The mirror at midnight Book

One of the founders of Mother Jones magazine, and author of classic books about slavery and colonialism, Hochschild wrote this in the late 80s—with an excellent 2007 epilogue—just as the cracks in the apartheid system were appearing. In college, he had interned at an anti-apartheid magazine, well positioning him to note the differences in SA society and politics after several decades. His major report is on the Afrikaaners’ commemoration of a decisive battle against the Zulus 150 years before, threading this history with the shocking economic and social contrasts in SA life. The Afrikaaners see themselves under siege by a small black middle-class and an apartheid government inching out reforms. Along the way he shows us the almost unbelievable variety of cruelty, racism and ignorance dished out by whites against blacks as well as the rich tapestry of resistance culture before Mandela’s release. The disgraceful cooperation of Israel and the US is discussed, and should give us all pause.