JOHN GORDON DAVIS 1936-2015

John Gordon Davis, Born in Southern Rhodesia in 1936, educated and qualified as a lawyer,practised
in Rhodesia, South Africa and overseas wrote many books,mainly about Southern Africa, and a very good book, Operation Rhino.
A collectable writer with titles like 'Hold My Hand I'm Dying,The Land God Made in Anger,Seize the Reckless Wind and many others.
Check with my web site(adjacent)  www.dougfindsbooks.com  for more details.

ANDRE BRINK 1935-2015

Andre Brink, who died recently on a flight from Amsterdam to South Africa was not only a novelist of note who wrote fluently in both Afrikaans and English, but was also a Professor in both languages at the University of Cape Town.
This fluency enabled Brink to write his novels in both languages,which of course gave him international appeal.His novels were noted for their authenticity to the times in South Africa,
and his criticism of the apartheid regime led to his novel ' Kennis van die aand'  (Looking on Darkness) being the first Afrikaans writer having a book banned. He did however continue in this outspoken vein throughout his career  achieving international recognition. In the new democratic South Africa Andre Brink continued to involve himself in political issues in his novels and was also personally involved in presenting  a petition against the Secrecy Bill to Parliament,which, to this day remains unsigned by President Zuma.
He wrote over 20 novels the most notable being:-
                                                                               A Dry White Season(filmed with Marlon Brando& Donald Sutherland
                                                                                                                  
                                                                               An Act of Terror

                                                                               A Chain of Voices

Currently I have many of his novels in stock in both Afrikaans and English,  and can source others if requested .
To find out more you can source my web site by clicking on the box provided adjacent.

WRITERS OBITUARIES 2015

Having said earlier  that I would not be providing an obituary I think it worth a few lines that the following have passed away recently and deserve a mention at least.It also gives me the opportunity to write a little about them as they relate to my own web site...www.dougfindsbooks.com
They are :-
                               ANDRE BRINK

                               JOHN GORDON DAVIS

                              MARTIN GILBERT

I can say, hand on heart, that I have sold by each of them,varied though they are.

For more read on !

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD....HARPER LEE

This very collectable book which has for many years had collectors desperately searching for undiscovered 'First Editions'(c.1960)and was made into a major Hollywood award winning movies,starring Gregory Peck,. was renowned since then as the only book written by the reclusive Harper Lee and she shared that distinction with Margaret Mitchell author of 'Gone With the Wind'.
Now at the age of 89 Harper Lee has written a new novel which is shortly to be published and already rated to be a great success.
Margaret Mitchell herself who wrote 'Gone With the Wind' in 1936 has long since passed away,having been knocked down and killed by a  motor car.(I believe in Hollywood but I am not sure)However you can read a sequel to 'Gone Withe the Wind' entitled "Scarlett" by Alexandra Ripley.Also filmed as a mini-series.

COLLECT BOOKS WITH DOUG...NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLES !

  I am delighted to announce my new blog :-

                                         www.collectbookswithdoug.com

It would seem that my monthly newsletter (dougfindsbooks.com) has become increasingly popular amongst my book buyers where in  addition to announcing the new additions to my web site,I have  tried to be topical about happenings in the book world, but space has it's limitations.
Having changed the name of this blog to"collect books with Doug" I have also managed a link from my new blog to my web site   " Dougfindsbooks.com".So, if you are browsing an article on my blog,say on Andre Brink ,and you would like to know which of his books are available on my site all you have to do is to'click' on to the box on my title page and this will take you to my web site 'Home Page'.You can then order from there if you wish.
It is hoped that 'Google' permitting I can install the reverse,i.e web site to blog, in a simple way.Watch this space.
Whist I will continue to keep you informed on such matters as the 'postal strike' and so on I will now be able to advise you on the relative collectability of  both authors and their books etc etc by using the extra space that a blog gives one.For example, whilst I don't much like the idea of an obituary section for departed writers ,I do like to bring these to your notice as it does have an immediate effect on both availability and collectability. See below.
Fundamentally I would like to be informative as the life stories of the authors often as interesting and informative as the books they write(or have written)
Let me start by mentioning a few recent facts..........