BETWEEN TWO FIRES

<p>John Kane-Berman is uniquely qualified to look back over the enormous political and social changes that have taken place in his lifetime in this fractious country. In his career as student leader Rhodes Scholar newspaperman independent columnist speech maker commentator and Chief Executive for thirty years of the South African Institute of Race Relations Kane-Berman has been at the coal face of political change in South Africa.</p><p>The breadth and depth of ideas and events covered here are striking: the disintegration of apartheid the chaos of the ‘people’s war’ and its contribution to the broader societal breakdown we see today the liberal slide-away the authoritarian ANC with its racial ideology and revolutionary goals to mention only a few. Kane-Berman’s willingness to confront received wisdom is thoroughly refreshing and he is forthright about the threats to freedom democracy and growth in contemporary South Africa many of which he identified even before the ANC came to power.</p><p>Writing debate and reasoned argument have been Kane-Berman’s stock in trade and his clarity of vision and personal insight have created a memoir of rare candour and absorbing interest.</p>