351pp., map, paperback, (Cape Town), 2021
"The punctilious focus of my research for this book is the first war (1659) between the indigenous people of the Cape and their Dutch visitors - the events leading up to it and the events immediately thereafter." from the preface
Cape Town-born Richards is a former fitter and turner tradesman and holds a Doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of Cape Town. He is the author of Bastaards or Humans, volume 1, the unspoken heritage of coloured people, origins identity culture and challenges, Bastaards or Humans, volume two , 500 years of intimacy between South Africa and Europe and Bastaards or Humans, pocket book edition, a summary of volumes 1 & 2.
In 2015 the Ruben Richards Foundation was awarded the National Reconciliation Award by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation for its work in confronting exclusion and facilitating restoration and healing among marginalised groups. In 2019 the Western Cape Education Department endorsed his work for integration into the history curriculum of high school pupils.