Southern Africa Land of Beauty and Splendour By T.V. Bulpin
Southern Africa Land of Beauty and Splendour
A Sweeping Masterpiece Celebrating the Landscapes, Geologies, and Untamed Spirit of the Subcontinent
A Sweeping Masterpiece Celebrating the Landscapes, Geologies, and Untamed Spirit of the Subcontinent
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Southern Africa Land of Beauty and Splendour
- Creator / Principal Author: Thomas Victor Bulpin (T.V. Bulpin)
- Publisher: The Reader's Digest Association South Africa Ltd, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 1981 (Seventh Edition Release / Imprint)
- ISBN-13: 9780620049900 (ISBN-10: 0620049901)
- Edition Details: Seventh Edition. Formulated in direct collaboration with Reader's Digest South Africa.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium oversized textured cloth boards with ornate gilt-stamped typography to the spine and front panel; complete with original full-colour pictorial dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Oversized Coffee-Table Folio (4to), 319 pages. Masterfully enhanced with 194 spectacular full-colour photographic plates, detailed local maps, informational fact matrices, and dramatic, multi-page panoramic foldout sections. Dimensions: Approx. 32 x 24 x 2.5 cm. Weight: Approx. 1.77 kg.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior / Boards: The massive cloth boards are in exceptional physical condition—remarkably rigid, flat, and square. The intricate gilt lettering on the spine and face remains completely unmarred and bright, while the corners show virtually no shelf-bumping or edge friction. The heavy spine is pristine, uncreased, and structurally sound.
- Interior: The substantial text block remains tightly bound, robust, and clean. All internal pages, text layouts, and full-colour foldout illustrations are crisp, bright white, and free of standard user highlights, notes, or dog-ears.
- Provenance: Features a contemporary handwritten presentation inscription neatly executed on the front third page. The handwriting is clean and elegant, remaining isolated from the primary text blocks and preserving the overall aesthetic layout of the preliminary pages.
- Protection: Carefully preserved and safely enclosed within an archival-grade protective cellophane overwrap.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Condition: Exceptionally bright, complete, and unclipped. Displays only very limited, microscopic signs of handling and minimal shelf-friction along the upper edge extremities, entirely consistent with careful collection storage. Free of prominent chips, sun-fading, or tears.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published by Reader's Digest South Africa in 1981, Southern Africa Land of Beauty and Splendour is widely considered a classic milestone in African geography and travel literature. Penned by the doyen of African travel writers, T.V. Bulpin, the volume goes beyond standard tourist galleries to construct a brilliant, intertwined tapestry of the landscapes, wildlife, geology, and cultures south of the Zambezi River.
Bulpin’s legendary, characterful prose brings the untamed landscape to life, famously noting that "Behind the Cape lies the whole continent of Africa. Vast and sprawling, brutal in its history, well looted, well stained with blood, regarded by many scientists as the cradle of man." Accompanied by 194 breathtaking colour photographs and majestic multi-page foldouts, the book serves as an immersive journey spanning the Namib Desert, the Drakensberg, the Okavango, and the Cape Peninsula. This out-of-print, beautifully protected edition stands as an indispensable reference work for collectors of classic Africana, environmental history, and vintage landscape photography.
Author Profile: T.V. Bulpin
Thomas Victor Bulpin (1918–1999) was one of South Africa’s most prolific, legendary natural historians and travel writers. Over a storied career, he authored 29 definitive books and more than 2,000 features, becoming a household name across Southern Africa for his unparalleled ability to bridge rigorous geographical research with enchanting, folklore-infused storytelling. His travelogues remain highly sought after by modern antiquarian dealers for their scholarly insight, translated place names, and dedication to preserving the cultural heritage of the continent.
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