Africa Will Always Break Your Heart [Paperback]

Gert Hugo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 2007

Hugo does not pull his punches. His opinion on an Emmy award winning documentary about his life reflects this: "In my opinion submitting this material as a 'documentary' was equivalent to trying to sell a rodent's rectum to a blind man as a wedding ring. It should be stripped of its awards and be exposed for what it is; a very clever manipulation of half-truths as told by an inebriate trying to please. I will not rest until I have appealed to whatever board that awarded this hogwash an Emmy. You clearly do not know me very well. In the process I would not mind 'hitting the bottle' hard one more time. I suggest that a behavioural expert should observe me before, during and after consumption of alcohol and then make a finding as to which 'character' is to be found in the recorded matter." Hugo takes one on a wild roller-coaster ride from the first page to the last in this his first book Africa Will Break Your Heart. In a frank manner he addresses all the 'holy cows' of his upbringing and adult life. From sexual taboos to cold blooded executions. He as merciless to those around him as he is to himself. All the authority figures of his life gets exposed for what they are - abusers of power. He goes a long way in explaining the mindset of the white population that supported Apartheid. For those of you that want a better understanding of this enigma, this book is a must. Set against the background of the years of Apartheid, war, reform initiatives and finally democratic elections in South Africa. This is a story of one man's perception of home life and all the bizarre political and military happenings around him. Mathilda Evertsson

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gerrie Hugo was born on April 1st 1956 in Cape Town. He grew up in an Afrikaans speaking military family and environment. It therefore came as no surprise that he pursued a military career. After eighteen years, having reached the rank of Colonel, the truth and the lies became too much. Hugo did an about face and started exposing the atrocities committed in the name of apartheid. He was forced to live on the run for years since his former brothers-in-arms wanted to kill him. He never opted to become a member of the new ANC dispensation and did not get accommodated by them. He is still very much alive, probably to the utmost chagrin, disgust and astonishment of his enemies. Gerrie Hugo now happily resides in Sweden with his wife and children. One of many things life has taught him is that you shouldn't take life too serious.

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (March 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425968163
• ISBN-13: 978-1425968168
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,968,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the scenes - Apartheid unveiled, July 3, 2007

By 

Elisabeth Bystrom "Beth" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Africa Will Always Break Your Heart (Paperback)

One of the hardest things when working in the anti-apartheid movement was to understand the mindset of the average white South African. What on Earth were those people thinking and why? When reading Hugo's book, with all its harsh language, I'm for the first time offered a credible explanation, a chance to try to understand how this could have happened. I don't think Hugo's story could have been told in any other way; I get disgusted, I laugh and cry,whilst following Hugo through his life. But I also find an honesty that makes me think, and think again. Life is not a negative in black and white, especially not during the apartheid-era. Hugo wears his heart on his sleeve and it's painful to share his experiences. But the book sheds light on the near brainwash many a white South African was subjected to and in washing the dirty linen of a racist regime in public, the book is important if we want to prevent history from ever repeating itself.

I highly recommend this brilliant book to all the millions of people involved in the anti-apartheid movement all over the world.

It is a very good read.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, honest work, June 26, 2007

By 

Heather - See all my reviews

This review is from: Africa Will Always Break Your Heart (Paperback)

So this book, "Africa Will Always Break Your Heart" by Gerrie Hugo is an intense and very unique book. It is a memoir, an autobiography of sorts, about a man (Gerrie Hugo) who participated in Apartheid in South Africa but later came to his senses. It is a brutually honest account, as the reader will get that from the very first page. The writing style is informal, with some swear words here and there but it brings an air of authenticity to the book. It is a fairly fast read and I definitely enjoyed reading it. The chapters are only a few pages long so it makes you feel as if you have accomplished a lot (which I really liked).

A few things of note, you definitely have to be open minded when going into this book and it's definitely not for everyone. It's for a "mature" audience as there are a couple chapters which lean on the side of being slightly [...]. To me, those parts didn't need to be in the book for it to be successful, however, I don't think it detracted from the book as a whole too much. That being said, I really did like this book. It was very different from many books I have read and gives an unique perspective into the whole issue of Apartheid. I loved the brutal honesty as well as the humor that was woven into the work. I recommend this for anyone who is interested in a completely different book and is interested in finding out what Apartheid was like for someone who actively participated in it and his thoughts on it now. Be prepared for a very honest work with some "rough" language from time to time, which only adds to it's authenticity.

4.0 out of 5 stars Chronicles of a Crocodile Man, June 2, 2010

By 

Richard de Nooy (Amsterdam, Holland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Africa Will Always Break Your Heart (Paperback)

Having finished this book, I fell asleep, my mind a-buzz, and dreamed that a crocodile swam up to me as I stood shivering, waist-deep in the river. Because I had no weapon, I tried to fend the beast off with my hands. But he was not intent upon attack. Instead, he nudged and nuzzled me like a friendly cat.

And so fear became wonder, and when I awoke I spent several weeks contemplating, perhaps pointlessly, why crocodiles behave like crocodiles. Mainly because I could not bear to blow the brains out of this menacing metaphor. Instead, I set about imagining a man in a crocodile suit, who grows weary of the anger, hate and fear he inspires. And so he gradually slips off his suit, a gruesome metamorphosis, until he emerges naked and hurriedly fashions his discarded hide into a loincloth, a hat, cowboy boots, and a rough satchel in which to carry his diary, his memory, his most prized possession.

Imagine, if you will, what kind of reception our Crocodile Man might expect from the world. The crocs in the river would be filled with hate and perhaps even envy at his trickery. The relatives of his former victims would look upon his transformation with suspicion. Those unaware of his past might see him as an eccentric exhibitionist. Those who dare to engage with him may marvel at his scaly past, but would remain wary of his dormant crocodile temperament.

And then there are those who know better than to blow the brains out of a walking metaphor. Those who want to open the man's croc-skin bag and read his diary. I have. And it is more absurd, unlikely, entertaining and intriguing than this review. Somewhat tattered and stained in places, full of madness and rage, sometimes spiteful, sometimes remorseful, often hilarious, always brutally honest, as one might expect from a man who has lived the life of a crocodile and dreamed crocodile dreams.