Call It Like It Is by Jonathan Kaplan & Mike Behr

Call It Like It Is (Signed by Referee Jonathan Kaplan)

The Memoir of South Africa's Record-Setting International Rugby Referee, Written with Mike Behr

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Call It Like It Is: The Jonathan Kaplan Story
• Authors: Jonathan Kaplan & Mike Behr
• Publisher: Zebra Press, an imprint of Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town
• Publication Date: 2014
• ISBN-13: 9781770225855
• Edition Details: First published 2014, reprinted in 2014 (twice). Signed by Jonathan Kaplan.
• Binding: Publisher's illustrated card wrappers, perfect bound.
• Physical Format: Large softcover (trade paperback), roughly 235 x 155 mm. With a section of colour photographs.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good (VG)
• Exterior / Wraps: The black illustrated wrappers carry a photograph of the referee. The spine shows a light vertical crease line and minor ink and colour wear, with some light wear to the edges and corners. A small blue mark near the lower edge of the front cover, by the name Behr, appears to be part of the printed image. Overall a lightly read copy.
• Interior: The text pages are clean and bright, with yellowing to the edges of the page block. The binding is tight. The colour photographic section is present, and there is no foxing, marking or tearing to the pages examined.
• Provenance: Signed by Jonathan Kaplan in black pen on the title page.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)

Synopsis & Historical Value

Call It Like It Is: The Jonathan Kaplan Story is the memoir of one of South Africa's best-known rugby referees, written with journalist Mike Behr and published by Zebra Press in Cape Town in 2014. It follows Kaplan's gradual climb to the top of the international game.

Kaplan writes candidly about the personal sacrifices the career demanded, his struggles with injury and his dealings with rugby management. He also gives his views on the growing role of technology in the game, and revisits the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the Bryce Lawrence affair.

For collectors of South African sporting history and rugby literature, this is a signed copy of a first-hand account from inside the refereeing ranks of the modern professional game.

Author Profile: Jonathan Kaplan & Mike Behr

Jonathan Kaplan was born in Durban on 7 November 1966 and became one of South Africa's leading international referees. He was the first referee to reach 50 Test matches, and retired as a professional referee in 2013. He is also the subject of a later book, Winging It, by Joanne Jowell (Pan Macmillan, 2018).

Mike Behr is a Cape Town newspaper journalist and magazine features writer, for whom this was a first book. He won the Mondi Award in 2004 for a profile of Ashwin Willemse.

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