The Soul of the Waterberg by Clive Walker & J. du P. Bothma

The Soul of the Waterberg (First Edition Illustrated Waterberg Study)

A Lavishly Illustrated Portrait of the Waterberg, from Ancient Geology to Eugène Marais

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: The Soul of the Waterberg
• Authors: Clive Walker & J. du P. Bothma
• Publisher: African Sky Publishing, Houghton
• Publication Date: 2005
• ISBN-13: 9780620342155
• ISBN-10: 0620342153
• Edition Details: First Edition.
• Binding: Publisher's picture-laminated hardcover boards with watercolour artwork, blue spine lettered in white. Issued without a dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Large, roughly square-ish portrait coffee-table format, illustrated with artwork and colour photographs.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good (VG)
• Exterior / Boards: The picture-laminated boards carry watercolour artwork. A few small spots or marks show on the front cover, and a pale label-type strip sits at the lower left edge of the front cover. The corners and edges are generally clean. The blue spine with white lettering is intact.
• Interior: The title page and copyright page are clean and unmarked, apart from a small crease or mark near the top outer corner of the title page. No inscriptions or bookplates are present.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued). The cover artwork is printed directly on the boards.

Synopsis & Historical Value

The Soul of the Waterberg is an illustrated study of the Waterberg massif in Limpopo, South Africa. It covers the region's great age, geology and geomorphology, archaeology, cultural heritage, biodiversity, and its recognition as an International Biosphere Reserve. The artwork and photographs are by Clive Walker, with text by J. du P. Bothma.

The book also gives space to the region's history, including the Anglo-Boer War period. It considers the divisions among the white population, the role of traitors, the scorched earth policy, the concentration camps and the poverty and bitterness that followed the war. A substantial part deals with Boer leaders such as Generals Beyers, Viljoen and Botha.

The volume closes with a detailed account of Eugène Marais and the writings that came from his ten years in the Waterberg. His best-known works, including The Soul of the White Ant, drew on research done there. This makes the book a rewarding companion for collectors of Africana, natural history and Afrikaner cultural heritage.

Author Profile: Clive Walker and J. du P. Bothma

Clive Walker (born 1936) is a South African conservationist, educator, game ranger and watercolour artist. He founded the Endangered Wildlife Trust in 1973 and in 1981 co-founded Lapalala Wilderness with Dale Parker. His best-known book is Signs of the Wild (first published 1981), a standard guide to the spoor and signs of Southern African mammals. His other titles include Twilight of the Giants (1982) and Baobab Trails (2013).

Professor J. du P. (Koos) Bothma is credited as co-author of this work.

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