Description
This book will transport the reader through a sixteen year adventure that we as a family experienced, with all its trials and tribulations.
How we learnt to live with and work alongside and try to understand apartheid and all the different cultures and customs of the people of South Africa, up to and past its transformation into democracy.
Our interests, hobbies, activities and passions are described and journeys and travel are detailed with relevant history. Our love of the fauna and flora and wildlife are expressed as are passions for the railways and preservation.
But above all is our love of this country- its wide diversity, cultures, customs and people.
Phil and Helen Braithwaite.
Alan McEwen –
A VERY SOUTH AFRICAN ODYSSEY. Phil and Helen Braithwaite.
It brings me great pleasure to read and write this review for Phil and Helen Braithwaite’s latest book, with its very attractive cover replete with a montage of most appealing colour photographs taken by Phil, who is a well respected photographer. Indeed, the work is an excellent narrative of the couple’s fascinating adventures covering sixteen years during the 1980s of their emigration to the Republic of South Africa. In splendid detail, the book starts with the couple relating their quite sad farewell to their family home in Thornbury, near Bristol, with new jobs beckoning in South Africa. With Phil being an ex-British Merchant Navy electrical engineering officer with a life-long dedication to British and overseas railways as well as a keen enthusiast of road steam engines, one of Phil’s earliest adventures subsequent to settling in South Africa was the exciting visit to the Springs Locomotive Depot to see the awesome S.A. Class 15 F 4-8-2 coupled steam locomotives. Another trip took in the delights of viewing the huge, magnificently engineered GMAM Garratt 4-8-2+2-8-4 steam locomotives at the Mafeking Loco Depot. The authors also enthuse within their book of the other fascinating African pursuits such as the African Tribal Dancing, known as the Gumboot Dance which took place at Gold Reef City near Johannesburg. They were also keen watchers of the wonderfully fascinating South African wildlife like the Red Headed Weaver bird and the intriguingly beautiful Woodland Hoopoo. The exotic shrubs and plants were enjoyed also such as the stunningly beautiful King Protea. Phil and Helen relate their bewitching visit to a Zulu Kraal and their meeting with the awesome character of a full- blooded Zulu Witch Doctor. A great many adventures are chronicled throughout the book including railway visits and the photographing of numerous steam locomotives all over Southern Africa. In 1986, Phil and another steam-beguiled pal took a truly fascinating trip to the Selebi Phikwe copper and nickel mine in Botswana which was then worked by NRZ and SAR steam locomotives. A thrilling experience indeed! Many more fulfilling adventures are related throughout this amazing book, also chock-full of Phil’s excellent colour photographs. I found myself so thrilled and deeply engrossed reading A VERY SOUTH AFRICAN ODYSSEY—that delighted, I read the book twice. An excellent, highly informative book, which I highly commend.
Alan McEwen.
Alan McEwen –
A VERY SOUTH AFRICAN ODYSSEY. Phil and Helen Braithwaite.
It brings me great pleasure to read and write this review for Phil and Helen Braithwaite’s latest book, with its very attractive cover replete with a montage of most appealing colour photographs taken by Phil, who is a well respected photographer. Indeed, the work is an excellent narrative of the couple’s fascinating adventures covering sixteen years during the 1980s of their emigration to the Republic of South Africa. In splendid detail, the book starts with the couple relating their quite sad farewell to their family home in Thornbury, near Bristol, with new jobs beckoning in South Africa. With Phil being an ex-British Merchant Navy electrical engineering officer with a life-long dedication to British and overseas railways as well as a keen enthusiast of road steam engines, one of Phil’s earliest adventures subsequent to settling in South Africa was the exciting visit to the Springs Locomotive Depot to see the awesome S.A. Class 15 F 4-8-2 coupled steam locomotives. Another trip took in the delights of viewing the huge, magnificently engineered GMAM Garratt 4-8-2+2-8-4 steam locomotives at the Mafeking Loco Depot. The authors also enthuse within their book of the other fascinating African pursuits such as the African Tribal Dancing, known as the Gumboot Dance which took place at Gold Reef City near Johannesburg. They were also keen watchers of the wonderfully fascinating South African wildlife like the Red Headed Weaver bird and the intriguingly beautiful Woodland Hoopoo. The exotic shrubs and plants were enjoyed also such as the stunningly beautiful King Protea. Phil and Helen relate their bewitching visit to a Zulu Kraal and their meeting with the awesome character of a full- blooded Zulu Witch Doctor. A great many adventures are chronicled throughout the book including railway visits and the photographing of numerous steam locomotives all over Southern Africa. In 1986, Phil and another steam-beguiled pal took a truly fascinating trip to the Selebi Phikwe copper and nickel mine in Botswana which was then worked by NRZ and SAR steam locomotives. A thrilling experience indeed! Many more fulfilling adventures are related throughout this amazing book, also chock-full of Phil’s excellent colour photographs. I found myself so thrilled and deeply engrossed reading A VERY SOUTH AFRICAN ODYSSEY—that delighted, I read the book twice. An excellent, highly informative book, which I highly commend.
Alan McEwen.
Phil Braithwaite –
Clive Plane.
Here is my review and comments on ‘A Very South African Odyssey’. I like the way you mix the railway aspects and life in RSA. The book is both interesting, to rail fans like us, and readers who enjoy travel. For the readers who enjoy travel, the chapters on ‘Victoria Falls, Kimberley, Wildlife, {The Fauna and Flora} and the African Wedding ‘ were very interesting. I also really enjoyed the chapter on Witput and Salmon Nel.
The book is easy to read and well written with beautiful photographs and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Well done Helen and Phil.