Up Against The Fences (Signed)

Up Against the Fences is a significant sociopolitical study that examines the realities of apartheid-era South Africa through the lens of urbanization, social change, and race relations. Edited by respected scholars Herman Giliomee and Lawrence Schlemmer, this 1985 volume brings together a range of essays and empirical research exploring how apartheid policies shaped the lives, movements, and aspirations of South Africans living “up against the fences” — both figuratively and literally.

The book provides a detailed look at the struggles and adaptations of communities confined by restrictive laws and economic inequality, offering sharp academic insight into housing, labor, and political resistance in urban and rural contexts. Rich in data yet accessible in tone, it remains a vital historical and analytical resource for understanding the dynamics of segregation and reform during a pivotal period in South Africa’s transformation.

This copy, signed by co-editor Lawrence Schlemmer, adds a distinctive personal connection to one of the leading voices in South African sociology. For collectors, historians, or scholars of social and political change, Up Against the Fences stands as a compelling and authentic record of a nation on the brink of profound transformation.