. Although there were many brave Boers (the war would not have lasted so long had there not been so many brave Boers), the Boer forces were, as a rule, disorganized and pathetic and were it not for their guerrilla tactics the war would have been over long before 1902.

But the diary does not chronicle this part of the war, because Jack is taken prisoner. It also doesn’t tell any tales of how the British army treated the women and the children like animals – burning down their houses and crops, and moving them to overpopulated concentration camps in open train trucks with no sanitation in the blazing African sun and thru the icy cold night, only to die in their thousands of hunger and disease.

These people were the real heroes of the Anglo-Boer war, and the war diary of Burger Jack Lane tells us why. It tells the story of how society can flourish on lies – and how chaos and murder is soon to follow in the shadows of these.

Science. A history 1543 - 2001 - John Gribbin

There is a reason why most natural scientist are not historians, and “Science. A history”, is one of them. Although I started out enjoying this work very much, learning along the way, slowly but surely the work started to bore me. It reads like biography in that it is extremely factual and to the point. In short, it gives you a whole lot of what and how, but it lacks, to my mind, a detailed discussion as to the all-important, why?

Included in this work, is a focus on all the important natural scientists of Europe and the US. The stories of Einstein, Newton, Galileo (his was the most amazing to me), Darwin and many others. I remember what he wrote about Copernicus, which I found fascinating, him being a philosopher and not a scientist really. The development of chemistry, the persecutions of the church, and many many stories and mini-biographies are included.

I can recommend this work as a reference guide. It is a good book, but boring. Boring like the most boring thing I have ever read. To me the difference between a good book and a great book is if I can remember what the author’s point was. As in, what is the author’s impression about what had happened? To be honest this book reads more like a report. It’s just my opinion but it is MY opinion. I have great admiration for the authors knowledge of his subject, but I expected too much of this work, I suppose.

The burning girl – Mark Billingham

Anybody up for a bit of crime fiction? Well, I was up for some crime fiction when I picked up this novel. Of course, crime fiction is not for everybody. In fact, I would go as far as to say that fiction is not for everyone. I read a bit of fiction now and then and I enjoy it. But the crime fiction genre seems to me to be a very difficult genre. Maybe I’m just being silly, I don’t know. But maybe I am a bit of a specialist with a lot of reading experience and simply hard to please. Maybe that is why I did not really feel satisfied after I had finished ‘The burning girl’.

I have to admit, it’s been many years since the last time I have picked up a crime fiction novel. Most of these crime fiction authors have a specific recipe, much like an AC/DC album. You more or less know what you’re going to get, but you know it will thrill you to some extent. That is the feeling I always got when I picked up a new crime novel that I haven’t yet read before. I used to have a favorite crime fiction author. Mine was without a question Michael Connelly. I can remember reading ‘Blood Work’ many years ago. Ironically, ‘Blood work’ featured Mcaleb (?) instead of the legendary and fascinating Harry Bosch character, which I encountered later in Connelly’s works.

In South Africa, the works of Deon Meyer is obviously very popular and one tries not to miss a single one. One of the most exciting aspects of being a lover of crime fiction novels is the opportunity to read, not only works by different authors, but also works in different settings. Connelly’s works often is set in California, while Meyer’s works sometimes are located in the Western Cape of South Africa. ‘The burning girl’ is possibly the first crime novel that I have read that is set in England.

I found many parts of the book interesting. The storyline is not bad. There was at least one occasion where I laughed out loud at some incident in the book. However, when all is taken into consideration, ‘The burning girl’ was, to me, not the most gripping piece of crime fiction writing I have ever come across. I have read many books of this nature. But ‘The burning girl’ just was not that entertaining to me, and I had to force myself thru the last quarter of the book.

Exploring the criminal world of gangsters in England was a good idea. In fact, I would not discourage anybody to read this book. It certainly had its moments. However, in my mind, there are better authors of crime fiction than Billingham. ‘The burning girl’, to me, was not at all a bad book. But it just did not grab my attention and kept me turning the pages. Maybe Billingham produced other great works. Maybe one shouldn’t draw conclusions after having read only one book, but sadly, ‘The burning girl’ will discourage me to try one of his books again.

Cruel and usual punishment. The terrifying global implications of Islamic law. – Nonie Darwish

If you are interested in religion, then this book is well worth the read. Religious intolerance is a daily threat to millions of people around the world, and add human rights to the mix, and culture, and what you get is the material for a great explosion.

It seems as though information is ever in competition, and I have to admit that Darwish’s book shifted my own views. That is what was great about this book to me. It challenged me. It is written by a former insider who lived under the system of Sharia law, and she has a big warning to everyone namely – watch out! Sharia is a threat to your way of life, your country, your thoughts and freedoms and everything in between. And it is no longer something that happens in faraway places. People are starting to demand the implementation of Sharia law everywhere in the world.

In her attack on her own former culture, Darwish claims that Sharia law is destroying families all over the world. It is, according to the author, nothing less than slavery. In fact, according the Sharia law, sexual slavery of women for the sole purpose of satisfying the sexual needs of men is allowed. These are just some of the most astonishing claims that the author makes, and she does so with reference to Islamic literature, including the Holy book, the Qur’an.

It is fascinating to read the arguments of this author, and it is difficult to find gaps in it!

But the book is so much more than just an enquiry into the impact of Sharia law on women, families and countries. The book is full of the historical insights of a person who grew up in the Islamic world while at the same time enjoying a Western education. It gives explanations, not only focusing on the WHAT but also, very importantly, on the WHY. Why is Sharia law the way it is? How did it develop? What were the circumstances under which it developed? What does Sharia law do to women, men and families? What are the prospects of future developments? Why do so many women silently accept Sharia law? And why is Jihad such an important feature of Islamic society? The book thus touches on a wide range of issues including the way societies organize themselves sexually in relation to the political influence of the community as well as the nature of religion and the influence of monogamy on society.

Cruel and usual punishment is an important book. It should be read by anyone who is interested in religion and specifically Islam, but also by those who are interested in human rights. As a source of general historical knowledge it is very valuable and as to the principle of ‘audi alteram partem’, it cannot be ignored. It gives insights into exactly why many people in the West is growing more and more skeptical as to the peacefulness of Islam which leads to a greater understanding of world affairs and the way that people organize themselves.

The state of Africa. A history of fifty years of independence. - Martin Meredith

The state of Africa, a history of fifty years of independence was published in 2005. Although this work is very informative, it is also overwhelming. It is packed with detail about the process of independence in Africa, and discusses the politics of all the regions in Africa. But it is a very broad theme. And unfortunately, because of its very wide theme, it fails in some respects. For the less critical reader, with no previous knowledge of African history ‘The state of Africa’ is a great place to start. Yet it remains overwhelming to me. One wish you could remember all the details, the names, dates, places. Therefore, I conclude, maybe this work is a good reference book. It is not the kind of book that I will still be thinking too much about next week. I will put in on display to remember, and if I hear the name ‘Mobutu’ of ‘Kenyatta’ or ‘Nkrumah’ I can ‘have a look what Meredith had to say’.

To me the most outstanding quality of the book is this: it gives readers insights into neo-colonialism. And this in my mind is important. I often hear people say, oh but we are not interested in African history, because it’s all the same. It’s like, there were whites and peace and prosperity, and then the whites left and the blacks took control and it was total chaos and destruction.

It is sad that so many South Africans feel this way, stereotyping their own history. The truth is that African history is rich in diversity. It is much more diverse than Meredith’s book can ever hope to illustrate. The focus in this book is of course more on the tragedies, which is important, because there were many, and the reasons were complex. But we see many times that the French and Americans supported dictators. It is good that these things are recorded. Leaders like Jimmy Carter, Chirac and many others were involved in keeping some of the worst dictators in power.

But I miss many things in this book. I miss details on the Cold War and also the economic landscape of Africa. There is lots of focus on pure politics, but it stays more or less with that. There were also a few success stories in Africa that needed more attention Mr. Meredith! According to the rock star Bob Geldof ‘You cannot even begin to understand contemporary African politics if you have not read this fascinating book’. Is it perhaps because your own name is mentioned twice in the book Bob? And why is Bono not mentioned? And why do I differ on that statement? Why do I know of so many other books that will give you far greater perspective on contemporary African history than this one?

And why are there no footnotes in the text? Maybe this is the single biggest reason why this work cannot compare to many others on this subject in my mind. But all in all, this is not a bad book.

The War memoirs of Commandant Ludwig Krause 1899-1900 – Jerold Taitz (editor)

The War memoirs of Commandant Ludwig Krause were written during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 by Commandant Ludwig Krause while he was serving as a prisoner of war after being taken prisoner by the British forces.

Krause’s memoirs are very interesting for the fact that it sheds light on the politics of the war. It also gives valuable information on a great number of incidents that took place during the war. Commandant Krause was a very important and influential figure in the Boer army, especially at the start of the guerrilla phase of the war.

After the fall of Bloemfontein and Pretoria in 1900, the governments of the two Boer republics, namely the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, were in shambles. Krause played a very important part in trying to keep peace and order going, by being involved in the judicial process during the war.

In his memoir, however, Krause is very critical. Not only is he very critical of the British, for their ‘unholy’ war against the Boers, but Krause is also very critical of his own people, the Boers. He points out many of the poor decisions taken by the government of Paul Kruger. The South African Republic was never united on the question of war, and the opposition to witch Krause belong, never wanted the war to take place and suggested that president Kruger accept the demands of Britain and the ‘uitlanders’ (foreigners). But, the Krugerites wanted war, because war united the Boers behind Kruger and gave the opposition and their followers the disgraceful (but false) tag of being on friendly terms with the opposition, thereby isolating them. The war was all about power, and the innocent victims were hardly considered.

The War Memoirs of Commandant Ludwig Krause further goes on to point out how the Kruger government employed the worst kind of leaders in their ranks, simply on the basis of them being loyal to Kruger. In the end, even though this memoir was written with the war still going full throttle, the British forces were too numerous and professional, and also too brutal, for the Boers to have ever stood a chance, and the whole unnecessary affair that was the Anglo-Boer war ended with thousands of innocent victims.

A great aspect of this memoir is the fact that it leaves us also with great cultural information regarding the way of life on the Boer commando.

The War Memoirs of Commandant Ludwig Krause is an important part of our heritage. It is highly recommended and should be taken up by anybody with an interest in the history of South Africa.

The spy game – Georgina Harding

“Peter was brilliant with facts and systems but he couldn’t deal with stories. He should have seen that making up stories was easy. If he’d done it more he would have understand that. You made up a story and then you could turn to it when you needed it, and sometimes it might be true and sometimes not but that wasn’t what mattered the most. What was difficult was telling your story to somebody else. If you did that it got stronger and more real, and then you didn’t have control any more.”(p.76)

I suppose one could argue that it goes without saying to declare that Georgina Harding’s novel “The spy game” is a book about “spies” and “the spy game”. It may be too obvious to put it that way, so I will try to avoid this kind of stereotyping. The novel, however, provides a wealth of material to avoid the title of the book to a large extend, however, to not mention it at all would be a mistake, since a title like this might well draw heaps of mislead curiosity. So, yes, this is a book about spies, but despite this it is also a book that is mostly not about spies.

What is striking about this book is that Harding is being compared to Harper Lee, author of the very well-known book “To kill a mockingbird”. The reason this comparison is made seems to be purely the fact that the story is told from the perspective of a child. It must be flattering to be compared to an all-time great like Harper Lee, and despite the comparison being a tad too drastic for my liking, one can see why some commentators has been carried away a bit by this novel.

The spy game is a simple story about a woman who dies. This woman, Caroline Wyatt, functions as a sort of main character in the book. The book is really all about Caroline (or Karoline), and the whole story is overshadowed by her not being present and part of her daughter Anna’s life. Isn’t it so typical of many post-modern stories to have main characters like these, people who are not really functioning? Distorted types of characters whom you struggle to wrap your mind around... Well, Harding’s Caroline Wyatt is one of these - an almost mythical figure to her children, a missing link. A haunting figure and a loose end in Anna and Peter’s life. A type of figure she was never supposed to become. A stranger to her loved ones. But the big question, what is it that was really distorted? Was it Caroline, or was it the picture of Caroline that took shape in the minds of Anna and Peter?

The spy game is set against the background of the post-world war II era. It is the time of the Cold War and Russia and the United States are the new up and coming superpowers. It is in the midst of this new unfolding world drama that Anna’s mother disappears from the map. Anna’s father holds firm that Caroline died as a result of an accident, but Peter and Anna never really swallows this. With their imaginations spurred on by stories of spies, they become convinced that Caroline must have been a spy and that her sudden disappearance from their lives must be linked with her activities as a spy.

The shadowy past of Caroline doesn’t help in any way to temper the suspicions of Anna and Peter. Her faint German accent and seemingly secret past adds a lot of fuel to the imagination of the two children who almost pointlessly tries to make sense of the disappearance of their mother. As children, it is especially Peter who gets swept away by the thoughts of his mother being a spy, but it is Anna who, even eventually as a grown up tries to fit the entire puzzle together.

‘The spy game’ is a very enjoyable read, but the title of the book can be very deceiving. The book is not a work romanticizing the practice of spying as one so often finds in for example James Bond stories. Instead it tells the story of how the minds of people is seemingly almost in a fight-like relation to the world around us, wrestling with reality as well as history in order to stake our claim and make sense in a world that is often devoid of any.

Recommended leisure reading, that is ‘The spy game’. Sure, not in the class of a book like “To kill a mockingbird”, but still, worth the read.

THE DIAMOND HUNTERS – Wilbur Smith

Wilbur Smith’s “The diamond hunters” is not one of the greatest books that this well-known author has written. By no means is “The diamond hunters” not a worthwhile book, but if one is not a regular reader of Smith’s works and just want to experience what the craze is all about, it might be better to start off with a different novel of Smith.

Having read a few other books by this author, I cannot get myself other than to be critical of “The diamond hunters”. One has come to know Smith’s books as so-called page turners, as indeed many of his works are. In my mind, the same cannot be said of “The diamond hunters”, however true fans of Smith’s novels will probably be able to look past the criticisms that I will point out.

The biggest reason why “The diamond hunters” is such a disappointment to me is that while the book is 238 pages long, it is only at page 160 that the story really becomes gripping. Thus, for most of the book, I had to force myself to read thru it. However, the moment that the story did came to life, the book really became a joy, and this made up a bit for the boring parts. Typically, Smith creates loads of tension with the characters, which one expect should be good-willing to each other, but goes on to prove the opposite. Unlike some of his other novels, “The diamond hunters” is less action packed – another part of the general turn off. However, generally speaking, “The diamond hunters” is an enjoyable read.

In comparison with, for example “Men of men” and “The sound of thunder”, this “The diamond hunters” cannot compare. Much of it reminds one of a soap opera. You feel unsatisfied and a bit angry even. But, as already mentioned, at some point, the book almost come to life. One gets a glimpse of why this author is so popular in “The diamond hunters”, but if you have never read a work by this author, this one might discourage you to try another one since it is my humble opinion the “The diamond hunters” is not one of Smith’s best works. As for those who are seasoned with Smith’s novels, “The diamond hunters” will be another fun and entertaining read. “The diamond hunters” is a typical Smith story of betrayal amongst a differing group of characters who try to find meaning in their lives. The end, though very brutal and shocking in many ways, is a big disappointment, but with regards to this, the readers should be left to judge for themselves. In the end, the purpose of books like these is to entertain the people. “The diamond hunters” did exactly this for me; it just took a wee lot longer than I, and also my liking, anticipated.

The mystery of things. Life, and what it means. – A.C. Grayling

‘The mystery of things. Life, and what it means’ is another collection of writings by the philosopher A.C. Grayling. Having encountered Grayling’s work before, and having enjoyed it very much, I was excited when I was able to lay my hand on this title. Although the book was not as exciting as the previous one I read, namely ‘The heart of things’, it still had much to offer.

In ‘The mystery of things’, Grayling explores some very important issues, ranging from art and history to natural science. The author takes old subjects of discussion, amongst others merit in art, Shakespeare, the origins of the universe and the future of mankind, and gives his own perspectives on these themes.

The themes Grayling tackles in this work are numerous, and each one has its merits. With an expert’s eye, he explores relevant topics from a philosophical point of view. It is precisely this that makes this book so exciting. By giving simple discussions of complex themes, the author not only manages to inform and inspire the reader reflect about these themes, the author also makes philosophy accessible while doing so.

The part of the work that focuses on natural science might well, for all I know, be outdated by now (the book having been published a number of years ago as I am writing), but it still is very insightful, especially to an amateur on those subjects like myself. It is on the subjects of history and art however, that Grayling, to me, has produced important insights in this work.

Even though this work will not be interesting to the masses, it is well worth the read for those curious about the world in general. To serious philosophers, this work might also not be of much interest. But for those of us who prefer simplicity, purely because of our own shortcomings, yet fancy a bit of philosophical thought every now and then to spice things up, this book is highly recommended.

The heart of things. Applying Philosophy to the 21st Century – A.C. Grayling

You can use a knife to prepare food, but you can use the same knife to slit a throat – the same goes for most things in life I guess, whether knifes, History, whatever and yes, even Philosophy. And today, the relevance of everything is being questioned. But philosophy is not only concerned with that which holds the key to material wealth, which is probably why for many it is a useless pursuit.

Not being too clued up with Philosophy myself, I set myself the target of trying to find out more – and what a journey it has been. Rich in historical insights and general intellectual delights – Philosophy now enjoys the status of – ‘the subjects that frees your mind’, this despite it’s obvious shortcomings, of which later, more.

Grayling’s book is not an introduction to Philosophy. It merely reflects on some of the most important themes, crossing many boundaries and many civilizations. The title is thus very applicable, since no time is wasted on long pieces of historical background and the like. He gets straight to the point indeed. But what is even more refreshing is the subtitle of the book, namely, the application of philosophy in our modern times. And this, Grayling stretches, is very important. Philosophy is all the more relevant in the world of the 21st century, since our world is as complex as it ever was, and since there are many and many questions that science fail to answer us, however much we think we can turn to science to solve all our problems as human beings.

Obviously Philosophy has its shortcomings. At times it is abstract, and one wonders in what way is this or that specific argument applicable to reality. It is also such that many historical studies of the development of Philosophy include a mass of seemingly useless historical information, only valuable to a professional philosopher. For the most of us, we need to get to the heart of things as quickly as possible, in order to retain our interest in Philosophy. We need information on the subject of Philosophy that is both interesting and useful to our daily lives. It is precisely that that this delightful book has to offer.

The Heart of things is insightful. It makes Philosophy accessible to anybody, with or without any prior knowledge of the subject, and is as good an introduction to Philosophy for the amateur as any other source. It proves that studying Philosophy is worthwhile, especially today, and that those who disagree are possibly losing out on a lot.

Ransom – Louis Masterson

“‘Excellent,’ the Spaniard said. ‘The village is called Encinillas. A man called Gonzales runs the cantina there. The place is known for its gambling, whores and killings.’ (p.36)

I have a deep dark secret that I have never shared with anybody, about fiction writing, about a very specific genre, about Westerns. I have never, ever in my life finished a Western novel that I know of. Sure, I have seen some Western films. Some. But a book. Never. I came close once. I have this very bad habit. You see, whereas most people buy or rent books and only read the first few pages never to finish the book, I usually read three quarters of a book before putting it down and never finishing it. This usually puts me in a very funny position, because, I never really can tell if I did or did not read the book. And the truth is that I really did not “not” read the book, but then I also never completely read the book. But Louis Masterson’s Ransom, I can safely say, is a Western, and I did read it from start to finish, so it was a first for me, that is, the first time I have read a complete Western from start to finish, this despite these types of novels lying around everywhere during my life, being of great interest to some members of my family.

How are Westerns valued? They are obviously not valued very high. They are works that entertain people. They are written according to a recipe. And yet, I would think that anyone interested in creative writing should read them. Yes, they have a strong colonial feel to them. Yes, they are strange stories at times with all that violence. And yes, they are not serious works of literature that will stand the test of time and be remembered as long as Shakespeare’s or Austen’s works. But still. They are full of jewels. And they are full of exciting punch lines. Take for example:

“In the half light she looked breath-taking, but her eyes glittered with evil and hatred. They didn’t suit the lovely face. They suited a person who didn’t belong to a good Spanish family. Kane knew that if her body was virginal, he couldn’t say the same about her spirit.” (p.40-41)

It is astonishing to know the amount of research some of these authors of Western novels put into their ‘product’. One of the most famous authors of these types of works, J.T. Edson, studied an enormous amount of film and books doing research. And they are very popular amongst a certain readership. Popular to the extent that Edson apparently on occasion declared that he was very much inspired to write Westerns due to the promising sales it offered. Western writing is serious business...

But about Masterson’s Ransom. It is an enjoyable read. What is so refreshing about these kinds of works is that one can really get a feel of the environment. Ransom is about US Marshall Morgan Kane, who is send on a special mission into Mexico. A gang of criminals is taking young women as hostages and demands ransom. Kane gets involved in a whole lot of trouble as he tries to be hero hero everywhere he goes.

It was very enjoyable to read this book, however, a few things really bothered me. It was a great disappointment that Kane

1. Lash a woman and
2. use the same woman as bait to catch the bad guys

This is simply not good enough. My kind of Western hero never touches a woman in any bad way and certainly never puts her life in unnecessary danger. In fact my kind of hero would rather save the woman, which Kane in fact did, but only after he got her into trouble. So despite me only wanting to stack praise upon Masterson’s Ransom, I cannot. I would not be true to my thoughts and feelings as I worked my way thru the book.

In the end, all I could say is thank you Creator. Thank you for a little thing called variation in life. I suppose I’m not going to become the biggest reader of the Western novel, maybe I’ll do a few more in order to find a better one than this one, but all in all, Ransom was a nice reading experience, with lots of tension, outlaw characters, adventure and just enough action - I can totally understand why people get addicted to these kinds of books.

MURDER, SHE WROTE, THE MURDER OF SHERLOCK HOLMES – James Anderson

I can recall, many many years ago. I was very small, a toddler, or maybe just a small kid. I don’t remember much, but I can clearly recall my father settling in in front of the telly, for another episode of the world famous series MURDER, SHE WROTE. While I cannot really remember much, the little that I recall is sweet memories. Obviously my father loved the show – as it goes, crime fiction is generally a favourite in our family, but I suppose it goes much deeper than that. It is remembering the simple joys of being a child in a situation where you are loved and secure. I am not a very sentimental person though, and this discussion is not about me. I just wanted to express how charmed I felt at holding this title in my hands, and experiencing all the memories it evoked...

So enough about me and my dad, as I said, don’t remember much, certainly not this specific episode, but at the very least I have strong memories of the character Jessica Fletcher. Fletcher was acted out by the famous Angela Lansbury, this I learned from the cover of the book. The book is thus an adaptation of one of the episodes of the famous television show MURDER, SHE WROTE. For solely not spoiling the nostalgia and, should I say romance that goes with it (romance in the sense of remembering things in a certain way), I wanted to resist the temptation to do a typical 21st century thing, and that is to WIKI-it. I fought the temptation, but in the end, couldn’t help myself. On to Wikipedia, read up on all about MURDER, SHE WROTE and Angela Lansbury, who, apparently, is still alive and acted in a film as recently as 2011 (well, it’s relatively recent).

Now, about MURDER, SHE WROTE: THE MURDER OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, the book adaptation. Well, it cannot be easy to adapt a television show into a book. Television is such a different medium to paper and ink. The characters in this book were relatively convincing. However, the story was a bit plain and dull. It is really saddening to say it, but MURDER, SHE WROTE, THE MURDER OF SHERLOCK HOLMES was a bit of a disappointment. Some parts of the book is fun, and I’m certain that the television episode was a stunner, but to me, the book adaptation is no page turner.

For those totally unfamiliar with the television show MURDER, SHE WROTE, it should be said that the concept behind this famous television series involves, as mentioned already, a character called Jessica Fletcher. Fletcher is not a cop, but she writes crime fiction. In fact, if one thinks about it, this particular adaptation could well have been the very first episode of the very first series of MURDER, SHE WROTE, since in this particular book, Fletcher scores her first successful crime novel, which leads her to New York in into the terrain of the killer. Now, as a widow, Fletcher at times teaches English as a substitute teacher. This is where the author connection comes in, as Fletcher is a qualified English teacher and thus is gifted with regards to the subjects of words and literature. But (as I cannot really recall much about the show), according to WIKIPEDIA, Fletcher has a very exciting life. People are murdered often around her. And since she is a smart fiction writer and since the cops in the television show MURDER, SHE WROTE are often not doing their work very well (though without being “bad guys” in general), Fletcher usually ends up being the one who solves these crimes.

This is also the concept behind this particular book. This is what one should expect when considering it. I wish I could see one of the television episodes of MURDER, SHE WROTE now as an adult. I have a strong feeling the book adaptation doesn’t do the show much justice. However, MURDER, SHE WROTE: THE MURDER OF SHERLOCK HOLMES is not poor leisure reading, but there certainly are more exciting books.