ILLUMINATING LIVES, biographies of fascinating people from South African history

249pp., illus., paperback, Cape Town, 2018

This collection of biographical essays includes:
"Tiyo Soga: the object of wonder" by Vivian Bickford-Smith
"John Koenakeefe Mohl: painting with a peculiar beauty" by Neil Parsons
"Lilian Ngoyi: flying with clipped wings" by Martha Evans
"Jane Turner: a tale of love and loss" by Jackie May
"Stephen Watson: the master of melancholy" by Christopher Hope
"Tyhini Robert Qengwa: a portrait of quiet courage" by Sindiwe Magona.

"The best way to make a society's history come alive is to tell the full human stories of its actors. 'Illuminating Lives' does this brilliantly with the revealing biographies of eleven special South Africans." Max du Preez, author of "Of Renegades, Romantics and Rabble-Rousers" and "A Rumour of Spring"

"This highly readable book will appeal to a wide range of readers, from professional historians to general readers looking for interesting biographies. Some of the subjects are already well known, others have been forgotten about, and others are the ordinary people whose stories are seldom told." Alan Kirkaldy, Professor of History, Rhodes University

Vivian Bickford-Smith is Extraordinary Professor in the History Department at Stellenbosch University. His publications include "Black and White in Colour: African history on screen" and "The Emergence of the South African Metropolis: cities and identities in the twentieth century".
Bill Nasson is Emeritus Professor of History at Stellenbosch University. His most recent book is "History Matters: selected writings, 1970-2016".