'This book investigates the man in the sharp suits that took on the presidency after the much loved Mandela.'

Charlotte Haines-Lyon reviews three books that go behind the headlines

At a time when the world seems to be hurting more than ever, it is always good to find out what is going on behind the headlines.

This selection of books does just that. A light has been cast on the mysterious Thabo Mbeki, questions asked about our attitudes to the world and the real goings on in Darfur have been explained.

Click on the title of the book to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk and part of the sale will go to Christian Aid

Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC
William Mervin Gumede, Zed Books, £16.99

Yet again South Africa is in the news for the wrong reasons; this time for violence against foreigners.

Yet again, part of the blame is being placed on Mbeki's “quiet diplomacy” approach to Zimbabwe. Yet again Mbeki's dream of leading an African renaissance seems at least postponed if not indeterminable.

This book investigates the man in the sharp suits that took on the presidency after the much loved Mandela. The insights are telling. The shenanigans involved in the battle for the ANC's leadership and soul make the current troubles of Gordon Brown seem utterly benign.

Gaffes

The, to be frank, dreadful gaffes by Mbeki and his government on HIV and AIDs are even more shocking collated in print. The relationship with Zimbabwe is in the least flawed. However Gumede shows us just how and why one of the world’s most intelligent leaders is like he is.

Mbeki's dangerously long detour with the AIDS deniers is apparently due to the man's intellectual pursuits and determination not to simply go with perceived wisdom but to seek out the truth. (Especially if it is western colonial wisdom involved.)

His autocratic style of leadership compared to Mandela's popular collaborative approach, stems from Mbeki's exile and need for secrecy when working for the ANC compared to Mandela's imprisonment and reliance on cooperation to survive.

The Zimbabwe question is equally interesting. Gumede chronicles how Mbeki is haunted by his failure to prevent Ken Saro Wiwa's execution in Nigeria. After his involvement, he was accused of being the puppet of the West, by Abacha. He is determined that he will not alienate South Africa from its neighbours again.

Far from an apology for the South African President the book is highly critical of both the ANC and Mbeki but does provide a certain sympathy at the same time. Both astute and eloquent, Gumede has provided essential reading for anybody interested in Southern Africa.

Bring On the Apocalypse
George Monbiot, Grove Atlantic, £11.99

George Monbiot rarely disappoints as an agitator for justice. His writing always provokes whilst maintaining righteousness in its factual, well researched arguments.

In this book he targets Constable's “The Cornfield”, David Bellamy, The Silver Ring Thing, God and Jeremy Clarkson to name but a few.

He picks up stories that go unnoticed such as a debate in the House of Lords regarding the apparent need for Botswana Bushmen to be liberated from their Stone Age lifestyles.

Not to mention the campaign led by Christian fundamentalists against George Bush’s request that Sharon pull tanks out of Jenin in 2002.

I should warn readers of Monbiot that is it is fact a collection of his essays and columns over the years rather than anything new but it is great to have a Monbiot compendium to dip in to. His grasp of statistics, science, economics and the world is impressive as are his linguistic skills.

I often feel intimidated by Monbiot; I just can't live up to his standards and recoil a little. However the books provide quick shots of provocation and inspiration that are easier to engage with.

Darfur: A New History of an Old War (Revised and Updated)
Julie Flint and Alex de Waal, Zed Books, £12.99

The atrocities in Darfur have simultaneously hit the headlines and rumbled on while the world watches.

Celebrities including George Clooney have claimed genocide and demanded the UN act immediately. Yet how many of us actually know what has happened in the last year let alone the last 20 years or millennia.

Flint and de Waal have brilliantly compiled this fascinating and authoritative history of the region and its relationship with its government and the wider world.

As depressing and frustrating the situation is I was intrigued by a chapter describing how aid agencies and celebrities prophesied doom in 2006. Yet things were actually improving but pressure from the campaigns in fact threatened the peace process.

The intricacies are hard to keep abreast of but the style is accessible making for a brilliant way to update yourself on the realities of Sudan.

Amazon links

Click on the title of the book to buy a copy from amazon.co.uk and part of the sale will go to Christian Aid

• Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC

• Bring On the Apocalypse

• Darfur: A New History of an Old War (Revised and Updated)