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.