SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- To San Francisco author Bernard Botes Kruger, the current climate of rising nationalism, detention without trial, prisoner abuse and domestic spying is "painfully" reminiscent of his youth in South Africa, where he was held in solitary confinement in a Pretoria prison for refusal to perform compulsory military service in that country's "terrorist" war. These are some of the themes that readers will discover in his compelling new historical novel, A Battlement of Spears, released by Xlibris.
The political complexities of this epic novel may come as an eye-opener to many American readers. Spanning twenty-five years and two continents, it presents a radically different insight into the root causes of that turbulent period, which has so often been oversimplified as primarily a case of racism. Schisms between different cultures of the same race sometimes ran even deeper, such as between Afrikaner and Briton. Although A Battlement of Spears is a work of fiction, it becomes evident within the first few pages that some of the events portrayed are unmistakably autobiographical, while others are too detailed and specific not to have been experienced by someone. Based, according to the author, on "countless true stories," much of it simply represents the collective consciousness of many different cultures, each desperately struggling to find its own individual identity within the borders of a single territory shared by many nations.
To Mr. Kruger, that struggle is not uniquely South African. "Echoes of those same challenges are heard even in America today," he says, "and when continually subjected to political rhetoric seeking to use preconditioned responses such as 'national security' and 'the war on terror' to justify what is, and will always be, nationalistic propaganda and destructive war, it is all too easy to surrender one's personal accountability." On the other hand, Mr. Kruger celebrates the fact that the widely divergent cultures of South Africa succeeded so admirably in setting their self-interest aside and adopting one of the most progressive constitutions on earth, implicitly recognizing eleven official languages, several royal families, and the rights of minorities. "Such a miraculous achievement," he argues, "can surely serve as a prototype for today's world in which urgent global interests supersede the territorial sovereignty of any single nation." This book will undoubtedly spark renewed debate on politics, war and terrorism, and you can order a copy online by logging on to Xlibris.com today!
About the author
Bernard Botes Kruger is a fifth-generation descendant of the legendary Anglo-Boer War President Paul Kruger. Born in 1952, he spent his formative years in a rural area designated a part of the Zulu homeland. At the age of eighteen Mr. Kruger was incarcerated in a Pretoria military prison for his refusal to perform compulsory military service, and held in solitary confinement for fifteen months. Following his release, he spent the next decade as a volunteer worker, often in remote parts of the country, living among various indigenous tribes. In 1986, eight years ahead of South Africa's historic democracy, Mr. Kruger came to the United States as an "illegal alien." After a long struggle for legitimacy, he was granted U.S. citizenship in 2001. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of South Africa and a master's from Warnborough University (Ireland).
A Battlement of Spears by Bernard Botes Kruger
Based on Countless True Stories
Publication Date: May 2, 2006
Trade Paperback; $24.99; 471 pages; 1-4257-1287-8
To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 472. Tearsheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x.876.
Xlibris books can be purchased in any major bookstore, or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders or Xlibris. For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at www.Xlibris.com.