These Are Not Gentle People
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- Create Date：2022-01-21 08:51:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Andrew Harding
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Summary
THE STORY BEHIND NEW BBC RADIO SERIES AND PODCAST "BLOOD LANDS"
"Utterly gripping， timely and shocking" PHILIPPE SANDS
"Compelling and disturbing 。 。 。 quietly devastating" DAMON GALGUT
"This is a book of profound importance 。 。 。 A masterpiece" ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH
"A vintage crime story 。 。 。 an extraordinary tale 。 。 。 It is written as a drama， part thriller， part tragedy" ALEC RUSSELL， Financial Times
"A smartly paced true-crime thriller with a vivid cast of characters 。 。 。 as tense as it is disturbing" JOHN CARLIN， author of Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation
Two dead men。 Forty suspects。 The trial that broke a small South African town
"Look what the fucking dogs did to them， someone muttered。 No-one mentioned the rope， or the monkey-wrench， or the gun， or the knife， or the stick， or the whip， or the blood-stained boots。 In fact， no-one said much at all。 It seemed simpler that way。 There was no sense in pointing fingers。'"
At dusk， on a warm evening in 2016， a group of forty men gathered in the corner of a dusty field on a farm outside Parys in the Free State。 Some were in fury。 Others treated the whole thing as a joke - a game。 The events of the next two hours would come to haunt them all。 They would rip families apart， prompt suicide attempts， breakdowns， divorce， bankruptcy， threats of violent revenge and acts of unforgivable treachery。
These Are Not Gentle People is the story of that night， and of what happened next。 It's a courtroom drama， a profound exploration of collective guilt and individual justice， and a fast-paced literary thriller。
Award-winning foreign correspondent and author Andrew Harding traces the impact of one moment of collective barbarism on a fragile community - exploding lies， cover-ups， political meddling and betrayals， and revealing the inner lives of those involved with extraordinary clarity。
The book is also a mesmerising examination of a small town trying to cope with a trauma that threatens to tear it in two - as such， it is as much a journey into the heart of modern South Africa as it is a gripping tale of crime， punishment and redemption。
When a whole community is on trial， who pays the price？
Reviews
Dianne
，
The true story of two young labourers brutally beaten and killed by a gang of young farmers and the resulting trial。 The setting is the Orange Free State in South Africa with the background of political tension between black and white， the struggle for land rights and farm killings。 It depicts the inadequacies of police， the judiciary and the medical services and the overriding ineffective bureaucracy and complete disregard for individuals。 As a South African I know this area and I know these pe The true story of two young labourers brutally beaten and killed by a gang of young farmers and the resulting trial。 The setting is the Orange Free State in South Africa with the background of political tension between black and white， the struggle for land rights and farm killings。 It depicts the inadequacies of police， the judiciary and the medical services and the overriding ineffective bureaucracy and complete disregard for individuals。 As a South African I know this area and I know these people。 I read the book with horror but with total belief。 Half of my genetic material comes from this place and these people yet I could not like them。 But they， the farmers， are， and can be warm， friendly and hospitable。 This is a story I cannot forget。Andrew Harding is the BBC-Africa correspondent and author。 。。。more
Pascale
，
A group of white farmers go on the rampage when one of their elders is reportedly attacked by black farm hands。 The 2 blacks end up dead， and an ugly trial ensues。 4 years after the events， everybody walks free。 Unsurprisingly， this is just another instance of black lives don't matter。 However， in the process the inter-related white families have turned upon each other and showed that solidarity is just a word in that supposedly tight-knit community。 Harding doesn't pretend to know exactly what A group of white farmers go on the rampage when one of their elders is reportedly attacked by black farm hands。 The 2 blacks end up dead， and an ugly trial ensues。 4 years after the events， everybody walks free。 Unsurprisingly， this is just another instance of black lives don't matter。 However， in the process the inter-related white families have turned upon each other and showed that solidarity is just a word in that supposedly tight-knit community。 Harding doesn't pretend to know exactly what happened but what， to me， is beyond doubt is the collective guilt of these men and boys for whom killing a black person is just second nature。 At no point does a single one of them express remorse。 All they want is for the whole thing to go away， which it does in the end， because this is South Africa。 。。。more
Caro Erasmus
，
"。。。in this inspiring， frustrating， fractured country， it is possible for two or more realities to coexist， to orbit each other， and that wounds- old and new - can only heal properly when we make the effort to recognise， and to acknowledge， someone else's truth。"A superbly executed book。 Fast paced， well written， unputdownable。 Though I do not agree that the farming community of Parys represents， as the author believes， a microcosm of SA at large （living in Johannesburg myself， it is profoundly "。。。in this inspiring， frustrating， fractured country， it is possible for two or more realities to coexist， to orbit each other， and that wounds- old and new - can only heal properly when we make the effort to recognise， and to acknowledge， someone else's truth。"A superbly executed book。 Fast paced， well written， unputdownable。 Though I do not agree that the farming community of Parys represents， as the author believes， a microcosm of SA at large （living in Johannesburg myself， it is profoundly different）， Harding has succeeded in capturing a particular South African reality that sometimes feels uncomfortably close to pre-1994。 Using the serious assault and subsequent death of two Black men by a group of White men as the central axis， we gain insight into the justice（？） system and everyday lives of people who share a hometown but live dramatically different lives。 The author shifts his focus between these groups and individuals effortlessly， painting a complete picture of the shattering effect the murders had on everyone affected。A must-read for anyone interested in SA current affairs。 Actually， a must-read for anyone looking for a damn good book。 Just be aware - given the subject matter， the book is very upsetting at times。 。。。more
Rowan
，
Excellent。 But helluva depressing。
David J。 Kleinhans
，
What a great piece of literature。 It is one of the best journalistic pieces I have ever read， I had to keep reminding myself that it isn't fiction。 Harding does this by writing the story from the perspectives of the characters and thus leaving us as the readers to draw conclusions。 It is gripping， perplexing， infuriating， and sad， but it is also illuminating by shedding light of the socio economic and racial injustice in our country。 I definitely recommend！ What a great piece of literature。 It is one of the best journalistic pieces I have ever read， I had to keep reminding myself that it isn't fiction。 Harding does this by writing the story from the perspectives of the characters and thus leaving us as the readers to draw conclusions。 It is gripping， perplexing， infuriating， and sad， but it is also illuminating by shedding light of the socio economic and racial injustice in our country。 I definitely recommend！ 。。。more
Mieneke
，
I read a review for the Dutch version of Andrew Harding’s These are not gentle people in Amnesty NL’s magazine on Human Rights， Wordt Vervolgd。 and I was intrigued。 So I read the English version and then I was enraged。 The story told was so unjust and showed such an ugly reality of life in the Free State。 The outright and unveiled racism shown by the farmers only underscored the inherent systemic racism that is shown to flow throughout the justice system in South Africa。 It wasn’t an easy read， I read a review for the Dutch version of Andrew Harding’s These are not gentle people in Amnesty NL’s magazine on Human Rights， Wordt Vervolgd。 and I was intrigued。 So I read the English version and then I was enraged。 The story told was so unjust and showed such an ugly reality of life in the Free State。 The outright and unveiled racism shown by the farmers only underscored the inherent systemic racism that is shown to flow throughout the justice system in South Africa。 It wasn’t an easy read， but a interesting one， nonetheless。 。。。more
Lili Bammens
，
Dit boek is geen thriller of politieroman。 Het is non-fictie en vertelt over de dood van twee zwarten in Parys， Zuid Afrika， die omkomen na een gewelddadig treffen met blanke boeren， en van de rechtszaak achteraf。 Het boek geeft een beeld van de toestand in Zuid Afrika nu zonder oordeel te vellen of partij te kiezen。 Boeiend maar af en toe ook wat slordig verteld vond ik。
Elisa
，
🇿🇦 THESE ARE NOT GENTLE PEOPLE by Andrew Harding 🇿🇦This book follows the citizens of Parys after two black boys have been killed in a farm field outside of Parys in January 2016。 They were surrounded by fourty white local farmers after the boys' so-called attack on an elderly white farmer。 It's unclear who did the actual killing， but what's for sure is that no one stepped in and stopped them。 Harding moved to South Africa for a couple of years to talk to as many people as possible and in his boo 🇿🇦 THESE ARE NOT GENTLE PEOPLE by Andrew Harding 🇿🇦This book follows the citizens of Parys after two black boys have been killed in a farm field outside of Parys in January 2016。 They were surrounded by fourty white local farmers after the boys' so-called attack on an elderly white farmer。 It's unclear who did the actual killing， but what's for sure is that no one stepped in and stopped them。 Harding moved to South Africa for a couple of years to talk to as many people as possible and in his book， he tells their stories。 This book is a courtroom drama and reveals how the painful Apartheid history is still impacting these communities and the trial。There were a lot of passages that were hard to read and the disinterest and disrespect towards the two boys， Samuel and Simon， was painful。 Harding's reading was impeccable however and only after finishing the book did I discover that this was a narrated non-fiction book。 With our book club， we researched the story a little more and found news articles on the trial and even pictures， which was all shocking to read and see having read the story。。 For anyone interested in South Africa， I'd definitely recommend this book， because you learn so much from it and Harding wrote it so beautifully！ 。。。more
Pam Magwaza
，
Two black men are violently and barbarically killed on a farm outside Parys in Free State by a group of white farmers。 This sounds like a scene straight out of Apartheid South Africa， but it happened， unsurprisingly， in 2016 in post-apartheid South Africa。I say unsurprisingly because as a black person， I am starkly aware of the systemic racism [and classism] that is constantly inflicted on black people by white supremacy in this country and around the world。 For the economically disadvantaged bl Two black men are violently and barbarically killed on a farm outside Parys in Free State by a group of white farmers。 This sounds like a scene straight out of Apartheid South Africa， but it happened， unsurprisingly， in 2016 in post-apartheid South Africa。I say unsurprisingly because as a black person， I am starkly aware of the systemic racism [and classism] that is constantly inflicted on black people by white supremacy in this country and around the world。 For the economically disadvantaged black person living in South Africa， this violence can mean death – a gruesome and violent death。These are not gentle people by British journalist and author， Andrew Harding is a nonfiction narrative book based on the murder of two men， Samuel Tjixa and Simon Jubeba and the subsequent trial that followed。 Several white farmers and a policeman were prosecuted for their death。In January 2016， a WhatsApp group message was sent about an alleged attack on an elderly white farmer。 A group of about 40 white farmers and their sons responded to the message and drove out to the farm， chased down the two men and violently assaulted them， which lead to their deaths。The fact of the story is that Samuel Tjixa and Simon Jubeba were on the elderly farmer’s plot that day， their reasons for being there， however， remain unclear。 Some reports of the incident and witnesses say they were there to demand their wages， while others branded them would-be robbers who attacked the elderly man first。 Andrew Harding， rightfully， leaves this unanswered in the book。These are not gentle people is incredibly well-written and near impossible to put down。 The author showed his journalistic prowess through the amount of attention to detail he included in his work。 From the landscape of the deceptively beautiful town to the deteriorating relationships between the ‘characters’ of his story and their internal dialogue – he captured it all and turned it into a truly captivating story。 Although the book reads like a classic murder mystery and leaves the reader curious of the outcome， one thing is clear from the moment the farmers get bail， no justice will be found here – as is often the case for black， economically disadvantaged victims。Where Harding succeeded was in the picture he painted of the class divide in Parys。 While one main [white] family owns most of the land in Parys and some have property on golf courses， the black people live in shacks， where young women are forced into relationships with older men for protection from crime， a victim’s mother has to walk almost 28km on foot to get to the nearest police station to information about her dead son and grave sites are so overcrowded that people easily lose where they buried a loved one。The people most affected by this incident， however， are the people the book spends the least time on。 The white farmer’s families frustrations， heartache and fears are told in incredible detail。 There was no doubt in my mind after I put the book down that， this incident completely changed their lives for the worst。 It almost begged my sympathy for them and their families – like this incident was some unjust event that had befallen them， yet it wasn’t。 It was the actions of the Van der Weshuizen clan and their cruelty that got them into a near five-year long trial where they feared a life in jail。The victims: Samuel Tjixa and Simon Jubeba’s families， Samuel’s mother， Ruth Qokotha， his girlfriend Naledi and his brother’s Elias and Lawrance， Simon Jubeba’s sisters， Susan， Dimakatso and Jemina， his aunt Selina and grandmother Norma and his friends Ricard and Bab Mbele – it was the full extent of their pain and suffering that wasn’t explored in its entirety。In addition to the violent poverty and economic abuse they already suffered in their day-to-day life， this trial added a weight of grief and dehumanization that they honestly didn’t deserve。 They were used by political parties， the media and ultimately failed by the law。They had to sit through court proceedings where their closest family members were stripped of their humanity and their names were often forgotten， mixed up or mispronounced。 They were dragged through a 5-year trial to where they often didn’t even have enough money to attend。 They suffered bitterly and yet Harding was unable to truly convey this pain as much as he did with the farmer’s families。 Black pain – whether physical， emotional or psychological – is often hard to understand when you’re not black， it’s incredibly difficult to fathom suffering at that level。 Unfortunately， this shortcoming was evident in how Harding narrated this story。 。。。more
Zak
，
One of the most difficult books I've ever read。 Really well written， but brings home so strongly that these horrific situations exist just down the road， and still exist - It removes all possible levels of abstraction。 Really balanced as well - Both in the fear that farmers live in， and the horrific un-human way that （these farmers） saw fellow human beings。 It raises all sorts of very visceral challenges about the country we live in - Should really be mandatory reading for all of us。 One of the most difficult books I've ever read。 Really well written， but brings home so strongly that these horrific situations exist just down the road， and still exist - It removes all possible levels of abstraction。 Really balanced as well - Both in the fear that farmers live in， and the horrific un-human way that （these farmers） saw fellow human beings。 It raises all sorts of very visceral challenges about the country we live in - Should really be mandatory reading for all of us。 。。。more
J Hall
，
There were so many high hopes when the statesmanship of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu seemed to set South Africa on a good path。 This book demonstrates that those hopes were misplaced。 The horrors of wide-spread violence and other crime are here demonstrated with no justice for the victims nor for their families。 The incompetence of the police and judicial systems suggest that things are not going to get better。I should have liked a final chapter to wrap up how things finished， other than that There were so many high hopes when the statesmanship of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu seemed to set South Africa on a good path。 This book demonstrates that those hopes were misplaced。 The horrors of wide-spread violence and other crime are here demonstrated with no justice for the victims nor for their families。 The incompetence of the police and judicial systems suggest that things are not going to get better。I should have liked a final chapter to wrap up how things finished， other than that it is an excellently told story。 。。。more
Christopher McKeon
，
Like a South African version of In Cold Blood， Andrew Harding’s account of the fallout from killing of two black men in a dusty Free State field is a gripping tale。But， more impressively， it is also an exploration of modern South Africa despite his conscious decision to make no explicit “state of the nation” claims。 Without ever preaching or editorialising - without ever allowing his own voice to intrude at all - Harding paints a picture of a fractured nation that has fallen short of Mandela’s o Like a South African version of In Cold Blood， Andrew Harding’s account of the fallout from killing of two black men in a dusty Free State field is a gripping tale。But， more impressively， it is also an exploration of modern South Africa despite his conscious decision to make no explicit “state of the nation” claims。 Without ever preaching or editorialising - without ever allowing his own voice to intrude at all - Harding paints a picture of a fractured nation that has fallen short of Mandela’s optimistic dream of 1994。 On the one hand we have the white farmers， perhaps justifiably afraid in their remote， vulnerable homesteads， but who also still seem to regard black South Africans as beneath them and who can dish out a beating to two thieves without a second thought and then feel aggrieved when the police investigate after the two men wind up dead。Then there’s the police and the courts， still not functioning properly。 There’s political interference， incompetence and delays that reveal a struggling state and deprive all involved of any real justice （not to mention also contributing to the farmer’s fears that nobody will help them if they’re attacked）。And finally， the victims - two black men whose identities are lost in the trial， seemingly irrelevant beyond their status as “the deceased” to the extent that their names are repeatedly mixed up。 Their families struggle to attend the trial - some aren’t even told when the verdict will be read。 But also， while the focus of the whites is on the security of their farms and， for some， spurious claims of a “white genocide” it is still black South Africans who suffer most - poverty， crime and degradation by rich white farmers。 South Africa still has a long way to go。 。。。more
Charmaine A
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Deeply disturbing and troubling。 Living in South Africa is not for the faint hearted - and sadly this book showcases just why it is so unpleasant for everyone from any and every perspective。 What a sorry mess it is。 And indeed the author captures so many causes and reasons- whilst leaving the reader with so much to wonder about and consider。 I’m left with the view that toxic masculinity lies at the root of all this violence， aggression and hatred - which is ignited by fear。 Will this country eve Deeply disturbing and troubling。 Living in South Africa is not for the faint hearted - and sadly this book showcases just why it is so unpleasant for everyone from any and every perspective。 What a sorry mess it is。 And indeed the author captures so many causes and reasons- whilst leaving the reader with so much to wonder about and consider。 I’m left with the view that toxic masculinity lies at the root of all this violence， aggression and hatred - which is ignited by fear。 Will this country ever heal？ Probably not - greedy politicians， rampant incompetence and lawlessness will mitigate against safety， security and justice。 Not what one could classify as a happy read with a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel！ 。。。more
Zelda
，
This book reminded me of In Cold Blood by Capote。 A gripping read。
Anica
，
This was a not a nice book to read！ As a South African it is hard to read about the atrocities happening in ones own country and especially as it it based on recent events which is on going。 It is well told and accurately accounted for。
Harry Desai
，
Must read for anyone with an interest in South Africa。 *PS I actually 'read' the audio version， and feel I should read the print version to get the full value， particularly because there many characters， many with similar names。 It would be a good idea if someone would create a simple web page （the author perhaps？） to show the names and faces of the various characters， with descriptive and explanatory text。 **PPS Actually I've just found a web page connected to this book: http://www。andrew-hardi Must read for anyone with an interest in South Africa。 *PS I actually 'read' the audio version， and feel I should read the print version to get the full value， particularly because there many characters， many with similar names。 It would be a good idea if someone would create a simple web page （the author perhaps？） to show the names and faces of the various characters， with descriptive and explanatory text。 **PPS Actually I've just found a web page connected to this book: http://www。andrew-harding。com/books-1。。。 。。。more
Megan
，
I lived in this province for a year， though a good distance from the town of Parys。 Little is just in SA。
Liz Barnsley
，
These Are Not Gentle People is an utterly compelling true crime story using narrative non fiction to really dig deep and engage the reader on many emotional levels。An act of violence splits a community down the middle， Andrew Harding explores both the act and the people with an insightful eye and with various perspectives offering a bird’s eye view on character and event。 This reads like a complex thriller but this really happened and the effects on those involved comes to life within the words These Are Not Gentle People is an utterly compelling true crime story using narrative non fiction to really dig deep and engage the reader on many emotional levels。An act of violence splits a community down the middle， Andrew Harding explores both the act and the people with an insightful eye and with various perspectives offering a bird’s eye view on character and event。 This reads like a complex thriller but this really happened and the effects on those involved comes to life within the words of the author in vivid detail。A truly stunning exploration of how one moment in time has far reaching consequences， These Are Not Gentle People ultimately tells the tale of a community in flux。 It is part mystery， part courtroom drama， all intense character study and comes highly recommended from me。 。。。more
Shikara Nel
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Brilliant book！ All South African's should read this。 Brilliant book！ All South African's should read this。 。。。more
Mandy
，
A disturbing， harrowing and really quite shocking story of a crime in South Africa， and the effect it had， and no doubt still has， on the whole community， both black and white。 Two young black men are brutally attacked and killed by a group of white farmers。 Their subsequent arrest and the trial that followed are described in great detail， as are the repercussions for all involved。 I didn’t always find it an easy read as there are so many characters implicated that it was hard at times to distin A disturbing， harrowing and really quite shocking story of a crime in South Africa， and the effect it had， and no doubt still has， on the whole community， both black and white。 Two young black men are brutally attacked and killed by a group of white farmers。 Their subsequent arrest and the trial that followed are described in great detail， as are the repercussions for all involved。 I didn’t always find it an easy read as there are so many characters implicated that it was hard at times to distinguish them one from another， but nevertheless this is a minor quibble。 It’s a timely and important book， meticulously researched， and a reminder that racism is alive and well in South Africa as well as in the US。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Robert Laing
，
An outstanding example of what Tom Wolfe termed "new journalism" -- borrowing techniques from novelists， and allowing some artistic license。 By ignoring the rules beloved by newspaper subeditors， but hated by writers and readers， the BBC's South African correspondent has created a true masterpiece here。 An outstanding example of what Tom Wolfe termed "new journalism" -- borrowing techniques from novelists， and allowing some artistic license。 By ignoring the rules beloved by newspaper subeditors， but hated by writers and readers， the BBC's South African correspondent has created a true masterpiece here。 。。。more
Jane Hampson
，
I read this book and was saddened to find that poor black lives dying in a violent senseless manner still occurs in South Africa with as little concern or serious thought just as it did when I grew up there in the 1970s/1980s。 Poor black lives were taken in a brutal manner then with a lack of respect for the human factor of their lives， even their identities were not given the respect any other human in a trial would expect。 The callous manner these dead men encountered when alive did not even i I read this book and was saddened to find that poor black lives dying in a violent senseless manner still occurs in South Africa with as little concern or serious thought just as it did when I grew up there in the 1970s/1980s。 Poor black lives were taken in a brutal manner then with a lack of respect for the human factor of their lives， even their identities were not given the respect any other human in a trial would expect。 The callous manner these dead men encountered when alive did not even improve when their murder was put forth during the trial。 And yes they were murdered most brutally a body that sustains brain damage is usually encountered during an traumatic car accident， these men meet the white brutality of the farmers who might as well as have been a ten truck trailer driving over them for their bodies to have sustained the traumas they did， the justice system failed them， the medical system failed them， South Africans failed them， they deserved better if you believe all men are created equal。 。。。more
Walton
，
Powerful， forensic and fascinating。
Ruben
，
I have been on holidays to South Africa and have rarely seen a more beautiful country。 But I am so glad not to live there: good luck if you need medical help， good luck if you need the police or the legal system to defend you。 This is not only a thrilling true crime account of a gruesome double murder case， it also gives great insight in post-Apartheid South Africa in the countryside。 Two black men， presumed to have committed a so-called 'farm attack'， are caught by white farmers and a few hours I have been on holidays to South Africa and have rarely seen a more beautiful country。 But I am so glad not to live there: good luck if you need medical help， good luck if you need the police or the legal system to defend you。 This is not only a thrilling true crime account of a gruesome double murder case， it also gives great insight in post-Apartheid South Africa in the countryside。 Two black men， presumed to have committed a so-called 'farm attack'， are caught by white farmers and a few hours later are dead。 But what happened exactly and who did what？ The style of writing is matter-of-factly， but the facts speak for themselves。 Everything is politicised， everything coloured by race。 The difference between black and white is astonishing。 The incompetence of the authorities as shocking as the murder case itself。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Beata
，
In January 2016， two young black men are caught on a field near Parys， Free State in South Africa， by a group of around forty white local residents in what was called a pursuit after the attack on a white elderly farmer。 The men were beaten， viciously tortured， and died in the wake of their severe injuries。 The crowd， while not everybody was active in the physical abuse， did not stop those who were。 The book is an account of what happened to Samuel and Simon， but more importantly it reveals the In January 2016， two young black men are caught on a field near Parys， Free State in South Africa， by a group of around forty white local residents in what was called a pursuit after the attack on a white elderly farmer。 The men were beaten， viciously tortured， and died in the wake of their severe injuries。 The crowd， while not everybody was active in the physical abuse， did not stop those who were。 The book is an account of what happened to Samuel and Simon， but more importantly it reveals the complicated trial and the mutual dependency of the inhabitants in a relatively small community where people are related by blood or marriage， or by employment。 Mr Harding covers the nuances regarding the justice brought， takes us to the townships where black people live in most appalling conditions， all set against the most beautiful landscape created by a meteor which struck our planet around 2 billion years ago， now called Vredefort Dome。 Some moments were hard to read， like when the names of the victims are mixed or when they are referred to as numbers and letters， not by their names。 What a lack of respect！A shocking and tough read。*A big thank-you to Andrew Harding， Quercus Books， and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review。* 。。。more
Charlotte
，
eARC received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest reviewThese Are Not Gentle People is a true story of a murder that took place in South Africa in 2016。 Forty men gathered in a field， successful in capturing two men accused of robbing a fellow farmer。 The events over the next two hours are unclear， but it ended with the two thieves rushed to hospital where they died shortly after。 In this book， Harding examines the town， the victim's families， and the accused。 We go from eARC received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest reviewThese Are Not Gentle People is a true story of a murder that took place in South Africa in 2016。 Forty men gathered in a field， successful in capturing two men accused of robbing a fellow farmer。 The events over the next two hours are unclear， but it ended with the two thieves rushed to hospital where they died shortly after。 In this book， Harding examines the town， the victim's families， and the accused。 We go from the field， to the courtroom， looking at race in South Africa， and the motivations for the murder。Enjoy feels like the wrong word to use to describe this book， but I would definitely call it interesting。 This was a case I had never heard of before， and it definitely awakened a range of emotions in me。 I was disgusted， I wasn't sure who to trust， and at points， I was just plain confused。 The confusion is definitely a feature of the case， it appeared to me that even at the end no one really knew what had happened in the field that night， it was he said vs he said， with farmers turning on one another。 But I also felt some of the confusion could be attributed to the book。 Part of this was to do with the formating of the review copy I received， but I felt that names were dropped and I kept losing track of who was who。 There was a handy guide to the 'cast' at the start， but on an EReader it's not easy to keep flicking back and forth。One of the things I really appreciated about this book， was the time Andrew Harding spent with the victims' family， particularly Samuel's mother Ruth。 A point the book really drives home， it how little the investigation and subsequent trial focused on the victims themselves， Simon Jubeba and Samuel Tjixa， with lawyers often getting the pair confused or treating them as interchangeable。 I found the view into the live of Ruth to be somewhat harrowing， no one notified her personally of her son's death， and even when she wanted to travel to find out what happened to him she had to hitch a life， same as when she went to court for the trial。 This is in contrast to the wealthy lives of the farmers。 These Are Not Gentle People is marketed as a true story， but how much is true and how much is story is somewhat unknown。 The most frustrating thing about this story is how we will likely never know what happened to the two young men。 Even the perpetrators that claimed to be telling the truth were clearly trying to save their own skin， everyone was happy to deal what other people had supposedly done， but their own involvement was limited to watching on， or just a punch or a slap。 Whatever happened that night， it is clear that there were no innocent bystanders。 No one tried to stop what was happening， and even now it is unlikely that anyone is telling the truth。Overall I enjoyed the political aspects of this book， but I do wonder if it is somewhat exploitative of the case。 At times I forgot this was a true story， and that sort of made me feel a little uneasy。 Not quite sure how to put my feelings into words， but I think this case needed very delicate handling and this perhaps missed the mark for me。 。。。more
Sue Frances
，
At dusk， on a warm evening in 2016， a group of forty men gathered in the corner of a dusty field on a farm outside Parys in the Free State。 These Are Not Gentle People is the story of that night。The story tells us what happened next。 It is a courtroom drama and an exceptionally thrilling read。 I highly recommend it。Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book。
Lou （nonfiction fiend）
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These Are Not Gentle People is a fast-paced， important work of South African true crime and the case that has defined a nation。 Since early 2016 South Africans have become gripped by a trial that has been taking place in the small town of Parys， south of Johannesburg， where are a group of white farmers are accused of murdering two black farmhands。 The white farmers say it was a question of self-defence: the two black labourers were threatening them and their families。 The black community claim t These Are Not Gentle People is a fast-paced， important work of South African true crime and the case that has defined a nation。 Since early 2016 South Africans have become gripped by a trial that has been taking place in the small town of Parys， south of Johannesburg， where are a group of white farmers are accused of murdering two black farmhands。 The white farmers say it was a question of self-defence: the two black labourers were threatening them and their families。 The black community claim that the farmhands had simply gone to the farm to ask for unpaid wages。 The case is a microcosm of the racial， political and financial tensions that are increasingly worrying South Africans， but also a gripping character-driven tale of grief， fear and anger in a small-town community。 The truth of what actually happened has been slippery。Andrew Harding， the BBC's Africa correspondent， lives in Johannesburg。 From the moment the murders took place， Andrew has been following this case closely， interviewing everyone involved， from the accused white farmers， to the bereaved family of the black farmhands， to the female Indian magistrate， to the policemen and detectives on the trail of the truth （or not）。 He has sat through hours of the trial， and has put together a brilliantly kaleidoscopic picture of what might have happened， and who thinks what about it - weaving all these various points of view into an extraordinarily fast-paced work of true crime。 All the dialogue is meticulously based on real interviews and yet it reads like a novel。 Andrew's powers of description - of landscape， people and place - as well of his sense of a good story， are phenomenal。As a true crime enthusiast， this was a no-brainer; I knew it would get my full attention as the case is a fascinating but harrowing and terrifying one， however， what I didn't realise was that it would grab me by the throat and refuse to let go。 Even some time after finishing it， my memory of it has not diminished。 The emotional intelligence， elegance of prose， compassionate handling and determination to portray each side of the story shines through on every page， and I must admit it was also completely riveting and intricately detailed too。 It's clear Harding has carried out extensive research into the case and its racial， financial and political complications and the implications for wider society in South Africa。 If you enjoy true crime then I cannot recommend this highly enough; it is an absolute must-read which has so much more to it in terms of nuance and depth than merely its page-turning qualities。 Many thanks to MacLehose Press for an ARC。 。。。more
Andrew W Riddick
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 To read a book well written in September， whose latest chapter was in May is amazing in itself。 To find yourself half way around the world feeling for all sides of the story， both those who are good and the others likely very bad， attests to the authors ability to portray all the characters as humans - and all as victims in their own way， however unpleasant some are。 But in a world of CSI and all the crime thrillers out there， this reveals in all its clarity the challenges of finding truth。 A te To read a book well written in September， whose latest chapter was in May is amazing in itself。 To find yourself half way around the world feeling for all sides of the story， both those who are good and the others likely very bad， attests to the authors ability to portray all the characters as humans - and all as victims in their own way， however unpleasant some are。 But in a world of CSI and all the crime thrillers out there， this reveals in all its clarity the challenges of finding truth。 A terrible evil was committed。 Samuel and Simon should still be alive。 Someone should be in jail。 But real life is never as clear cut as an hour’s episode of a TV series。 A very good book。 。。。more
Andrew Holmes
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