In 1889 Deneys Reitz, then aged seventeen, enlisted in the Boer army to fight the British. He had learnt to ride, shoot and swim almost as soon as he could walk. When he fought as a member of several Boer commandos, he made full use of these skills and the endurance he acquired during the war.

He was involved in major actions, such as the Battle of Spion Kop, and he interacted with prominent political and military figures of the time, such as President Paul Kruger, Boer generals Piet Joubert, Louis Botha, Koos de la Rey, Christiaan Beyers, Jan Smuts and British commander Lord Kitchener.

Reitz forged a strong personal and political friendship with Smuts after the war, one built on reciprocal respect.


"Commando" is more than a historical document. With prose that captures both the brutality and the beauty of war, Reitz weaves a narrative that resonates with authenticity, transcending time.

As relevant today as when it was first penned, "Commando" has become a South African classic and is testament to the indomitable human spirit in the face of adversity.

Mother. Nurse. Gold-digger. Cause célèbre. When Daisy de Melker stood trial in 1932, accused if poisoning her son and two husbands, the public couldn't get enough of her. Crowds gathered outside court baying for blood and she waved to them like a celebrity.

Against the backdrop of Johannesburg in its golden age, a booming metropolis op opulence and chaos nicknamed the 'City of Gold' and the 'University of Crime', she had quietly gone about her sinister business while around her sensational crimes grabbed the headlines. There was the marauding Foster Gang, which left at least ten people dead; a dashing German hustler; a local Bonnie and Clyde; an innocent student walking Zoo Lake park at the wrong time and a man who escaped death row to become one of South Africa's most revered authors. These interlinking stories are told in the style of a thriller and with riveting, kaleidoscopic detail.

In "Daisy de Melker", Ted Botha weaves together a fantastic cast of killers and con men, detectives and lawmen, journalists and authors - even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Herman Charles Bosman - to depict a grand and desperate city. For almost twenty years Daisy hid in the shadows but when someone finally spoke up about the suspicious deaths around her, it led to a trial like nothing the City of Gold had ever seen and spread her name across the world.

Favouring manoeuvre over attrition and often punching above their weight, South African soldiers have become known for their tenacity, dash and ability to defy the odds. Their unique directive command style has also helped them to excel in defining battles and operations, from the campaign in German South West Africa in 1915 to the cross-border operations in Angola during the Border War.

In "20 Battles", military historians Evert Kleyhans and David Brock Katz investigate the evolution of South Africa's armed forces over a century from 1913 to 2013. They track the evolution of the doctrine and structure of the defence force, uncovering historical continuity and the lessons learned from past battles and operations.

What is clear is that when South African soldiers have the freedom to operate according to their manoeuvre doctrine, as they had in East Africa in 1916 and southern Ethiopia in 1941, they can achieve stunning results. But when hemmed in by rigid doctrine and a top-down command style, as at Delville Wood in 1916 and Tobruk om 1942, the results can be tragic.

"20 Battles" combines both battlefield drama and crisp analysis and in the process provides a much-needed perspective on the South African way of war.

"Ons noem jou Mysti," sê Ravka, "Dit pas by jou... Dis misterieus en mooi."

Mysti word in die sneeu in Lapland wakker. Verkluim. Met geen idee wie sy is of waar presies sy is nie.

Tot Ravka haar vind en homself oor haar ontferm. Hy en sy ma, Tóva, neem Mysti onder hulle vlerk terwyl sy haar geheue probeer herwin. Intussen help sy Ravka by die rendiersentrum in Menetetty on getraumatiseerde rendiere te versorg, en raak al liewer vir hom. Maar iets onverklaarbaars gebeur in die nag met haar. Haar lyf verander en vervorm...

Die vraag oor wie sy is, word al dringender. Sal Ravka lief wees vir iemand soos sy?

Die woud van sneeu en ys hou baie meer geheime in as wat dit voorgee. Mysti moet keer dat haar hart en identiteit deel van dié ysige landskap word.

Hierdie vrolike bundel stories, rympies en speletjies is 'n kleurvolle reis saam met immergewilde karakters soos Lena, wat haar eie Kersboom in die tuin maak, Benjamin en sy viool, Tyl Uilspieël met al sy streke, en Jakkals en Wolf se manewales. Skaterlag saam oor tergrympies, leer tel met uittelrympies, en speel weer lekker buite soos in die ou dae met bekende speletjies slls Klippiegooi, Wolf, Wolf, hoe laat is dit?, en Koljander, Koljander.

Leer 'n kleinding speel-speel waardevolle lewenslesse soos hoe om nie kwaad te word nie en wat goeie maniere is.

En maak slaaptyd ekstra spesiaal met slaaptydrympies en mooi-droom-stories.

Springbokke het 'n superkrag. Hulle is die beste rugbyspelers, natuurlik.

Maar wat as jy 'n ander superkrag het? Dalk is LEES jou superkrag! Soos Springboekie! Springboekie is MAL daaroor om te lees. Hy wens net sy maats het ook daarvan gehou. Hulle wil net HEELDAG in die moddergat speel en hulle dink boeke is VERVELIG.

Gelukkig is Springboekie baie slim. Hy wys sy maats dat daar 'n boek vir elkeen bestaan. Selfs 'n kwaai leeu!

Wat is 'n snotblom?
Hoe groot was 'n T-Rex se poef?
Eet mense in Frankryk regtig paddaboudjies en hoe smaak dit?
Wat is Hiënabotter?
Watter dier se piepie ruik soos springmielies?

Dis WALGLIK - maar dis WAAR!
WEES GEWAARSKU - hierdie boek is propvol feite wat jou kan NAAR MAAK en laat GRIL!

Word gril-gril slim en ontdek die grieselrige kant van die natuur met hierdie prettige boek wat jong feitevrate sal laat ril van lekkerkry!

"Slaat my dood met 'n slap snoek!" roep ouma Mollie.

Haar naam is Mollewanta Mollewiekus Nagtegaal. Maar jy kan haar sommer net ouma Mollie noem - die grootste moeilikheidmaker op Seeperdjiebaai. Gelukkig hou Nina haar ouma (gewoonlik) uit die moeilikheid.

Vandag is egter nie een van daardie dae nie. Ouma Mollie onthou een middag sy het al baie goed vergeet. Daarom is dit tyd om terug skool toe te gaan - saam met klein Nina en Blapsie, haar hond. Op ouma Mollie se eerste skooldag, pluk sy haar snaakse ou skoolrok en 'n paar silwer tekkies aan. Tydens die les, leer sy die juffrou ook 'n paar nuwe dinge. Een daarvan: Tekkies gee mens knoptone, daarom moet jy hulle in die klas uittrek - selfs al stink jou voete VREESLIK!

Toe ouma Mollie (per ongeluk) die graadeentjies se nuwe juffrou word, is daar GROOT moelikheid. Maar nie so groot soos toe sy...

Nee wag, lees maar self wat ouma Mollie NOG aanvang.