Miscellany

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28920, 13 June 1959, Page 3

Miscellany

Sisters of the South. By Conrad Lighton. Timmins. 340 pp. ■ Index.

On the title page of this book a descriptive sentence is quoted. “The stories are here of the pioneers; of the ships and the sheep and the stars; of the trees and fruits and flowers; of wine; and war; of grim starvation and blessed success; of peace and plenty, great endeavours and faith in the days to come.” Nothing could be more apt for this somewhat bewildering volume. “Sisters of the South” is a miscellany, perhaps a journalist’s miscellany, for many of the chapters make the reader think of special articles and feature stories. In fact, the book, though a trifle incoherent at times, is full of interesting information about South Africa and Australia and to a lesser extent New Zealand. These are the sisters of the South, and Mr Lighton sees many links of shared history and of common interest to bind them, together. He writes in an endeavour to make the connexion clear to anyone who may not have thought of it before. All the interests shared by the three countries find a place in these pages, although Rugby football receives only a fleeting mention. Mr Lighton reveals that at one stage the South African representative team was in danger of being named “The Mimosas.” New Zealanders will wonder why the All Blacks are never mentioned at aIL