From the ashes of two Angolan wars - a terrorist and a civil war - a new South African Army unit was born; a unit that had to fight South Africa's terrorist war on Angola's side of the border - a stepchild, hidden away aside in the bush.

Dit was die Afrikaner se donkerste uur toe die bittereinders van die Anglo-Boereoorlog mekaar twaalf jaar later die stryd aansê: Aan die en kant die regeringsmagte (Kakies) van premier Louis Botha en sy minister van verdediging, Jan Smuts - aan die ander kant die rebelkommando's (Boere) van kommandant-generaals Christiaan de Wet en Christiaan Beyers.

Ontdek die wêreldgeskiedenis - van die oerknal tot vandag - in hierdie asemrowende beeldreis. Met groot kleurplate vir groot en klein word die wêreld se kultuur en gebeurtenisse as een deurlopende verhaal voorgestel.

'n Ongelooflike oorsig van elke tydperk in die aarde se tektoniese geskiedenis.

Hierdie verstommende visuele voorstelling van die aarde se geologiese geskiedenis beskryf die verskuiwing van landmassas en die ontwikkeling van die kontinente soos ons dit vandag ken.

Met pragtige wêreldkaarte en illustrasies wat die oorsprong van lewe uitbeeld en die aarde se moontlike toekoms voorspel, is "Skuif" die ideale gids tot ons planeet se geskiedenis. Martin Ince (voormalige president van die Vereniging van Britse Wetenskapskrywers) beskryf op toeganklike wyse wat die impak van geologiese veranderinge op die lewe op aarde is.

Find out all about the rocks around you in southern Africa - and then see how many you can find to build your own rock collection! This book, by well-known geologist Nick Norman, is packed with fascinating information about how rocks form, how to identify the different rock types and what they're made of, what each rock is used for and where to go to collect them. You'll also learn about Stone Age tools, fossils and some of our best-known geological sites.

This richly illustrated book provides a clear and accessible guide to the spectacular exposures of rocks and mountains in the Cape Town area. It is aimed at visitors and residents keen to understand how the scenic landscape surrounding them came about and what the rocks reveal of the recent as well as the 'deep' geological history of the area. In scope it covers both the large-scale features of the region as observed from space and particular features that can be seen up close on the ground.

While emphasis is on the greater Cape Town area, other popular areas of the Western Cape within easy access of Cape Town are also included. The book is intended to get us looking at and thinking about our environment from a new perspective so that whether on our daily commute to work or out for a hike, we may understand it better and derive greater pleasure from being part of it.

Southern Africa's rocks span an enormous time period and the region boasts a wealth of mineral deposits. This handy pocket guide presents a selection of the most common, fascinating and important rock and mineral species to be found here. Each entry includes:

• full-colour photographs
• a concise description
• uses, both historic and current
• detailed information on where in the region species are found.

The physical and diagnostic characteristics of each mineral are summarized in tinted panels, and handy icons show other important information at a glance. In addition, the rock selection discusses how the three main rock types form. A comprehensive glossary explains difficult technical terms. Compact and easy-to-use, the "Pocket Guide - Rocks & Minerals of Southern Africa" will be invaluable both to amateur geologists and budding collectors.

Some of the largest concentrations of wildlife remaining on Earth can be seen in the national parks and game reserves of East Africa. This abundance is influenced by the region's dramatic landforms and unique geology, which support a remarkable number of different species in specialised ecosystems.

The interior of East Africa is dominated by an extensive regional plateau that is underlain by some of the oldest rocks on Earth. The plateau has been ruptured by the East African Rift, one of the world's most recognisable geological features. The rifting is inextricably linked to intense - and ongoing - volcanic activity, which has sculpted the landforms, including volcanic cones such as Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro and the fascinating Ngorongoro Caldera are world heritage sites.

"Geological Highlights of East Africa's National Parks" presents a new and exciting angle for tourists to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and provides a valuable reference for rangers and guides. The Virunga Mountains, an active chain of volcanoes and home to habituated groups of Mountain gorilla, are also included. Maps, satellite images and diagrams, along with vivid photography, help explain how the landforms came to be. Key geosites point readers to the most rewarding geological features.

This indispensable guide will add drama and interest to any East African safari.

"Geology off the beaten track" is all you need to understand and interpret the geology along South Africa's regional and other less-travelled routes. It covers geologically fascinating areas such as the Richtersveld, Cape winelands and the Valley of Desolation near Graaff-Reinet. If you have ever wondered about cone-like koppies, the source of hot-water springs, the sinuous folding of a rocky mountain, of the changing shades of rock and soil along our country roads - this is the book for you. The text is richly illustrated, making it suitable for armchair travellers too. The book includes:

• 13 chapters, each covering a route of geological interest
• Maps for all the routes, with geosites and GPS readings to pinpoint key sites
• Multiple colour images that illuminate the text
• Illustrations to unpack processes that are hard to describe
• A glossary of geological terms, plus a bibliography.

Take this book as a companion on your planned routes - or allow it to take you to places of unimagined interest, and develop an understanding of how planet Earth has changed over the aeons and evolved into the landscapes of today.

South Africa has just about the richest geological heritage on the planet. By pinpointing 50 must-see sites, this inspiring book shows why, where and how to enjoy that heritage. It features 50 of the most recognisable, accessible and geologically diverse places around South Africa, including sites such as Chapman's Peak, Howick Falls, Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, Mapungubwe, Tswaing Meteorite Crater and the Fraserburg Fossil Surface.

Each site is unpacked to reveal:
• key geological features
• geological heritage
• landscape and rock formations
• topics of local or historical interest
• things to see and do at the site and in the surrounding area

Maps and GPS pointers make the sites easy to find, and some of the more complicated features are explained by means of simplified diagrams.

Nearly 1,000 colour images illustrate South Africa's remarkable geology and bring the topic vividly to life, making the book suitable for armchair travel too.

Geologically speaking, southern Africa is without equal, a treasure house of valuable minerals with a geological history dating back some 3 600 million years. In addition, the evolution of plants and animals, especially mammals and dinosaurs, is well preserved in the region, which also probably has the best record of the origin of modern man.

This book provides a fascinating insight into that remarkable history: how southern Africa, and to some extent the world, came to be the way it is - how its mineral deposits formed, its life evolved and its landscape was shaped. Along the way readers will be enthralled by accounts of the Big Bang that marked the beginning of time and matter, by drifting and colliding continents, folding and fracturing of rocks, meteors colliding with Earth, the time when Earth froze over, volcanic eruptions and the start of life.

Anyone interested in the landscape and ecosystems in which we live will be intrigued to discover how our natural landmarks were formed, from the deserts of Namibia to the mountains of the Western Cape of Mpumalanga. Why is South Africa so rich in minerals? How did glacial deposits come to be found in the Karoo? Why did dinosaurs become extinct? How did mammals develop from reptiles? How closely related are we to apes? The answers to many such questions are found in this lavishly illustrated volume.

The authors also suggest how we can learn from the past in order to anticipate the future - for instance, to be able to predict earthquakes, deal with volcanic eruptions and meet the challenges of global climate change.