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130
New Contree, No. 77, December 2016, Book Reviews, pp. 124-153
value as basis for current decision making on the correction of past injustices,
thus to restore the dignity and well-being of descendants of a past generation.
is is what the application of the research for which Legassick reached out
involves. Hidden histories of GORDONIA is a gem of a contribution worth
reading, and being regarded as part of the valued historiographical repertoire
of the history of the Northern Cape.
Climate change and the course of Global History
(Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014, 631 pp., bibl., index,
ISBN: 978-0-521-69218-2)
John L Brooke
Suryakanthie Chetty
Unisa
chetts@unisa.ac.za
John Brooke’s work on climate change can be situated in a burgeoning eld
of study termed “Big History”. It is a very ambitious yet intriguing attempt to
contextualize the course of human history within larger structures, ranging from
the creation of the universe itself to the geology of the earth and, of course, climate.
Brooke prioritizes climate as a key factor in human history. rough the use
of interdisciplinary means ranging from archaeology to advances in genetics,
the full scope of human history can be traced and much of it can be briey
summarized as the interaction between culture and climate. At the outset,
this interaction would have been dominated by climate, leaving humankind
at the mercy of uncontrollable forces that created the conditions of “stress”
forcing change in society. Brooke therefore argues against the Malthusian
view of overpopulation outstripping available resources – crisis is instead
caused by exogamous factors that are beyond human control.
Climate change and the course of Global History is divided into four parts –
each dealing with a signicant aspect of the progression of human history.
In the rst part, “Evolution and Earth Systems”, Brooke emphasizes human
evolution as proceeding both gradually and through catastrophe. In a manner
that mirrors the uniformitarianism and catastrophism of geology, human
evolution proceeded in “ts and starts” (p. 29) and it is, in fact, the moments
of crises that drove evolution. Geological forces such as glaciation, volca-
131
New Contree, No. 77, December 2016, Book Reviews, pp. 124-153
nic eruptions or meteor impacts and climate change caused by minute shifts
in the earth’s orbit or varying solar activity contributed to mass extinction
events. ose most genetically adapted to survive these adverse conditions did
so – and thrived, becoming the mammalian ancestors of modern humans. As
hominids evolved, however, survival eventually became less due to genetics
than to culture where the use of language and tools were key to surviving
adverse environmental conditions.
Part II “Domestication, Agriculture and the Rise of the State” follows upon
the seminal work of Jared Diamond, focusing in particular on the rise of
agriculture and growth of settled communities in the “Old World”. e
domestication of animals also had the eect of exposing these groups to
diseases as well as building immunity – which would have severe repercussions
centuries later, once they came into contact with “New World” societies. e
development of early civilisation can be attributed to the more amenable
climate at the end of the last Ice Age. e growth of agriculture brought with
it larger settlements and social stratication. is can, in no small part, also
be attributed to adverse climatic conditions and Brooke shows that small,
ecologically vulnerable populations tended to embrace a more centralized,
authoritarian rule that oered protection from the vagaries of environment,
“Nature strikes in terrible calamity; humanity strikes back to transform
natural bounty into the material structures of great walled cities” (p. 212).
A major part of the focus of Part III “Ancient and Medieval Agrarian Societies” is
empire. With his detailed consideration of the Roman Empire, Brooke suggests
that it was a victim of its own success. In a pattern that can be traced throughout
human history, stability, the growth of technology and improvements in food
production are conducive to population increase. e eects of population
pressure, in conjunction with the communication networks so essential for
the maintenance of imperial power – but also responsible for the spread of
disease – created the conditions that would ultimately lead to the fall of Rome.
e Little Ice Age during the medieval period was yet another crisis – a colder
climate brought about by volcanic eruption and a shift in the earth’s position
in relation to the sun had an adverse eect on agriculture and food supply.
is was compounded by the Black Death. e period of conict was marked
by the rise of new states and advances in military technology. Yet humankind
rallied. Smaller populations resulted in a higher standard of living and the end
of feudalism. e greater resources of these new states ushered in the voyages
of exploration and discovery and paved the way for the dominance of Europe.
132
New Contree, No. 77, December 2016, Book Reviews, pp. 124-153
From the nineteenth century, however, anthropogenic factors have had a
growing inuence on climate and this is a key argument made in the nal
part of the book. Climatic changes can now be also attributed to global
warming which is itself largely due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions –
a by-production of industrialization. An exploding population has created
concomitant demands for energy and other resources, leading to further
development, deforestation and greater use of fossil fuels. Brooke suggests
that much of our current political and economic concerns are a result of
this, along with environmental degradation and the periodic outbreaks of
epidemics such as the Ebola virus. ese contemporary issues, however, are
merely the continuation of a trend that has dened human history.
e tendency to make natural history the driving force behind human phy-
siological and cultural evolution indicates a sense of predetermination against
which “free will” advocates will instinctively rebel. is pre-determinism
is prevalent throughout Brooke’s argument and it is something with which
he engages. Admittedly it may sometimes make the reader uncomfortable
however Brooke presents a wealth of evidence drawn from a variety of sources
to substantiate his arguments and indicate what he sees as a high degree
of correlation between environmental factors and human history. Despite
the discomfort provoked, Climate change and the course of Global History is
therefore a fascinating and compelling view of the interconnected history of
humanity and the earth.
491 Days: Prison number 1323/69
(Johannesburg: Picador Africa, 2013, 251 pp., ISBN: 978-1-77010-330-6)
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
Nadine Moore
University of South Africa
moorenl@unisa.ac.za
491 Days is a harrowing insight into what Ahmed Kathrada in the foreword
terms “the very coalface of the struggle” (xi). is book, by virtue of its nature,
illuminates the diculties faced by one of the struggle’s most prominent
political widows: particularly in terms of being earmarked by security forces;
ostracised by comrades in fear of retribution by association; and dealing
with the anguish of children becoming political orphans. 491 Days details
the disturbing period which Winnie Madikizela-Mandela spent in detention