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An acclaimed and deeply researched social history of South Africa, The Seed is Mine chronicles the extraordinary life of Kas Maine, a black sharecropper who survived war, poverty, racial oppression, and economic upheaval across nearly a century.
1 in stock
The Seed is Mine by renowned South African historian Charles van Onselen is widely regarded as one of the most important works of South African social history ever published. Through painstaking archival research and oral history, van Onselen reconstructs the remarkable life of Kas Maine, a black sharecropper whose experiences spanned the Anglo-Boer War, segregation, industrialisation, and the rise of modern apartheid South Africa.
Far more than a conventional biography, this landmark work offers a vivid portrait of rural life on the South African highveld during a period of immense social and political transformation. Kas Maine emerges as a resilient and determined figure navigating systems designed to marginalise black farmers and labourers. The Seed is Mine reveals the complexities of land ownership, labour relations, family life, migration, farming practices, and survival under oppressive racial policies.
Van Onselen’s writing combines academic rigour with literary depth, making the book accessible to both historians and general readers interested in Africana, political history, rural studies, and African biography. The Seed is Mine has received international acclaim for its contribution to understanding the lived realities behind South Africa’s historical landscape.
This 1996 David Philip paperback edition remains highly sought after among collectors of Africana, university researchers, and readers interested in Southern African history. A foundational title for anyone building a serious South African history collection.
Condition – Very Good
1996 paperback. Covers remain clean and bright with light general shelf wear. Binding is sound and internally clean overall. Gift inscription in ink on the endpaper. A well-preserved and presentable copy.
