HISTORY OF NEW BRIGHTON PORT ELIZABETH SA 1903-1953 THE DETROIT OF THE UNION (HC)

DR. BAINES' CAREFUL SCHOLARSHIP IS WELL REPAID IN THIS EXCELLENT AND NUANCED STUDY OF PORT ELIZABETH'S AFRICAN COMMUNITY. HIDDEN FROM URBAN HISTORY BY THE TWIN SHADOWS OF MARGINALISATION IN THE CITY AND DISTANCE FROM THE ECONOMIC HEARTLANDS OF THE COUNTRY, NEW BRIGHTON'S PAST IS EXCAVATED HERE BY ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA'S FOREMOST HISTORIANS. IT IS A PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOUR TO HAVE BEEN ASKED TO WRITE A PREFACE FOR THIS IMPRESSIVE BOOK. FROM HIS BASE AT RHODES UNIVERSITY, GARY BAINES HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE HISTORY OF PORT ELIZABETH FROM THE MID 1980S, AND HE COMPLETED THE DOCTORAL THESIS ON WHICH THE PRESENT BOOK IS BASED IN 1994. THE BOOK IS MORE ROUNDED THAN THE THESIS, YET REMAINS THOROUGHLY SCHOLARLY AND IS EXTREMELY READABLE. BAINES HAS PRODUCED A MAJOR WORK ON THE HISTORY OF PORT ELIZABETH, ONE THAT WILL APPEAL TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN URBAN HISTORY IN SOUTH AFRICA. PORT ELIZABETH HAS BEEN FORTUNATE IN THE HISTORIANS IT HAS ATTRACTED. JENNY ROBINSON AND JOYCE KIRK HAVE PUBLISHED SUBS