The Bang-bang Club: The Making of the New South Africa [Import] [Hardcover]

Greg Marinovich (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd (August 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0434007331
• ISBN-13: 978-0434007332
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,769,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book, horrible edition, August 28, 2008

By 

Loewenzahn (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War (Paperback)

First of all, if I were to rate the content of the book, it's a five star (at least). Exciting, touching, informative - definitely one of my favorite nonfiction books.

Having said that, I unfortunately have to agree with Number Six, who complained about the reproduction quality of the pictures in the book. Originally I bought a different edition in South Africa and now I wanted to buy another one to give it to a friend. The photos of this edition here are horrible, literally like b/w copies from a 30 year old copy machine. This is especially annoying for a book about photography. Note that the pictures are b/w anyway, but the tones and contrast are just so messed up that it's truly embarrassing - definitely not suited as a gift. I recommend to try to get the other edition, it is available on amazon.co.uk from the publisher Arrow Books. Shipping to the US is naturally more expensive, but it's worth it.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brutal - not just the photos but the message as well, September 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots From A Hidden War (Hardcover)

I can't even imagine how hard it was for these guys to write this book. Not only did they lose two of their best friends during the period covered by the book, not only did they have to watch people die in front of them, but they've come to realize that the photographs they were taking did not accomplishing what they hoped - to stop the violence. It's a harrowing but rewarding read, a real page turner.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read, September 9, 2002

By 

Anton Nel (Pretoria, South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War (Paperback)

This is a disturbing book. After the first three chapters I put it down and only picked it up again two months later. Perhaps I was just emotionally at low ebb the first time, but the brutal honesty of the descriptions in those first chapters got to me. Even though I am a South African and lived through that eventful period, I was unprepared for the honesty of the authors. At the second attempt I finished the book and am glad that I did as it is really well worth the read.

The book describes the experiences of four well-known South African press photographers, at the peak of the political transition period of the country. Of the four, only two survived. Most South Africans as well as international readers interested in photojournalism, will remember the killing of Ken Oosterbroek by a stray bullet while covering an unrest situation in the townships. And the whole world was shocked by the brilliant photograph of a starving Sudanese child with a vulture patiently waiting in the background. Kevin Carter committed suicide not long after winning a Pulitzer Prize for that image. Although the book deals mainly with their work experiences, it also provides insight in the personal lives of photojournalists. It focuses mainly on events in South Africa, especially during those eventful years in the early nineties. However, there are also references to other African countries. A few months before I read this book, I also read Out of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa by Keith Richburg. This was another excellent and very honest book by a black American journalist who was assigned to the African Desk of the Washington Post. The combination of these two books gives an excellent perspective on the Dark Continent and scares the hell out of you.

I can strongly recommend both these books. It is a must-read for anyone interested in photojournalism and for people interested in the political transition period of SA. People who enjoy biographies will also appreciate the book.