John Dovey's Blog
2006 Aug 18   Just Done Productions is proud to announce the publication of Three Frigates, the story of the President Class Navy Frigates in the South African Navy. This book is available for purchase online from Just Done Productions. International buyers are able to buy it from Lulu and local (South African) buyers can order it locally.
“Three Frigates” - The South African Navy comes of age.By Rear Admiral Chris Bennett, SA Navy (Retired)For nearly two decades the three President Class frigates acquired by the SA Navy in the 1960s dominated the South African maritime scene. These three ships - President Kruger, President Steyn and President Pretorius were ordered from Britain in the 1950s in compliance with the requirements of the so-called Simon’s Town Agreement. In this book we find out not only about the ships themselves but also some of the political background at the time of purchase that led to their acquisition and for the first time we can read of some of the political background twenty years later that led to them being sidelined whilst still in ‘their prime’ and very useful ships. We also find out how the SA Navy developed from 1953 when “we were a ‘mickey mouse’ outfit” to 1963 when “we were a pretty professional set up and able to hold our own with the Royal Navy”. Considerable comment is also given in various sections of the book on some of those areas where the author believes that National, SADF and/or SAN policies or procedures hindered the proper operational manning and deployment of these fine ships. For the first time in a book on the SA Navy the full story of how the Navy became part of the so-called ‘Border War’ during Operation Savannah and what the President Class frigates achieved in that operation is told. The main story of this book is not about the tragic loss of SAS President Kruger on 18 February 1982, however this important occurrence in the history of our Navy does get serious attention and the author does try to explain what happened, hopefully in terms that the non-naval reader will also understand. He also gives some reasonably detailed comment, especially on the official findings of the formal inquest into the death of one of her ship’s company as a result of that accident. There are also many other happier stories from the time of their building in the UK, and on a number of diplomatic visits made by them to Argentina, Australia and Europe. Then there are visits to our own harbours and such incidents as entertaining ‘Snow White, the seven Dwarfs and some twenty chorus girls’ onboard the President Kruger, and other stories about the multitude of different characters who served in these beautiful ships over the years, some strange, some tragic, but mostly amusing. The previous Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Johan Retief, whilst still in that post agreed to write a foreword for the book, and had the following comment on it: "I found the book compelling reading and, from my knowledge, an
excellent history of a most important phase of the Navy’s history.
There are clear lessons to be learnt, stretching from how to man ships
properly to how to name ships. … … … It is essential
that these lessons be retained for future generations as we move back into
a large ship era." and "Conclusion. To repeat myself, I think you have done remarkably
well. I enjoyed that the fact that you interspersed the factual history
with anecdotes, it keeps one interested. Well done. BZ" Note: BZ, or Bravo Zulu phonetically, is ‘navalese’ for ‘Well done’ and was inked in by hand. It originates from the NATO book of two letter signal codes and means ‘Well done’. 
About the AuthorAfter matriculating from Kingswood College, Grahamstown, Chris Bennett joined the South African Navy and served for over 30 years at sea, as Naval Attaché in London and in Pretoria in Naval Headquarters and Defence Headquarters staff posts. His last appointment was as Chief of Naval Staff at Naval HQ. He qualified as a Torpedo Anti Submarine specialist officer on the Royal Navy course at HMS Vernon in 1964 and successfully completed the SADF Joint Services Staff Course in 1978. Since his retirement he has written a number of articles and papers on maritime strategic matters affecting the South African Navy.
Just Done Productions - PublishingJust Done Productions - Publishing is a company located in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. We pride ourselves on producing quality, professional press-ready manuscripts for publication. We offer a publication option that allows the author to publish without spending any of their own capital ... and yet to receive a professional service. Your manuscript can be turned into a book. Contact publish@justdone.co.za for more information. | Just Done Productions cc | | CK2004/021143/23 | | Cell: 083-3888290 | | Fax/Tel: 031-7673654 | | publish@justdone.co.za | | Just Done Productions |
2006 Aug 14 Original ArticleLong-lost graves of SA soldiers unearthedAugust 14 2006 at 10:04AM By Michael Schmidt Thirty years after their aircraft was shot down in the Angolan civil war, the long-lost graves of two South African Air Force pilots and an army captain have been found. And the grave of an armoured car crewman killed in the same battle has been discovered nearby. Now the families of the dead men, who suffered for three decades, not knowing their fate, are trying to raise funds for a pilgrimage to their lonely resting places - and hope one day to have the remains returned for burial in South Africa. 'I want him brought back and buried in private' Leon Lombard was 11 when his brother Niël, an Eland armoured car driver, was killed at the age of 19 in November 1977 about 800km inside Angolan territory. He said his father Hendrik had believed until the day he died in 1989 that Niël was a prisoner of war. Lombard - who went on to become a lieutenant-colonel - said his mother Alida, of Riebeeck West in the Western Cape, was "shocked" when told her son's grave had finally been found. "She was quite happy for Niël to remain where he lay - but I want him brought back and buried in private, with only the family present." After nine months of painstaking research, with the help of old soldiers from both sides of the conflict, amateur military historian Rowley Medlin of Centurion traced the final resting places of the four South African Defence Force (SADF) servicemen in a remote valley south of the town of Ebo, in the Kwanza Sul province of Angola. The fate of the three aboard the unarmed South African Air Force Cessna 185 spotter plane, of 11 Squadron in Potchefstroom, that vanished on November 25 1975 while on a reconnaissance run, remained one of the mysteries of the "bush war". Its pilot, Second Lieutenant Keith Williamson, 21, of Bloemfontein, had just returned from helping save the crews of two Eland armoured cars of 1 Special Service Battalion in Bloemfontein that went missing two days earlier in the "First Battle of Ebo" - the first clash between the South African/Unita and MPLA/ Cuban forces near the town of that name 280km south-south-east of Luanda. Medlin said Lombard's armoured car had been hit by an enemy shell near the Mabassa River bridge. The shell did not explode, but Lombard was killed. The gunner and commander survived, but they left Lombard's body behind when they escaped. The armoured car behind Lombard's had also been hit, but its crew had baled out and hid in a donga until nightfall. Williamson searched for the missing crews, and finally spotted them south of Ebo on the morning of the 24th, enabling them all to be rescued. The next day he and co-pilot Second Lieutenant Eric Bryan Thompson, 20, of Edenvale, took newly-arrived Foxbat Combat Group third-in-command Captain Daniel Jacob Taljaard, 32, of Centurion, aloft to plot the relative positions of allied and enemy forces on the front. SADF intelligence intercepted an Angolan signal that afternoon saying an aircraft had been shot down - and that night, Radio Luanda boasted that a SAAF "warplane" had been downed. But because Operation Savannah - the SADF's October 1975 to March 1976 invasion of Angola - was still secret at that stage, and because no South African soldiers actually saw the plane shot down, the location of the crash site and the men's fate was unclear. Grief and hope warred in the hearts of the families of Williamson, Taljaard and Thompson. Their uncertainty was made worse by the November 1977 claims by Danish boat-builder Poul Mathiesen, released after 160 days in a Luanda jail, of "two young white South African prisoners" who had been captured in late 1975, and who had "gone completely mad". But it now seems certain the three men died at the scene and were buried by locals. The crash site was rediscovered by Pretoria couple Henk and Greta van Zyl, who are currently working at an agricultural research station at Waku Kungo in southern Angola. The Van Zyls agreed to assist Medlin in his search for the men's graves. Medlin arranged a meeting with former MPLA soldier Serafim Mazia do Prado, now governor of the province, and told him "as one soldier to the next, 'please comrade, please help me. Those soldiers can't lie in a foreign country'. He became enthusiastic when he heard this, and he gave permission for Henk to go out and find the graves". Travelling with a delegation arranged by Ebo administrator Gualberto Lanjendra, a former Unita fighter, Van Zyl initially found nothing and was about to return home - but then an old village headman said he remembered a plane coming down during the war. The overgrown crash site, barely 400m away, lay in another district, however, and it was only on July 11 that Van Zyl and the delegation could get permission to visit it in the company of some locals who 30 years ago buried the dead men. "Nearly nothing remained of the aircraft," Van Zyl said this week - but there remained "a heap of earth where the three soldiers from the aircraft were buried in one grave". SAAF veterans head Brigadier-General Derrick Page said it would take a diplomatic initiative through Foreign Affairs before the department of defence could possibly assist with the return of the men's remains. 2006 Jun 27 The first volume in the series from MIBISA has just been published. MIBISA (Military Burials In South Africa) Archive Project was started in 2003 with the intention of photographing all Military related burials within the borders of South Africa. The Western Cape is the first of nine proposed volumes that will cover all the provinces, and both the Eastern and Northern Capes are currently being worked on as future releases. The listings cover headstones, memorials, plaques and monuments and have the Name, Rank, Serial Number, Unit and other information that is readily available. The particular locations are included, and directions to the relative cemetery where possible. Most of the cemeteries listed have been visited by the Author, and thousands of photographs taken, it is hoped that these will be released on CD to people who have purchased a particular volume from the date of its release. The CDs will not be available seperately.  Available in South Africa from Just Done Productions2006 May 30 Just Done Productions would like to announce the publication of a Novel written by Geraint Jones.  About the AuthorGeraint Jones is a peculiarly latter twentieth century creature. His parents took him from his native Wales to Africa at the age of three months. He doesn’t remember much about the journey. Steadfastly refusing to follow his sisters to boarding school in Britain, Jones was educated in Zambia,Uganda, Malaysia and South Africa. He served in the British South Africa Police (for six years in Rhodesia and seventeen days in Zimbabwe), leaving in 1980. During the intervening years, Jones has worked as a miner, a private investigator, a bodyguard (in spite of his diminutive size), a military officer and has pursued a fragmented and desultory academic career. Jones, now fifty, currently lives and works in Kuwait; spending his leisure time with his aged Border Collies in rural Wales. About the NovelIn Africa things don’t always go according to plan – particularly when politics, witchcraft and war intervene. Set in an era of political turmoil and change, the story that weaves itself around Jairos Mapfumo’s life is one of promise, courage and dignity; of despair, compromise and surrender. A gifted village boy is discovered by a school teacher and a priest who groom him for success in the emerging modern Africa; but fate has different plans for Jairos Mapfumo. A small tragedy in his home village, a flurry in the winds of change sweeping Africa and the malice of unseen agents conspire to rob Jairos of his brilliant future. This is a story of human circumstance in an Africa beset with massive countervailing forces. It follows the fortunes of a talented young man as he is challenged by the maelstrom events of the end of the colonial era, the tantalising progression that governs the process of human ambition, the petty politics of village life, to witness his final confrontation with the fragile thing that is life in a beautiful but benighted continent. “Landsong” is a uniquely African story that gifts the reader with imagery and insights, carefully and sensitively crafted by a writer whose love of Africa radiates from every page.
The book can be purchased online at Lulu.com where there is also a preview available. About Just Done Productions - PublishingJust Done PublishingJust Done Productions - Publishing is a small company located in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. We pride ourselves on producing quality, professional press-ready manuscripts for publication. We offer a publication option that allows the author to publish without spending any of their own capital ... and yet to receive a professional sub-editing and graphic design service. Your manuscript can be turned into a book. Contact publish@justdone.co.za for more information. Langsong (A Novel) by Geraint Jones 2006 May 18 Just Done Productions would like to announce that we have concluded a publishing arrangement with Rowley Medlin for his book " Missing, Presumed Dead". This is a riveting account of the search for three members of the South African Airforce who disappeared while on a Aerial Combat Reconnaissance mission over Angola. The book is still in the production stages, but should be released within the next few months. Below is the text of an article written for the Savannah Association's newsletter which describes both the book and the process which lead to it's being written. Just Done Productions is proud to have been selected as the publisher for this book. This new book will be announced here once it becomes available. Just Done Productions can be found on the web at http://www.justdone.co.za/Publishing/ or at http://www.lulu.com/JustDone/ and contacted via publish@justdone.co.za“ MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD” “ Missing, Presumed Dead” is the title of a new and exciting book by Rowley Medlin, a member of the Savannah Association and part-time military history researcher. Rowley Medlin is career soldier and a professional sergeant major with more than 44 years service, 34 of them in the rank of sergeant major. His interest in modern South African military history over the past four years has been what most people refer to as the “Battle of Ebo” but as Rowley points out it is more correctly called the battle of Massaba River Bridge, which took place on Sunday November 23rd 1975 at the bridge over the Massaba River which lies approximately 5km from the town of Ebo. Many South Africans refer to this day as “Black Sunday.” Some eight months ago, Rowley was approached by a Mr Christo Taljaard, asking if there was any way that he could help him locate the body of his brother, Captain DJ (Tallies) Taljaard, an infantry officer who was stationed at 8 SA Infantry Battalion, Upington. Because Christo mentioned that his brother was presumably killed at Ebo, Rowley took up the challenge and soon found out that not one but three South Africans had gone missing in the Ebo district of Cuanza Sul province of Central Angola two days after the Battle of Massaba River Bridge. Christo told a story of how his parents were informed that their son was missing, presumed dead and that the SADF would keep them informed. Naturally Tallies parents would not accept the fact and waited patently for information from the SADF, which never materialized. Tallies father, a sergeant major in the SAAF tried for two years to get conformation of whether his son, Tallies was still alive or dead. If he was dead, where was he buried? All that he got from the SADF was that his son went missing “in the Operational Area” In his efforts to find answers, he tried the International as well as the South African Red Cross Societies, he tried to get information from the Minister of Defence, and tried to get assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs. He even went to neighbouring countries to request their governments help through their ambassadors in Luanda but nowhere could he find out anything as to what had happened to his son’s body. All he could find out was that three South Africans had been killed when Angolan Forces shot down a South African military aircraft. The parents of the pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Keith Williamson, would also not accept the “vague” statement that their son was “missing, presumed dead”. In the space of less than a year, Mr and Mrs Williamson had lost their eldest son in December of the previous year as well as their daughter in May of that year due to motor vehicle accidents. Now they had to hear the words spoken by an unknown Air Force officer and a Padre who called at their home in Bloemfontein with the news, “Your son is missing and presumed dead.” “We will keep you informed.” They were absolutely traumatized and never recovered from their loss. They died within a short while of each other, still not knowing anything more about their son. The co-pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Eric Thompson, felt the same, and kept asking “Where did this happen? Where is our son’s body?” No answers were forthcoming. Five long years later they managed to get answers and statements to take to the Supreme Court to have their sons reclassified as “Dead. Killed in Action.” This story about the parents does not end here but carries on in the book until the parents pass away without knowing where their son’s were buried. On his deathbed, Sergeant Major Taljaard called Christo and asked him not to give up the search but to carry on, find his brother’s remains and bring them home for a proper burial in South African soil. Christo tried to put the memory of the disappearance of his brother out of his mind and only recently, at a work seminar something was said that triggered his father words and that is when he came to seek Rowley Medlin’s assistance. Rowley started his search using the official accounts of Operation Savannah but other than “the plane took off and was never seen again,” Very little or nothing else was mentioned about the fate of the plane, the fate of the three men or that any attempt had been made to even search and find them. This naturally got Sergeant Major Rowley Medlin’s back up and he tells us that he sent an e-mail to certain people involved and “addressed them as only a Sergeant Major can,” only to receive a few days later a complete copy of the Supreme Court’s papers with which Sergeant Major Taljaard had managed to get Tallies’s death status changed From “Missing, Presumed Dead” to “Dead. Killed in Action.” Included in these documents was an account of a two-day search that was conducted using Dakotas, Cessnas and a Helicopter. An apology was forthcoming but with a proviso: that if no search was made to find our soldiers, Rowley’s statements stood. The South African policy was made very clear that no cost must be spared to retrieve any soldier (dead or alive,) or any South African equipment. Rowley now turned his research to the internet and the “Old Boy’s Network” and this started to bring home the facts that led to the fatal flight. Soldiers and airmen who were involved in Savannah or who were on course, or were at school or who played sport with the three missing men came forward to offer what information they had. Family and friends came forward with information and offers of assistance. Rowley soon realised that Christo, who had been only 17 at the time of his brother going missing, had no idea of what the circumstances were which the three men were subject to and sent him his unedited account of the Battle of Massaba River Bridge that he was busy with. For the first time Christo realised what had happened two day’s before his brother went missing and what the situation was on the day Tallies went missing. Reading Rowley’s unedited account promoted him to ask Rowley if he would consider writing a book on the life of Tallies. Rowley again took up the challenge to write “an article” rather as it would be difficult to do this without including the life stories of the two pilots whose parents/relations were, at that stage, not yet located. This changed after one of the Independent Newspaper Group’s reporters picked up a request from Rowley on the internet in which he was looking for information on the two pilots. The reporter contacted Rowley and two articles were published in all the Independent Newspaper Group’s countrywide distribution. The result was astonishing. The remaining two families made contact as well as many more friends and relations, all wanting to help. As one person said: “I was a paratrooper in the late 60s and I am prepared to jump into Angola if it will help” This “volunteer” would be a man of 50-55 years of age if not older today but this was his contribution. Unfortunately, out of the three families, only one parent is still alive. The other parents have all passed away without ever knowing the true facts surrounding the son’s deaths. Both pilot’s families have also mandated Rowley to write the book. Hence, the book: “ MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD” But what happened on that day, Tuesday November 25th 1975? Tallies was given an open-ended mission: He was to do an aerial observation of the “operational area of the brigade.” The pilot, Keith, was given a similar open-ended briefing only difference being the instruction: “If the weather turns bad return.” Keith requested that Eric accompany them as co-pilot as he was also tasked to relieve Keith at times. The three men, or were they one man and two boys? Took off at 11:05 on the morning of the 25th in an unarmed military Cessna reconnaissance plane with 4-5½ hours fuel flying time “and were never seen again.” Through extensive research using different maps, including those of Cuban, Angolan and Russian origin, as well as aerial photographs and the physical accounts of soldiers and airmen from both sides of the conflict. (Yes, even a group of Cubans who operated the 122mm “Rooi Oog” and the ZPU anti-aircraft guns,) Rowley has been slowly putting together the most likely course of events on that fateful day. Bringing in the climatic conditions of that day over Ebo, cloud formation, height of cloud base, rain, wetness of the area, conditions of the roads, humidity and many more factors that bore, or could have borne, an influence to the flight. Rowley by now had information of own forces positions, enemy positions, and all other relative information regarding positions. What was needed was the possible mind set of a newly, but highly, qualified pilot of the age group 20-21 who had recently qualified as a Cessna pilot and who had done the Visual Reconnaissance Course. Rowley managed to “organize” a group of pilots who fitted the criteria he was looking for and took them through the same mission instructions, and gave them the information that he had been collecting and acted as devil’s advocate. Mission completed. Rowley had now a very good idea of the possible flight path of the plane with possible timing over each area. These factors as well as the weather and the stories the Cuban gunners were telling Rowley, led him to a most probable site where the plane went down. A war correspondent working for the Times of London reported being taken to the Ebo district and was shown the plane and the graves of the three men. Analyzing his report: what he said in the report and what he did not say that might have been visible in certain circumstances, Rowley was again able to put together what happened to the plane and what transpired during those last few minutes/seconds and what happened after the plane was on the ground. During the reconnaissance, it was discovered how the plane would have circled left most of the time so that the pilot, sitting in the left hand seat could point out or help verify what was being looked at. The air observer would be in the rear seat with his plotting board and would be able to look out of the left window but if the co-pilot saw something or it was necessary to be shown something Keith would reverse the circle and circle right. Again the air observer would be able to observe, this time looking out of the right hand rear window. They flew over an area where, the previous day there had been no evidence of enemy activity at all but during the night of the 24th and the morning of the 25th according to the Cuban soldiers they were given orders to defend that particular road. ZPU-4, 4 Barrel 14,5mm anti-aircraft guns, were deployed in excellent positions that gave them almost a 270° aerial-roll line of fire as well as an excellent line of fire over some maize fields and covered a good 8-9 kilometers of the road that an approaching force would have to take. Without going into the detail here, (it is all in the book,) the plane unknowingly flew into the range of the anti-aircraft guns and was disabled. The co-pilot was forced to take over and brought the plane down in a perfect forced landing. The book does not end at this point but goes on. The anguish, despair, hope and faith of the families and loved ones is brought out. How each dealt with their grief and frustrations. And how the search continued. Although this book is not intended as an account of the Battle of Massaba River, certain parts of the battle have been included to give account of the heroism that Keith in his effort displayed, something that has never been recognized. The account has also been included to give an idea of the frustration of the Brigade’s Operational Staff trying to make sense of what was happening on the battlefront. It has also been included as an insight to another book shortly to be written by Rowley Medin. 2006 May 16 Just as an experiment, I have created a calendar with some of the photos I took on a recent training week-end that we held. Take a look and let me know what you think. John  2006 May 03 2006 Apr 25 Just Published "Grey Steel" .. The biography of Jan Smuts  2006 Apr 17 I Just published Commando by Deneys Reitz.  2006 Apr 08  To those of you who have experienced problems trying to order Borderstrike!, I must apologise. Lulu changed their procedure without notifying me and the source document got rejected. I have made the changes to the document that they requested and Borderstrike is once again available. If you still experience any problems, please email me at publish@justdone.co.za and let me know and I will do everything I can to sort the problem out for you. John
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Just Done Productions offers services to authors to help them get their works published without the expenditure of huge amounts of up-front captital. We do this through providing the full Copy Editing, Proofing, Layout and Graphic design service needed for a book to be prepared for the press and then publishing that book here on Lulu.com as well as locally in South Africa.
Please visit our website at http://www.justdone.co.za/ to see the full catalog.
Just Done Productions - Publishing is a publishing company based in Durban South Africa.
We believe that we can offer a superior service, at a fraction of the cost of traditional publishing. We achieve this through the use of the latest technologies in printing and distribution.
We know that the barriers erected by the high cost of traditional publishing are preventing many voices from being heard.
We offer a service to authors that allows them to publish their work without having to speculate about it's commercial viability. In fact we are proud of the fact that we are able to publish works that are important both historically and in terms of the voice of the ordinary person. These works may never have been available because of the perception that only items with mass appeal are commercially viable.
We offer buyers of the books that we publish a polished, professional product at an affordable price.
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Print: $23.60 This book is a must for anyone contemplating selling, presently in a selling environment, from the layman up to the Chief Executive, plus for anyone wanting to learn how to deal and communicate with others, no matter what their vocation.
It has deliberately been written in simple terms to enable all to read it. All that is written is basic and pure logic, but proves that if you have the determination, willpower and dedication, nothing is impossible.
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Print: $20.10 Ed Tilston has written a brilliant mystery that forces you to the edge of your established perceptions.
Walk with lawyer Jack Dawson through the mental labyrinths that unfold as, in trying to save his client Maglen from the executioner, he is led on a bizarre journey that discovers new worlds, explains the mysteries of longevity and our early ancestors, enables him to understand the reasons for his own actions, and launches him into a life-and-death struggle with evil.
Read this book and challenge what you have held as “standard” all your life.
This mystery will affect you as you read it and will leave you with thought-provoking puzzles that you can continue to research on your own.
By the time you finish turning these pages you will have traveled deeply into your own Methuselah Legacy.
Enjoy the journey...
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Print: $28.00 Glimpses of Africa is an anthology of poetry
written by Denise Gitsham - poems inspired by
her everyday observations - of her surroundings,
events, momentary insights, relationships and
her experience of life in South Africa.
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Print: $18.36 Part 1: Cdre J. Dalgleish CBE, Part 2: Wartime Memoirs LT M Bartholomew, Part 3: an Early History of minesweeping Base 1959 - 1970
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Print: $10.82 A book of Christian poetry about love, memories, comfort, worship, faith and friendship.
Poems to share with a friend or someone you love.
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Print: $20.76 It’s the middle of the fifteenth century. A flat earth has become round and the new ability to establish latitude at sea persuades a few intrepid mariners to venture ever farther into unknown waters. The fearful cape at Bojador has been conquered, opening the way for the great age of exploration. Impatient to find a route to the Spice Islands and join forces with Prester John, Prince Henry the Navigator sends one little ship after another to explore the uncharted West Coast of Africa.
Carlos Melo embarks on the Mariagalante as second mate and puts to sea to carry out Prince Henry’s commands. Explore the African coast with him, meet alien peoples, witness bizarre customs, and trade for gold. Join him in his battle with mutineers, his odyssey in the open ocean in a longboat, his contest with Berber pirates.
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Print: $27.72 She had everything a girl could want until the envy of her neighbours stole it all away. They accused her of witchcraft and but for the aid of a friend, she would have died at their hands. Fate had other plans for her.
After she made good her escape, she discovered that she was indeed gifted with powers of sorcery. Awesome powers that would lead her on an extraordinary journey. A journey of life peppered with love and betrayal, fear and horror, abduction and revenge, sacrifice and death.
...This is Aed's Journey
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TabikaTabika (book)
Print: $13.03 Tabika is no ordinary cat. Life at Green Farm will never be the same after he is ‘magiced’ there from Johannesburg by a grateful fairy. There are many merry meetings while he befriends the Green twins, the white Persian cat neighbour, the dogs and horses, the rabbits, and a remarkable owl. His
attempts to purr-suade the cat-hating Mr Green and the local mouse-fairy to allow him to remain there lead to any number of hilarious happenings. No wonder the poor farmer is constantly saying, ‘I simply don’t believe it!’
Humans of all ages owned by cats will love joining Tabika in his various romps and adventures.
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AbatwaAbatwa (book)
Print: $19.10 The Abatwa are Southern African people. They are, in most respects, perfect miniature replicas of humans. A clan oriented species that are said to coexist with the ants. Some reports state that they have been seen riding ants.
As an elusive and very shy species, they remain hidden from most adult human eyes. Only very young children, magicians and pregnant women have ever seen them.....
Tola and his wife Noti were riding ants to escort a group of youngsters to another nest to look for suitable marriage partners. In a journey filled with danger and death, he entertains the youths with folk tales.
The exchange went well but tragedy struck the returning group. Caught in a stampede of antelope, several party members were killed. Some of the survivors try to console each other by swapping folk tales and tribal philosophies.
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Print: $18.80 Imagine a Story Tree in your garden which makes bubbles and pops them into your lap!.....
Well, this is exactly that kind of a book - it contains stories that just popped into the writer’s head!
The stories invite you to stretch your own imagination a little and read the stories aloud to your friends, your toys and your parents and grandparents.
Then it’s time for you to also grow an imaginary Story Tree and write your own stories. Don’t forget to draw the pictures!
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Print: $22.16 Captain Alonso Pinzon arrives in Hispaniola in 1530, in time to see ships calling there homeward bound from Mexico laden with fantastic treasure. He learns of an even richer land, an Eldorado, far to the south on the shores of the newly discovered Pacific Ocean.
Disgusted with the brutal treatment of the local Indians in the islands by the Spaniards he decides to join the expedition led by Francisco Pizarro. Crossing the Isthmus of Panama, he assumes command of the Vencedor and, with two other caravels laden with men, horses, and materiel, sails in convoy to the south. On arrival in Tawantinsuyo, he marches with the expedition through the coastal desert and across the soaring ramparts of the Andes to Cajamarca where he witnesses the bloody massacre of over 4000 unarmed Indians and the capture of Inca Atahualpa.
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Print: $13.13 Tabika continues to tell of his wonderful experiences in becoming the Green Farm Cat. He and his group of animal (and one bird) friends cause many upheavals and much amazement. In this second
half of his story he has a series of adventures which involve rescuing the Green twins and their Zulu friends, saving a silly rabbit at the cost of several of his lives, and causing the downfall of a gang of crooks. Finally, the mystery of why he is back in Johannesburg is solved.
Humans of all ages owned by cats will love joining
Tabika in his various romps and exploits.
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Print: $25.86 1965 – The first gusts of the `Winds of Change’ have reached the southern states of Africa when Derek du Toit inherits his murdered grandfather’s farm, Canaan North, in a Rhodesia that a month previously unilaterally declared independence from Great Britain. Although confronted with tribal murder, political thuggery, and insurgency, he is confident and enthusiastic about the country’s future and starting a new life on Canaan North with his fiancée, Sophia. But he falls prey to a new breed of criminal opportunists spawned by the ever increasing economic sanctions against the country and stands to lose his heritage.
Desperate to keep Canaan North, he and Sophia undertake a clandestine journey into the wilds of Angola, to find a long buried satchel that holds the key to a family fortune and that will earn them reward enough to keep Canaan North. Not only must they evade Portuguese security forces, but also a vicious renegade intelligence agent who will kill to stop them.
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Print: $21.80 Daar is ‘n engel in die hangkas in Jemma se kamer en sy het baie om te sê. die engel in die hangkas is ‘n pragtig geïllustreerde boek vir jonger kinders waarin ‘n meisiekind vir die eerste keer kennis maak met haar beskermengel. Dit gaan oor ‘n kind, ‘n mamma, ‘n engel en ‘n kat en ook oor spirituele gewaarwording en sielslesse. ‘n Pragboek vir kinders wat begin vrae vra oor die betekenis van die lewe en hulle plek daarin.
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Print: $24.14 The memoirs of Frank Nunes record his time in the South African Army during the 1980s. We follow his adventures through his two years National Service as he tries to get into the Parabats, then gets sent to 8 SAI and to the Border.
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Print: $22.10 When they stumble on the nature spirit Pan in the heart of an ancient forest
Sam and Mikey are convinced they’re hallucinating. Seeing and talking to
nature spirits doesn’t feature in their realm of possibilities. But there he
is – in 3-D! And he’s going to take them on an incredible journey that not
only transforms their idea of reality but also helps them avert a potential
environmental disaster.
‘Faces in the Forest’ is a thrilling eco-adventure in which two intrepid 12-year-olds
learn to expand their awareness as they discover the truth about
energy fields, intuition, dreams, extra-sensory perception, spirit guides,
nature and nature spirits, and the importance of respecting the Earth and
all living things.
Full of fascinating insights, ‘Faces in the Forest’ is based on the research and
writings of respected biologists, scientists, geophysicists, psychologists,
metaphysical teachers, specialist authors and ancient spiritual and medical
teachings.
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Print: $21.16 The author investigates the experiences of and problems faced by local designers in producing garments with a uniquely home-grown signature, meeting consumer demand in terms of price and volume, and being competitive in the current context of the global and local market. Despite enormous challenges, numerous South African designers are achieving success in different ways and in so doing, have established viable business operations through perseverance and creativity in a highly competitive environment.
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Print: $19.40 The world is in total chaos, millions of people have disappeared!
Some say the aliens have abducted them, others think it might be the end of the world. The ‘religious’ insist it was the rapture!
Matthew & his friends have found themselves on the run, hiding from the agents of Oasis Central. At first, he wasn’t quite sure why they wanted to capture him, but when he discovered the truth, he knew he had to avoid being captured at all costs. The lives of many innocent people depended on him staying ‘one step ahead’ of his adversary.
PLACE: Cape Town, South Africa
TIME: Sometime in the near future
PROBLEM: Food shortage
SOLUTION: The hidden formula
One Step Ahead is an exciting adventure staged in South Africa during the Seven years of Tribulation. This book can be enjoyed by both teenagers and adults.
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Print: $24.80 As a young Staff Sergeant in the Recces, Jack Greeff became one of the most decorated soldiers in the SADF. Leading two-man reconnaissance patrols deep into enemy held territories and operating under the noses of the enemy, they collected vital strategic information on enemy movements and installations. Using the information gathered, he led raiding parties to the targets to execute what were probably the biggest and most daring acts of sabotage in recent military history.
This is a new, updated second edition
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Print: $24.06 "My book is about how, after living in London for four years, I traded Prada for Karrimor to go backpacking for seven months. I found karma in Nepal, bang lassis in India, a monumental language barrier in China, paradise ... eventually ... in Vietnam, bedbugs in Australia, and a longing for home in South Africa. Your Prada shoes might find comfort under the bright city streetlights and your hiking boots can leave footprints all over the world ... only to find that your feet will find the path that will inevitably lead you back home" Penny van Maasdyk
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Print: $27.09 For generations of Americans, “Stonewall” Jackson’s Irish ancestry has remained an intriguing mystery, and, for American Jackson family historians, his Irish great-grandfather, John Jackson, has represented both the beginning and the end of research into their Jackson lineage. Over the years, various erroneous theories have been expounded, ranging from the suggestion that “Stonewall” Jackson’s family is connected in some way with that of former American President Andrew Jackson to the idea that John Jackson was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry, and was transported from London to America as a convict. This book is the authentic and definitive history of the Irish ancestry of “Stonewall” Jackson, setting the record straight as it follows the exciting, parallel achievements of two distinguished lines of the same family on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Print: $21.30 This is the story of Daniel Joubert's 15 years as the Fire Chief or Orkney, South Africa. It is a no holds barred tale that lays the life of a fire-man bare. It will move you to tears.
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Print: $24.72 Pitkos Padkos bevat 366 vertroostende, maar tegelyk selfondersoekende dagstukkies waarin die genade van ons Here Jesus Christus en die liefde van God en die gemeenskap van die Heilige Gees ryklik na vore kom.
Elke dagstukkie laat die suiwer lig van God se Woord in die veelkleurige heerlikheid van sy straalbreking op die verskeidenheid van die lewe val. Hierdie dagboek dek die lewe van die Christengelowige in sy stryd en sy oorwinning; in sy siekte en gesondheid; in sy twyfel en sy geloof, en veral in sy vertroue dat God daagliks uit sy Vaderhand sal voorsien in al sy behoeftes.
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Print: $21.32 A Personal Account of a South African Fireman
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Print: $19.56 HAVE YOU ever questioned this: why are football matches between local teams frequently referred to as ‘Derby games’? Examples spring easily to mind. Liverpool against Everton, the two Manchester or Sheffield clubs battling it out, or indeed pairing almost any of the many London teams. There are other examples, at Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, and as we move into the lesser leagues, more and more of these games come to light. But, why Derby? What ever happened in that town to gift its name in such a memorable fashion?
This book will answer that question and more. It is a fascinating reminder that history (and truth) is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Derby-born and educated at the old Derby Central Grammar School, Edward Garner has had an interesting life, being at various times a journalist, soldier, teacher, author and traveller.
This is his seventh book, each one being described as ‘the last’. Despite that, he is presently working on another one.
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Print: $21.16 Having been brought up in East Africa, in the company of some of the greatest wild-life photographers and film-makers the world has ever seen, it was only natural for me to attach a camera to myself and follow in their illustrious footsteps.
I am by no means in their league, but the lessons I learnt from them has, in my humble opinion, led me to make some worthwhile images.
Taking photographic skills and a love of the bush, I started a bush-camp in the middle of nowhere with the intention of running photographic workshops in the wilderness of Africa.
For seven years I had an absolute ball, enjoying a lifestyle that few have ever experienced.
My mentor, Msomi, and I lived in close proximity to the wildlife; learning, teaching and above all: LIVING!
This collection of anecdotes will give you, the reader, a fair idea of what living in paradise is all about.
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Print: $24.38 Elephants breaking down walls, a hyena sharing a fire with the night guard to keep warm, hippos fighting, armless monkeys bringing their young to be admired by the author. This book is a kaleidoscope of wild animals, strange and often eccentric tourists, the trails and tribulations of running a poorly-equipped lodge in a remote wilderness area and the laughter and tears of working with and living alongside staff from a different background and culture.
The Derelict House, Elephants in my Garden, also describes the consequences of nature on the environment, the devastating effect of 9/11 on their American guests, the joy of guests seeing wildlife up close for the first time and the sadness of leaving it all behind.
Beautifully illustrated, this charming book brings Africa to life, in all her colours and moods.
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Print: $41.25 During the Bush War not much was known about 31 BN. Due to the secrecy surrounding all activities during the Bushwar, and especially at this Unit, it was virtually unknown till the late 1980’s. When 31 BN was relocated to SA, it started to gain notice, but with many misconceptions.
This book has few words, but lots of colour photos of the activities at Omega. Its focus is Charlie Company, in which the Author served as a 2nd Lt. It takes the reader through the history, starting years, Omega Base, Charlie Company, Operations, the Reunion and the way the base looks today.
It is the result of contributions from both visitors and soldiers. They shared the feeling that this was the correct time to give the general public, historians and ex-soldiers an insight into what made 31BN tick. Their opinion was that the photos must speak for themselves and that the words only fill the gaps, to allow people to experience Omega as it was to its people, the best soldiers there have ever been.
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Print: $22.38 G. Edwin Tilston brings to life the years that lead up to the sailing of the Pinzon fleet in August 1492. He rivets your imagination with adventure, war, sea battles, love, the burgeoning terror of the Spanish Inquisition, the victorious battle of Granada which expelled the Moors from Iberia after 700 years of occupation, and Isabella’s forced eviction of the Jews.
With meticulously researched historical fact, Tilston uncovers how Martin Alonso Pinzon conceived, planned, and successfully carried out the famous voyage of discovery as described in the litigation brought by the Castillian crown against the Columbus family in 1506. How Vicente Yanez Pinzon, Martin Alonso’s younger brother, takes his beloved Gabriela to Sevilla to stand by her parents when they are arrested by the Inquisition and thereby witness the horror of the auto de fe where heretics are tortured and burned at the stake.
Christopher Columbus did not discover the new world!
Martin Alonso Pinzon did! Hail Pinzonia!
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424424424424 (book)
Print: $19.62 This fascinating book tells the story of how the telephone has always played a large part in the life of the author, Eve Jenkin. The main part of the book relates how the emergency phone set up in her house by the Durban Coast Region of the then Progressive Federal Party (PFP), 424424 became a number familiar to the residents of the Durban Townships and further afield. Political upheaval, murder, mayhem and institutionalised chaos were reported via 424424. The author and her family played an integral part in assisting all those who telephoned.
Everything in this book is factual and can be corroborated from reports in the author’s possesion.
The story of 424424 is related in this book in such a way that the reader is transported back in time to hear this personal, eye-witness account.
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