Laurens van der Post (1906-1996) was born in South Africa and was a reporter, dairy farmer, soldier, writer, and television personality. Laurens was not universally loved by white South Africans, because of his criticism of segregation, racism, and oppression. He had special fondness for the Bushmen, who once inhabited southern Africa, but black and white newcomers drove them off their best lands, forcing them into the Kalahari Desert, an extremely harsh place. In 1955, Laurens did a documentary on the Bushmen for the BBC, and it was the second most popular program ever, only the queen's coronation had a bigger audience. He went on to write several books on Bushmen, including The Heart of the Hunter. Passages from this book are often quoted by writers of the counterculture, because Laurens had profound respect for the ability of simpler societies to live lightly on the Earth, with great reverence. He also had a robust contempt for modern industrial society, and he did not hesitate to express this. The power of this book lies in its rebellious and unconventional attitude. Laurens introduces us to his beloved wild Bushmen, people of "irrepressible gaiety." Bushmen were incredibly in tune with nature, and could feel the presence of unseen animals. They could sense danger from far away. They could communicate telepathically. They didn't have leaders, and they had a culture that worked. Bushmen were able to live in their ordinary manner during years of extreme drought that killed hundreds of thousands of people and cattle. Bushmen avoided all contact with the outside world, because the dominant culture treated them like subhuman vermin. The Bushmen finally got their own official home when the Central Kalahari Game Reserve was created in 1961. This Denmark-sized park was located in the middle of what is now Botswana. But diamonds were discovered on the reserve in the early `80s, and this inspired the government to remove the Bushmen from their land. In 2006, they won the right to return, but were forbidden to hunt or drink water. In 2011, they won the right to drink water. When this book was first published in 1961, Laurens did not think like the herd but was a popular and respected celebrity in Britain, and he sipped champagne with the richest and most powerful. He was the godfather of Prince William, and was sometimes referred to as "Prince Charles' guru". He was knighted in 1981, becoming Sir Laurens van der Post, an extraordinary achievement for someone who was so at odds with mainstream thinking.

I am very happy to combine postage for multiple purchases - please contact me before paying for multiple items so that I can provide a revised invoice. I do not require immediate payment on Buy It Now listings. Ebay does not automatically calculate combined postage. I will do my best to save you some $$$! However, some items are just too big and fragile to be sent combined - please ask what options I can offer before bidding. Please request a combined invoice from me directly before paying, otherwise your items will be sent separately.  Please do not select Local Pickup to avoid paying postage costs if you wish to combine postage with another item already purchased - this will result in cancellation of your order.

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