Kirkus
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A subjective appraisal of the South African dilemma as seen firsthand by the twice-South African correspondent for The New York Times. Lelyveld had the rare opportunity to personally observe South Africa at two critical junctures in its troubled history--the mid-1960's and the recent few years. The interim was occasioned by his having been booted out of that country by its leadership in 1966 as a result of his critical reportage. Upon his return a generation later, Lelyveld was appalled to find that that which he had criticized had not improved. Expecting to find at least ""superficial progress,"" he found instead ""massive ideological reinforcement."" Apartheid, which had become official state policy in 1948, was more entrenched than ever. From his Johannesburg hotel room, Lelyveld could observe South African police as they brutalized black men stopped ""legally"" for breaking the ""pass laws."" These laws ensure that blacks and whites will remain in their appointed sectors, an arrangement that makes South Africa's sociological map appear like a checkerboard. (Flaunting of pass laws account annually for over 120,000 arrests of blacks in Johannesburg alone.) Over Lelyveld's narrative continually hovers the ominous threat of what Afrikaners call ""it,"" the feared catacylsm that revolutionists hope will usher in the black Republic of Azania, following in Zimbawe's footsteps, and which whites await with fear and loathing. As Lelyveld reminds us, ""revolutionary movements often are born just at the moment when true reformers begin to make impacts."" This is a book which appears at a timely moment. It suffers slightly from Lelyveld's subjectivity, but until the expected onslaught of books on the subject appears, it is sure to be widely discussed. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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Returning to South Africa after 14 years, New York Times correspondent Lelyveld discovered that the ``reforms'' that occurred or were said to have taken place actually resulted in less freedom and stricter controls for most blacks. In this empathetic examination of that country's racial policies and their effects both on its people and on himself, he shows that although some blacks have joined the middle class and are not discriminated against by American businesses, all blacks have been deprived of their citizenship and many have been forcibly removed to inhospitable ``tribal homelands'' headed by a privileged few. Although the miscegenation law has been repealed, mixed couples are barred from living in white areas. The major black political organizations are largely ineffective, riddled with government informers, and at times have been manipulated and stage-managed by Communists, Lelyveld charges. Repression has made compromise impossible, he adds, and a revolutionary stance and settlement the only one most politically active blacks can imagine supporting. South Africansand foreignerswho believe in the reform process display ``substantial elements of duplicity, deceit, faulty assumptions and purposeful blindness.'' A book of power and compassion. November (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Lelyveld, who was a New York Times correspondent in South Africa, examines that country's racial policies and their devastating effects in this Pulitzer Prizewinning account. He maintains that South Africans and foreigners who believe in the reform process display ``substantial elements of duplicity,deceit, faulty assumptions and purposeful blindness.'' PW called this``a book of power and compassion.''(October) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Library Journal
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Readers of the New York Times know Lelyveld's excellent reporting from South Africa in the 1960s and 1980s. This book is a collection of his insights and experiences from those periods. Aimed at the general reader, it is a su perb introduction to South Africa today and is essential for community librar ies. It parallels James North's recent Freedom Rising ( LJ 5/1/85) but is gen erally better. Lelyveld's access to im portant people is broader, and his writ ing style is more colorful. On the neg ative side, Lelyveld's structure is un clear, and the excellent anecdotes can obscure the point of a chapter. There is no historical introduction but essential history is integrated throughout. While not really optimistic, Lelyveld leaves us with two stories that indicate some hope for a peaceful future. John Grot peter, Political Science Dept., St. Lou is Coll. of (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this in-depth personal profile of contemporary South Africa by a New York Times correspondent emphasizes the gap between superficial concessions and legalized brutality. (S 15 85 Upfront)