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IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS

Name: IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS
Author: Helen Suzman
ISBN: 0-679-40985-8

A SOUTH AFRICAN MEMOIR

by Helen Suzman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 8, 1993

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The autobiography of renowned anti-apartheid politician Suzman—who kept the faith and fought the good fight in South Africa's long dark night of shame—that not only ``relives a magnificent battle against apartheid'' but reminds us how daunting that fight was. Following a foreword by Nelson Mandela that acknowledges her ``forthrightness and political astuteness,'' Suzman details just how those qualities shaped her long years in South African politics as a fierce opponent of the Nationalist government and as an equally fierce supporter of justice. In a memoir that's more political than personal, she describes only briefly her childhood as the younger daughter of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe; her marriage to a local physician; and her return to college after the birth of her two daughters, where she lectured in economics until her work in local politics led her in 1953 to become a member of Parliament—a position she held until 1989, when she retired. It was from the beginning an uphill fight, as the Nationalists moved to entrench apartheid, the then-opposition party split, and, in 1961, Suzman became the sole representative of the Progressive Party in Parliament—which she remained until 1974. The author had to fight not only male chauvinism and anti-Semitism but also a relentless legislative assault on justice and human rights—an assault that she valiantly opposed through legislation, speeches, and a tireless commitment to helping those most affected by it. Suzman visited prisons, including the notorious Robben Island; intervened personally wherever she could—though disliking her politics, many Nationalists admired her spunk—and was a crucial player in all the great political issues of those years. Today, she's not as optimistic as she used to be about the future, ``but we have to try democracy to show that it will work.'' An inspiring record of courage and principle modestly recalled—and a distinguished contribution to the history of both apartheid and women in politics.

Pub Date: Nov. 8, 1993

ISBN: 0-679-40985-8

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1993

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.