Vols. for 1932-1940 contain Cape Geographical Society. Report.

Vols. for 1932-1940 contain Cape Geographical Society. Report.

The volume of W.S. Barnard is a first in a series of life-histories of the founding geographers in South Africa published by the Centre of Geographical Analysis at Stellenbosch University. Life-histories are reported in five ways: the commendation lauds the winner of an award; the obituary by necessity speaks well of the dead; the brief entry in a dictionary or encyclopedia is highly stylized and constrained by editorial guidelines; in the autobiography the author tells his own story in his own way; and, finally, the biography comes in a range of formats and structures. At the one extreme is the complete life-history, written by a specialist following the historiographical method and based on the critical assessment of primary sources; at the other is the belletristic overview: descriptive, anecdotal, facile and artful.

Geography in the 1990s is a dynamic and diverse discipline. South Africa offers a particularly rich and fascinating subject for research because of its unique blend of First and Third Worlds and the challenges presented by political change. The contributors to this volume debate geographical issues which are at the cutting edge of contemporary local and international research on South Africa. Environmental degradation, urban and rural planning, transport, the future role of women and popular culture are among the broad range of topics covered. A full listing of current research into these topics is provided at the end of the book to facilitate further enquiry.