Prisoners of Jan Smuts - Italian Prisoners of War in South Africa in WWII

Karen Horn

Summary

Equally skilled in a variety of trades other than in the art of love, the Italian prisoners of war (POWs) who were incarcerated in South Africa during the Second World War are a source of great fascination to this day. Who were these men? And what made some of them attempt dramatic escapes, while others wanted to stay behind after the war?
The first Italian POWs arrived in the Union of South Africa in early 1941, most of them being held in Zonderwater Camp outside Cullinan or in work camps across the country. The government of Jan Smuts saw them as a source of cheap labour that would contribute to harvesting schemes, road-building projects such as the old Du Toit's Kloof Pass between Paarl and Worcester and even to prickly-pear eradication schemes.
Prisoners of Jan Smuts recounts the stories of survival and shenanigans of the Italian POWs in the Union through the eyes of five prisoners who had documented their experiences in memoirs and letters. While many POWs seemed to appreciate the opportunities to gain new skills, others clung to the Fascist ideas they had grown up with and refused to work
.
Many opted to remain in South Africa once the war had ended, forging quite a legacy. These included sculptor Edoardo Villa, who left an important mark in the local and international art world, and businessman Aurelio Gatti, who built an ice-cream empire whose gelato was to delight generations of South Africans.

Available since: 04/10/2024.

Print length: 272 pages.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Other books that might interest you

Racial Emotion at Work -...

Tristin K. Green

This timely book unravels race and emotion in the workplace—exploring why racial emotion is often left out of equity conversations and why we must confront it. 
 
 
 
Racial Emotion at Work is an invitation to understand our own emotions and associated behaviors around race—and much more. With this surprising and timely book, Tristin K. Green takes us beyond diversity trainings and other individualized solutions to discrimination and inequality in employment, calling for sweeping changes in how the law and work organizations treat and shape racial emotions. 
 
 
  
Green provides listeners with the latest research on racial emotions in interracial interactions and ties this research to thinking about discrimination and disadvantage at work. We see how our racial emotions can result in discrimination, and how our institutions—the law and work organizations—value and skew our racial emotions in ways that place the brunt of negative consequences on people of color. It turns out we need to reset our institutional and not just our personal radars on racial emotion to advance racial justice. Racial Emotion at Work shows how we can rise to the task.

Show book

The Easy Way to Quit Cocaine -...

Allen Carr, John Dicey

LISTEN TO THIS AUDIOBOOK AND BECOME HAPPILY COCAINE-FREE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Are you losing yourself because of your addiction to cocaine? Is it hurting your relationships, self-esteem and sense of fulfilment? Allen Carr's Easyway method will set you free from the tyranny of cocaine and enable you to get your life back!

Allen Carr's Easyway method is a global phenomenon - a clinically proven and 100% drug-free treatment for nicotine addiction which has since been successfully applied to a host of addictions and behavioural issues. This audiobook applies that tried-and-tested method to the problem of cocaine addiction, giving you a structured, easy-to-follow method for getting free from cannabis painlessly and immediately.

The ingenious thing about the Easyway method is that it doesn't rely on willpower. Instead it works by unravelling the cognitive brainwashing behind your addiction. This means that you will not only be set free from cocaine but you will also find it easy and even enjoyable to quit.

• No willpower, aids, substitutes or gimmicks necessary
• No anxiety, depression, or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms
• Effective for anyone who consumes cocaine, in any form

This audiobook is designed to help busy people, who appreciate clear no-nonsense guidance. Simply listen, follow the steps and become a happy, cannabis-free person for the rest of your life.

What people say about Allen Carr's Easyway method:

"Allen Carr's international bestseller...has helped countless people quit."
Time Out New York

"His skill is in removing the psychological dependence."
The Sunday Times

Show book

Summary of Intelligent Design...

Dan Anghel

Intelligent Design: The Final Proof of God By Dan Anghel, MD Can quantum physics and philosophy prove the existence of God? In this groundbreaking exploration, Dr. Dan Anghel bridges the gap between science and spirituality to present a compelling argument for the existence of a higher power. Intelligent Design: The Final Proof of God delves deep into the mysteries of quantum physics and philosophical thought, tackling profound questions about free will, determinism, and the nature of the soul. Examining the essence of consciousness, Dr. Anghel argues that artificial intelligence systems cannot attain true consciousness or free will due to the inherent limitations of physics in the material world. This perspective challenges current assumptions about AI and its potential, offering a fresh viewpoint rooted in both scientific understanding and spiritual insight. Confronting the age-old problem of evil, he offers innovative solutions that challenge conventional wisdom while maintaining the utmost respect and ethical consideration. His out-of-the-box perspective on God invites readers to rethink traditional beliefs and embrace a more expansive understanding of the divine. Drawing from his own near-death experience, Dr. Anghel enriches his scientific and philosophical discourse with personal revelation. Throughout the book, he shares simple yet profound Christian and philosophical quotes that illuminate complex concepts and inspire thoughtful reflection. Discover a harmonious blend of science, philosophy, and spirituality that offers new proof of God's existence and invites you on a transformative journey of understanding.

Show book

Day That Will Live in Infamy A:...

Editors Charles River

All Americans are familiar with the “day that will live in infamy.” At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, the advanced base of the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet, was ablaze. It had been smashed by aircraft launched by the carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. All eight battleships had been sunk or badly damaged, 350 aircraft had been knocked out, and over 2,000 Americans lay dead. Indelible images of the USS Arizona exploding and the USS Oklahoma capsizing and floating upside down have been ingrained in the American conscience ever since. In less than an hour and a half the Japanese had almost wiped out America’s entire naval presence in the Pacific.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Japanese and American negotiators had been continuing their diplomatic efforts to stave off conflict in the region, but as they did, President Roosevelt and his inner circle had seen intelligence reports strongly suggesting an imminent attack - though they did not know where. The U.S. rightly believed that Japan would take action to prevent the Americans from interfering with their military activities in Southeast Asia, and American military forces in the Philippines were already bracing for a potential attack. However, as the negotiations were ongoing, the powerful Japanese carrier fleet had been surging southwards through the Pacific while maintaining radio silence, preparing to strike the blow that would ignite war in an area spanning half the globe.
Posted on the other side of the world, it was early on the morning of December 8 in the Philippines when American general Douglas MacArthur received news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor hours earlier. With that, it could only be a matter of time before the Japanese attacked the Philippines. Although MacArthur and Allied forces tried to hold out, they could only fight a delaying action, and the Japanese managed to subdue all resistance by the spring of 1942.

Show book

Your Life Is in God's Hands!

Pastor Philip

The story of King Hezekiah reminds us that we should not wait until tomorrow to do what we can do today. Don't waste the time He has given you. Do something meaningful with your life to give God a reason to keep you alive! Glorify God with your life today and He will enable you to do it again tomorrow. Your life is not yours to do with as you please. It is God's gift to you! The song at the end of the sermon "Wonderful Grace", sung by Chey, gives the listener time to reflect on Pastor Philip's message.

Show book

Triumphant Fox - Erwin Rommel...

Samuel W Mitcham

A military historian examines the strategic cunning of Erwin Rommel’s first campaign in North Africa during WWII. The legend of “The Desert Fox,” German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, was forged in the North African desert conflicts of World War II. It was here, as commander of Germany’s Afrika Korps, that Rommel ignored orders from German High Command and launched his infamous West Desert campaign into Cyrenaica, now eastern Libya.  Driving his exhausted Panzer forces with his indomitable will, Rommel swept through North Africa, where he brought the British Eighth Army to the brink of defeat. Although ultimately curtailed by supply shortages and logistics problems, Rommel nearly claimed the entire region for Hitler. In this stirring account of Rommel’s first campaign, Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr. takes the reader into his subject's strategy, mindset and viewpoints.

Show book