They Shaped Our Century The Most Influential South Africans of the Twentieth Century

They Shaped Our Century The Most Influential South Africans of the Twentieth Century Within the compass of one century South Africa became a union, was involved in two world wars, embraced a socio-political system that earned worldwide condemnation, and finally adopted a democratic system of government with universal franchise. At the same time South Africa progressed to being one of the most highly developed countries in Africa as well as its economic powerhouse. All this would have been unthinkable without those individuals who achieved prominence in the political, social, economic and scientific sphere; people who took the lead and brought about change, often of a revolutionary nature. At the end of the twentieth century one can safely say that matters would have taken a completely different turn without them - whether in a positive or negative direction. Who were the 100 most influential South Africans? They Shaped Our Century attempts to answer this vexed question. The book contains highly readable essays on each of them, written by experts, journalists and others people who experienced and shared the lives and deeds of these people, often at close hand. Can the list be challenged? Certainly! The choice of the top 100 and their rankings will surely elicit disagreement. Still, this unique col- lection of essays offers a fascinating glimpse of those South Africans who irreversibly changed our country and society. It proves a gripping tailpiece to our turbulent century. Also available in Afrikaans as Hulle Het Ons Eeu Gevorm. The final selection and ranking of the 100 names were decided on by the public - the list was published on the website News24, where Internet users could vote and nominate additional people. Condition - Very Good Paperback Published in 1999 by Human & Rousseau ISBN : 0-7981-4008-9 Length - 484 pages Collection in Norwood or can be couriered at buyers expense