Captain in the Cauldron by John Smit & Mike Greenaway

Captain in the Cauldron (Signed & Inscribed by John Smit, Springbok Captain)

The Candid Autobiography of the Springbok Captain Who Led South Africa to the 2007 Rugby World Cup

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Captain in the Cauldron
• Authors: John Smit & Mike Greenaway
• Editor: Simon Borchardt
• Publisher: Highbury Safika Media, Cape Town
• Publication Date: 2009
• ISBN-13: 9780620447515
• Edition Details: First published 2009. Inscribed and signed by John Smit.
• Binding: Publisher's illustrated paperback (perfect bound) in laminated glossy picture wrappers.
• Physical Format: Large softcover (trade paperback), approximately 235 x 155 mm. With a section of colour photographs.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good (VG)
• Exterior / Wraps: The glossy laminated picture wrappers show slight wear, with a small crease and light chipping along the fore-edge of the front cover on the right side. The black spine with white lettering appears intact, with no obvious cracking. The edges are slightly rubbed and the page edges are lightly toned.
• Interior: The text block is tight and clean, with no foxing, stains or markings beyond the inscription and signature on the title page. The colour photographic section is clean.
• Provenance: Title page inscribed in black ink: "To EDDIE BEST WISHES", with a large signature reading John Smit, partly over the title lettering.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)

Synopsis & Historical Value

Captain in the Cauldron is the autobiography of John Smit, the longest-serving captain in Springbok rugby history, written with the veteran rugby journalist Mike Greenaway and published in Cape Town in 2009. It was shortlisted for The Booksellers' Choice Award in 2010.

Smit gives an open account of the joys and difficulties of leading the national side. He writes about the pressures of captaincy, the rugby politics behind the scenes, the coaches he played under and the low points of his career, all told with plenty of anecdote.

His captaincy took in the 2007 World Cup, when he and coach Jake White led South Africa to their second William Webb Ellis trophy on 20 October 2007. For collectors of South African sporting history, this signed and inscribed copy is a personal reminder of that era.

Author Profile: John Smit & Mike Greenaway

John Smit was born in Pietersburg (now Polokwane) in 1978 and played for the Sharks and the Springboks. When he retired from international rugby in 2011 he was the most-capped South African player in history, with 111 appearances, 83 of them as captain.

Mike Greenaway is a veteran South African rugby journalist and author based in Durban, who has reported on the Sharks and Springboks for Independent Media since the mid-1990s. His other books include The Fireside Springbok and Bok to Bok, a chronicle of the Springboks' 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign.