White Tribe Dreaming: Apartheid's Bitter Roots as Witnessed by Eight Generations of an Afrikaner Family

by Marq de Villiers

This is a history of the Afrikaner as seen through the history of one family, the de Villiers, who first moved to South Africa in the 1600s. The book traces the history of the family and the Afrikaner, showing how the Afrikaner acted at the turning points in their history and revealing how that has made them what they are today. It also charts the development of the hallmarks of apartheid, including the pass system and tribe mentality. Journalist Marq de Villiers includes memorable scenes from the family's history culled from the diaries and papers.

Genres: Africa, South Africa, History, World History

448 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1989

About the author

Born in South Africa, Marq de Villiers is a veteran Canadian journalist and the author of thirteen books on exploration, history, politics, and travel, including Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource (winner of the Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction). He has worked as a foreign correspondent in Moscow and through Eastern Europe and spent many years as editor and then publisher of Toronto Life magazine. More recently he was editorial director of WHERE Magazines International. He lives in Port Medway, Nova Scotia. [Penguin Canada]

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1987, when the final act in the demise of Apartheid was yet to be written, this book gives an interesting account of Afrikaner history and nationalism and helps set the scene for how Apartheid came into being. Interesting and informative

[Steve A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read if you want to better appreciate the origins and development of apartheid. Even having lived in South Africa for years this book comprehensively fills in the gaps and provides a good historical perspective on the topic.

[Daniel Polansky]

The history of the Afrikaner people as told through the writer's ancestors. Fascinating and peculiar stuff, effective both as a general overview of the subject and as a meditative and thoughtful contemplation as to the complexities of ethnic identity. Check it out if you have any interest in the subject.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting - I wish more people would read it. I would love to read the author's take on our current state of affairs, since this book was published on the brink of Change.

[Fred Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of South Africa that tries to explain how the Afrikaners' own sense of victimhood led to the creation of apartheid. I don't usually read history, but I liked this and learned a lot.