Hermann Giliomee: Historian

Hermann Giliomee weaves together the story of his own life with that of his country, a country that continues to absorb and inspire him, not least because its contested history is central to its current politics. An internationally respected historian, Giliomee has devoted a lifetime to exploring the origins and perpetuation of the deep divisions in South African society. His work, original and fearless, appeals not only to scholars but also to general readers interested in the complexities of South Africa's past and present. His outspokenness has hit nerves across the political spectrum, and he has been branded a «snake in our midst», an «oorbeligte», a «language bull» and the «boer in the woodpile». Although Giliomee grew up in the heart of the Afrikaner nationalist movement, he soon began to cut his own path in examining the rise and entrenchment of exclusive Afrikaner power. In the 1980s and 1990s, in particular, he sharply criticised the NP government's autocracy and unwillingness to negotiate. As an «outside insider», his understanding of Afrikaner power is informed and nuanced. He is the author of numerous bestsellers, including the magisterial work The Afrikaners: Biography of a People – which was selected by The Economist as one of its books of the year in 2003.