For The Love Of Natal, The Life And Times Of The Natal Mercury 1852-1977 By Terry Wilks
For The Love Of Natal, The Life And Times Of The Natal Mercury 1852-1977 (Premium First Edition Copy)
An Authoritative, Deeply Detailed Visual and Socio-Political Chronicle of Durban's Premier Morning Newspaper Across 125 Years
An Authoritative, Deeply Detailed Visual and Socio-Political Chronicle of Durban's Premier Morning Newspaper Across 125 Years
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: For The Love Of Natal, The Life And Times Of The Natal Mercury 1852-1977
- Author: Terry Wilks
- Publisher: Robinson & Co. (Pty) Ltd., Durban
- Publication Date: 1977
- ISBN: None (Pre-standardization for many regional corporate releases)
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Impression. Standard Hardcover Issue. Scarce.
- Binding: Publisher's original premium full cloth boards with crisp stamped title lettering on the spine, topped with an illustrated commemorative dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 260 pages. Richly enhanced with a central archival gloss photographic section, early print block replicas, historical editorial outlines, and administrative lineage tables.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior / Boards: The original cloth-bound structural casing remains in spectacular condition, staying completely flat, square, and structurally uncompromised. The edges exhibit no noticeable shelf wear, and the spine remains perfectly straight, rigid, and uncreased.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, exceptionally tight, and immaculate. Internal pages and the central black-and-white photographic plate sections are clean, crisp, bright white, and firmly attached. Completely free of standard user highlighting, foxing, previous owner names, or dog-ears.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior: Present and beautifully preserved within an archival clear protective cellophane wrapper. The jacket retains high color density and a crisp profile, showing only very limited, superficial signs of handling along the extreme edges. Free of major chipping, tattered tears, or sun fading.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1977 to celebrate the landmark 125th anniversary of The Natal Mercury, For The Love Of Natal is a vital, authoritative primary source text that records the evolution of South African print journalism and colonial media politics. Former staff member Terry Wilks presents a comprehensive look at the technical, social, and political development of Durban's morning newspaper from its primitive origins in 1852 through the late 20th century.
Published in 1977 to celebrate the landmark 125th anniversary of The Natal Mercury, For The Love Of Natal is a vital, authoritative primary source text that records the evolution of South African print journalism and colonial media politics. Former staff member Terry Wilks presents a comprehensive look at the technical, social, and political development of Durban's morning newspaper from its primitive origins in 1852 through the late 20th century.
Wilks logically breaks down the newspaper's long history into four distinct political eras. The first period (1852–1890) covers the early struggles of a frontier crown colony as the paper aggressively lobbied for local self-rule. The second era (1890–1910) tracks the achievement of responsible government, fulfilling the life-long dreams of former premier and Mercury proprietor Sir John Robinson. The third era (1910–1960) charts the paper's fierce battles to protect Natal's provincial autonomy against the centralizing forces of the Union government and its active resistance against early Afrikaner nationalist efforts to sever ties with the British Crown. Finally, the fourth section (1960–1977) looks at how the paper and its community adapted into the modern Republic. Long out of print and exceptionally scarce with an intact jacket, this volume is an essential piece for media historians, KwaZulu-Natal researchers, and collectors of rare Africana.
Author Profile: Terry Wilks
Terry Wilks was a highly accomplished South African journalist, historian, and senior editorial writer who spent years working directly within the newsrooms of the KwaZulu-Natal coastal press. Famed for his sharp prose style and analytical rigor, Wilks enjoyed unprecedented access to private corporate letterbooks, confidential editorial memos, and the complete archival vaults of the Robinson family, who controlled The Natal Mercury for over a century. His specialized historical monographs are celebrated by collectors for their ability to weave dry corporate milestones into an engaging, dramatic narrative of regional socio-political history, securing his legacy as a definitive chronicler of South Africa's independent press heritage.
Terry Wilks was a highly accomplished South African journalist, historian, and senior editorial writer who spent years working directly within the newsrooms of the KwaZulu-Natal coastal press. Famed for his sharp prose style and analytical rigor, Wilks enjoyed unprecedented access to private corporate letterbooks, confidential editorial memos, and the complete archival vaults of the Robinson family, who controlled The Natal Mercury for over a century. His specialized historical monographs are celebrated by collectors for their ability to weave dry corporate milestones into an engaging, dramatic narrative of regional socio-political history, securing his legacy as a definitive chronicler of South Africa's independent press heritage.
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