Review by Choice Review
Buntman (sociology, George Washington Univ.) offers an informative, modern history of Robben Island, the notorious South African prison near Cape Town where most black male political prisoners were incarcerated between 1962 and 1991. Inmates included Nelson Mandela and his fellow Rivonia Treason Trialists, members of the Pan-Africanist Congress, and the "children of `76," who were inspired by the Black Consciousness Movement. Robben Island (known popularly as the "Island") not only brought together the largest concentration of political prisoners during the apartheid era, it also served as an important crucible in the formation of antiapartheid politics. The author bases her study on hundreds of interviews with former prisoners and government officials. Her informants portray an institution of harsh brutality in the early years that gradually gave way to the "University of Struggle," in which prisoners carried on their education through correspondence courses, promoted a sense of community with sports and recreation, and maintained political discipline via an elaborate committee structure. As a result, Robben Islanders in the postapartheid era are "among the country's most prominent and influential political and, increasingly, economic and civic actors." ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. O. Gump University of San Diego
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
