Anatomy of a Miracle: The End of Apartheid and the Birth of the New South Africa (Hardcover)

~ Patti Waldmeir (Author) "F. W. DE KLERK WATCHED, and admired, as the apartheid military celebrated the sheer naked power of the white state he would one day dismantle..." (more)
Key Phrases: township revolt, white right wing, negotiated revolution, South Africa, National Party, Nelson Mandela (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

How ironic that Nelson Mandela felt such empathy for former South African President P. W. Botha, one of the most repressive and brutal supporters of apartheid, while his relationship with F. W. de Klerk, the man who surrendered power to the black majority, was chilly from the first. Despite their different ages, outlooks, and politics, Mandela and de Klerk are the men primarily responsible for South Africa's relatively peaceful transformation, and their story is told in Patti Waldmeir illuminating book, Anatomy of a Miracle. The miracle, quite simply put, is that South Africa avoided the bloody destiny history seemed to have assigned it. Instead of holding on to the bitter end, white South Africans under de Klerk's leadership acquiesced gracefully to democratic principles; instead of seeking revenge by replacing white oppression with their own, black South Africans under Mandela's leadership magnanimously forgave and moved on.

Waldmeir, a journalist who was present in South Africa during almost every critical step of apartheid's dismantling, was also personally acquainted with the main players, Mandela, de Klerk, and Chief Buthelezi. Through interviews, she has managed to present multiple points of view of such diverse figures as South African presidents past and present, prison guards on Robben Island, and ordinary South Africans both black and white. By the time you reach the end of Anatomy, you may well believe in miracles, too.

From Publishers Weekly

In the epic drama of South Africa's "negotiated revolution," the two prime opponents who came together to redesign the country, Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk, are seen here as heroic figures-the one imprisoned for nearly 20 years, studying the nature of the Afrikaners, becoming fluent in their hated language and planning how to peacefully transfer power from the white minority to the black majority; the other a fierce defender of white minority rule, but pressed by the international ostracism that threatened to destroy the country's economy, and looking for a way to salvage it. Waldmeir, a 15-year resident as a correspondent for the Financial Times, encapsulates the struggle and draws wonderful portraits not only of these two men but of the other leading figures on both sides, and of the political dilemmas as they moved toward difficult solutions. Although Mandela attributes greatness to de Klerk for his courage, it is Mandela's own character that dominates this history. Accustomed to power from a childhood in a household on close terms with the tribal chief, he embodies in his magisterial presence what Waldmeir characterizes as the Africans' generosity of spirit and lack of vengefulness, that have made it possible for the white population to accept black rule. She details the steps that moved de Klerk to free him: from the first halfhearted ones, which Mandela refused as compromises, to the five-year negotiations that brought about an agreement to share the power between them. Engrossing in its sweep, this account also describes the obstacles facing the regime: not only problems with unemployment, education and investment but also unresolved demands from powerful tribal chiefs and dissident Afrikaners. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 303 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393039978
• ISBN-13: 978-0393039979
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #526,939 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and dramatic!, May 18, 1998

By	M. Chapman (American West) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Reads like a cloak and dagger thriller at times. This is a riveting account of the end of apartheid and the birth of democracy in a society that should be, by all rights, engaged in civil war at this time. Instead, Ms. Waldmeir gives us the reasons, historically and diplomatically, as to why this amazing transition took place in relative peace. She tries to give a fair representation of the roles of all the major players in this incredibly complex real life drama. I found the writing to be very insightful as an academic work while at the same time it was told as the dramatic, tension filled drama that the story truly is.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great History Book, February 14, 2000

By	Shogun Len "tokieyasu" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anatomy of a Miracle: The End of Apartheid and the Birth of the New South Africa (Paperback)

Anatomy of a Miracle is one of those history books you never forget. It does such a good job putting you there. You feel like you are at the meeting between Mandela and DeKlerk. This is history at its best. Anyone interested in Current Events or the History of South Africa and its transformation from Apartheid and White Rule to One Man One Vote and Democracy needs to read this book. I had no idea that Mandela and the South African government had been in negotiation long before Mandela's release. I also had no idea how well Mandela used his ability to speak Afrikaaner and his knowledge of Afrikaaner History to while negotiating to end Apartheid. You see the challenges DeKlerk, Mandela, and all of South Africa had to overcome. And they did. This is a short book, but after reading this you will become an expert on the events that led to the end of Apartheid and the beginning of Democracy in South Africa. This is a great book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding and authoritative, April 24, 1997

By A Customer

This is surely the most informative book to have been written on the subject of South Africa since the end of the white regime. Ms Waldmeiris a superb writer, with a perceptive and self -deprecating wit.May she write heaps more. Dermot Ros