2012 Summer Books

A new and comprehensive history and a guide contain everything a scholar needs to know

The mysterious uncle Cedric could be anyone’s relative and therein lies Rupert Thomson’s genius.

Handsome, rigorous and reasonably priced, these admirable books on South Africa’s past surpass many of the others on the market

Adam Haupt summarizes all the questions his book raises

The new edition of Chris Ballantine’s Marabi Nights is more than a description of the creation of a South African jazz; it is sociology set to music

Ivo Vegter says environmentalists exaggerate problems, but his book committs the same sins.

South African literature has a long tradition of farm novels digging deep into the lives of people on these farms.

A new book on Samora Machel takes an unusual approach to its subject.

Zuma Exposed gets to the heart of the paranoia and power play central to the ANC under his leadership

Insightful and controversial, Coovadia’s essays are a cracking read — even if they are in book form

Craig MacKenzie Margaret Lenta, born September 2 1936, died November 5 2012

This reads like a South African James Bond novel, but is more elegantly written and rather more serious.