Chris Schoeman
Author
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Boer Boy: Memoirs of an Anglo-Boer War Youth
ISBN-9781770221383
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Boer Boy is the touching true story of a ten-year-old farmboy’s traumatic but fascinating experiences during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902. When Charles du Preez and his father were discovered hiding in the mountains of their eastern Free State farm, they were taken prisoner by the English and transported in open coal trucks to Durban. From there they began a harrowing journey aboard the SS Aurania to the prisoner-of-war camps of Umballa and Solon in India, where Charles was the youngest inmate. Back in South Africa, Charles’s mother and siblings, apprehended while fleeing the Khakis during Lord Kitchener’s destructive ‘scorchedearth’ campaign, were interned in the infamous Winburg concentration camp. Based on an account Charles wrote later in life as well as other notable oral and documentary sources, including a diary kept by Charles’s mother during the war, Boer Boy tracks the Du Preez family’s wartime experiences. It culminates in Charles and his father’s repatriation to South Africa, where the family was reunited and returned home to the ruins of their farm to start again. Enthralling, poignant and richly informative, this is a valuable addition to the history of the Anglo-Boer War.
District Six: The Spirit of Kanala
ISBN-9780798131964
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District Six had many facets. It was a slum, yes, and the people generally were poor, but it was also a place where happiness and the spirit of kanala, of helping each other, bound the inhabitants together. All of this came to an end when the greater part of District Six, or Kanaladorp as it was also known, was declared a white residential area in 1966.
This book does not present an emotional view of the tragedy and trauma of District Six, but is an attempt to tell its story in an objective manner with emphasis on its unique character and the colourful community of people of various races and cultures who lived together in a neighbourhood which was a special home to them. The striking photographs, many of them the compassionate studies of Jansje Wissema, bring District Six and its people to life.
The No. 10s: South Africa's Finest Flyhalves 1891-2010
ISBN-9781770221390
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Throughout the history of rugby, it has been the flyhalves who have gripped the imagination of rugby supporters the most. Arguably the most crucial position on the rugby field, a flyhalf can almost single-handedly win a game for his team (remember Naas Botha’s 1987 Currie Cup final, and Joel Stransky’s drop kick in the 1995 World Cup final?). South Africa has produced some of the most famous flyhalves in international rugby, and The Number 10s covers their and other remarkable players’ stories. From an older era, there are Bennie Osler, Tony Harris, Hansie Brewis (who never lost a Test), Keith Oxlee and Naas Botha; and, more recently, Henry Honiball, Joel Stransky and Morné Steyn.The Number 10s also relives several of the magic moments of rugby’s generals, such as the brilliance of Bennie Osler (1928), Tony Harris (1937) and Naas Botha (1981) versus the All Blacks; Jannie de Beer versus England at the 1999 World Cup; and Derick Hougaard in the 2002 Currie Cup final. A fascinating and informative read for rugby fans of all ages.
Slow Death: Memoirs of a Cricket Umpire
ISBN-9781770220799
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For 30 years, batsmen around the world have feared the slow and deliberate way Rudi Koertzen raises his left arm to give them out – so much so that it has given rise to his nickname, Slow Death. Despite the sinister sobriquet, Rudi Koertzen remains one of the most loved and respected umpires in world cricket, and certainly one of the most experienced: to date, he is the only umpire to have stood in 200 One Day Internationals, and he has 100 Test matches under his belt. Now Rudi takes the reader back to some of the highlights of his career in Test, ODI and T20 matches, including several World Cups and Ashes series. From his unique perspective, he rates the cricketers he has umpired over the years – the best batsmen, bowlers and fielders – and gives reasons why they stand out from other players. He shares players’ hilarious on-field antics and, on occasion, histrionics. And he doesn’t shy away from discussing the controversial side of international cricket, from match fixing to terrorist attacks, while giving his frank and possibly controversial views on the use of technology in the game. Humorous, informative and nostalgic, this is the book every cricket fan will want to own.