Hi PresRDC! I tried to do the same kidn of reading before our first S.A. trip, but it's true -- many of the books are now dated. However, a lot of what's happening today in S.A. is related to the last 200 years of history... I wish I'd known more before we went about Afrikaaners vs. the British, about the Zulus, Shaka Zulu, and other black African chieftans and their encounters with white settlers, about S.A.'s distinct "coloured" peoples and their origins, and about the specific chronology of the rise of the white Nationalist government and apartheid, Mandela's imprisonment & ultimate release, and Apartheid's dismantling just a few years ago. Basically, I think that even though the books are dated, it's still worth learning the history. Then you can arrive in S.A. and learn what's happening now, informed by your understanding of the country's past.

Also, it's terribly off-topic, but... I just clicked on your profile, catch22, and realized that just last wee I recommended your company's services to a neighbor. She's lots 100+ lbs and now needs plastic surgery. She was enthralled by my stories of S.A. so I hope she'll combine both into one trip! I almost wish I needed some surgery so I could return to beautiful South Africa.

David

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AIM: RutherfordMurray