The land God made in anger: Reflections on a journey through South West Africa,

by Jon Manchip White

Genres: Travel

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1969

About the author

Jon Ewbank Manchip White was a novelist, editor, playwright, poet, and researcher.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read my profile, you can see that I am fascinated by southern Africa and its history. I find the nation of Namibia, formerly South West Africa, with its variety of people/tribes/nations, its stark landscape, and colorful history to be one of the most intriguing countries in the world. My hope is that soon, I will be able to visit it. I read this book, two years ago, and while reading it, it dawned on me that I had originally read this book, back in the mid 70s. White, a Welsh born, Texas university, English professor,is not an anthropologist nor a historian. White conveys a narrative of his journey to the Land God Made in Anger, that he undertook in 1969 to this mandated territory of South Africa. White, ever the novelist and poet, brings that intensity of his trade to the description of the land, the people he encounters, their varied and shared history, and the potential future as it was at that time. White is no "bleeding heart" liberal who condemns South Africa out of hand, but he is an observer who can objectively and sympathetically view the truth whatever that may be. This book is part Lawrence Green travelogue, with interesting historical tidbits and part Jon White philosophy of life. Some of his descriptions and stories tend to be long winded to the point of being tediously boring. All in all, however, a good book to read today as it was 30 years ago.