Covenant [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

As a boer myself, I loved to read this book. It is really a very good book about SA. I will recomend it for anyone who wants to know something about SA. There are sharp critisism in this book against the boers - but I accept it, because after all the years of sencorship, I can at least realise now what a "criminal" part of the boers(my nation) caused with Apartheid. I just wish that the rest of the boers can also be healed, because for them the world they grew up in has changed 360 degrees. I also wish that one can, today, not only in South Africa but in the rest of Africa and in Europe can realise that the hatered of the blacks towards the whites must be stopped - ontherwise they(the blacks) will suffer themselves because of this hatered. In SA, today, the whites have a negative attitude towards the changes. This is something we all, knowing how those people grew up, could expected with the changes. This, however, does not make a difference to the situation - bad as it is, it is making it worse. Therefor we need not to preech to the whites, but to rehabilitate them from that what they went through - and show them a positive way and tell them that they DO belong to that country they regard as there's too. In 1983, 84 those profiting from Apartheid moved their money out of the country(biggest capital flight ever) - the people who really have been in charge of all those years of Apartheid. I wish one could find out who "really" have been behind Apartheid.... who really profit with the cheap wages of the black mine workers?.... I do beleive it can not be the boers - they are part of Africa and always strived to live in harmony there. I beleive - those who misused the Afrikaner Nationalism in the 1930's-1940's. These people might also be the ones who have been liberal (as a show off). Nevertheless - I know how I grew up - I never caused my fellow black brother any harm, our family like thousands of other good boer-families who had a say over their blacks, treated them humanly. It is true that this system was abused by others. It is a pity though, that the real culprits will not stand trial - and only that what one can see, and those people who were helping with keeping the system of Apartheid up and running, while being kept in the dark(media manipulation and sencoring) about that what was really going on, they have to suffer today and basically "stand trial" in a never ending "terror". We are, today, back in the times of Mfcecane, only, the whites are much easier targets than then. In the history of the world I have never seen a majority of blacks "saving" whites - it is always the other way around, like Europe saving the blacks against the minority of whites from Apartheid. I also experience the hatred(and I can understand it too) from the blacks, even here in Europe, the blacks are hating the whites. There is no exception, and I don't know if this will ever change. Ofcourse I wish for my family to survive in SA and for them to have less fear, but somehow, the people of Africa are not matured - it will take centuries for them to reach the level of the Europeans, and by then, they will still be behind(mindset - movement of the world). If only they can strive for peace. I mean - what good is an Africa full of lions, when there are no antilopes??? I am gld that people like Mr Mitchener are around - it is incredible how he managed to get behind it all. I whish someone can write a book about how the whites are living today, the fear the terror, the murders and rapes, not to mention the car hi-jackings and theft. I have a warning for anyone reading this book - once you've started - you will not stop. And it has many pages. Absolutely fantastic.

It isn't easy to sum up the South African story in a few pages. As a South African I've had to suffer an endless litany of populist garbage published on the back of my country's "flashpoint" status since the 1990s.

It's even harder for an outsider to fully fathom the bitter legacy which drove the two great tribes of southern Africa on a path towards war and reconciliation. But Michener, the consummate "citizen of the World", has again hit the nail on the head.

Michener has an unerring feel for the birth of nations. He proved it first in "Hawaii" but, for me, "The Covenenant" is his greatest accomplishment.

The story of the pioneering Afrikaners and their clash with the proud Zulu empire ranks as one of the all-time great "historical bookmarks" - and there's no one better to tell the tale.

I'm glad you came along, Mr Michener.

This is one of Michener's finest. The character development over the course of the novel is captivating. The chapters dealing with the "chosen" Dutch/German emmigrants are the best. The author was 10-15 years ahead of the real political changes that were to occur in South Africa. A definite read for those wanting to understand the history of that part of the world