The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal

This is the book we have all been waiting for - the book that takes us beyond the easy assumptions and lazy comfort of the Mandela era and into what Alec Russell calls the second struggle. Eloquently he shows how transforming the magic of freedom into a nuts-and-bolts change in the lives of ordinary people is turning out to be far more difficult than anyone could have imagined. The strength and power of Russell's book lies not just in the big - and often disturbing - conclusions he has reached but in the little details that have got him to that point. This is not a book written from afar...After Mandela could only have been written by a man who actually cares about what happens to the people he has met on his journey through South Africa's recent history. Exciting contemporary history, a must for anyone concerned with what is happening now. Scathing in his criticism of newly rich magnates, he also exposes the two-faced liberals Booklist Gripping, lively and immensely readable Daily Telegraph 20090418 An informative, nuanced, and provocative end-of-era report ... Layered with anecdote, historical background and close scrutiny of recent events ... After Mandela is a valuable contribution to the debate about the future of the rainbow nation. Alec Russell has looked at the country with a sympathetic and knowledgeable eye and he leaves his reader with a deep understanding of the challenges to come. Financial Times 20090404 Russell does not pull punches in describing the widespread disillusionment ... but he does seek to put the ruling party's shortcomings in context Observer Insightful, sometimes humorous, sometimes bleak ... Alive with delicious vignettes across a range of humanity The Economist