The Mind of South Africa: The Rise and Fall of Apartheid [Paperback]

Allister Sparks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 1991

South Africa is one of the most complex and troubled nations on earth. It is the only country whose divisions are legally endorsed, whose isolation is deliberate and whose internal biases are so pointedly lopsided. The Mind of South Africa is a unique survey which encompasses the history, culture and the warped mythology of apartheid by which the country is still held hostage. Allister Sparks, distinguished former editor of the Rand Daily Mail, recounts the full story of South Africa's agonizing drama - and, amazingly, remains an optimist about its future.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former editor of the Johannesburg Rand Daily Mail , and now a correspondent for U.S. and U.K. newspapers, Sparks here writes one of the most sensitive and best balanced histories of relationships among South Africa's Dutch, English, Indian and indigenous peoples. In this hopeful assessment of the transition period, he points out that "no ideology on earth, no politician, no guns, no army, no regional superpower strategy" can stem the "blackening" of South Africa, as the country at last begins to move out of its "capsule of illusion." Although industrialization and urbanization render apartheid ideology unworkable, only political action can shift South Africa to a pan-tribal, nonracial, mixed economy and society, stresses Sparks. There will be no revolutionary transfer of power; instead, there will be an incremental process, with whites yielding ground reluctantly, inch by inch, trench by trench.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Fifth generation South African newsperson Allister Sparks presents a scholarly, sweeping historical study that explains and documents the changes taking place in South Africa today. His 40 years of journalistic experience and worldwide recognition by World Press Review provides reliability when he interprets apartheid and Afrikaner nationalism. The author carefully analyzes his homeland's present-day social, economic, and political crises. The conclusion assesses the future for the country. A seven-page bibliography, footnotes, and a detailed index make this book ideal for serious young adults who are exploring the South African situation in light of happenings in 1990. --Mike Printz, Topeka West High School, KS
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (April 9, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345371194
• ISBN-13: 978-0345371195
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #644,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A whole story at last!, June 13, 2000

By 

Bongiwe Cele (France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mind Of South Africa (Hardcover)

As a black South African I have read a lot of history books about my country and found a lot of distortions. Allister Sparks has come out with the most straight story of how it all came to be. This book tells you both sides of the story: Thank you Allister for representing the truth.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sparks's work is very informative and readable., November 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mind of South Africa: The Rise and Fall of Apartheid (Paperback)

As a European historian who was preparing to travel to South Africa for the first time in the spring of 1998, I found Sparks's analysis of South African thought, culture, and society since the mid-17th century to be extremely helpful. The book is both informative and lively, and I recommend it without hesitation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "The full agony... includes the truth that the whites who rule the country so oppressively are not brutes.", July 9, 2007

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Mind of South Africa: The Rise and Fall of Apartheid (Paperback)

I suppose that this was the book that I most wanted to find after my trip to South Africa. I wanted something that would try to explain what the white South Africans were thinking. I wanted to know how a system as pernicious and self-evidently evil emerged-- because basically I don't accept that people are evil. No bad dogs or kids, that sort of thinking.

I'm not going to say that Allister Sparks totally succeeds in providing an explanation. However, he at least explained the combination of religious and political beliefs that led up to the system being instituted. It was fascinating (as an expat in the Netherlands) to read how much influence Holland has really had on the country. Wacky conservative Dutch leaders seemed to find open arms there, particularly after the war. And this is, of course, one of the points of the book. Before WWII, South Africa was more or less in step with world thinking. The real divergence came post-WWII, as they rejected the message of freedom and the end of the colonial era that was sweeping the rest of the world.

The book is also interesting in that it was originally written in 1990, on the very eve of the change. So, of course, although some predictions and fears turned out to be true, others are less so. Mugabe, for instance, turned out to be much less benign than Sparks hoped based on the events of the 1980s.

It helped me put some of the thinking behind the historical facts of the apartheid era. Sparks (a well-established and experienced journalist) is a good writer, if not a great one. The Mind of Africa flowed well and was relatively easy to read. Recommended.