Shaking Hands with Billy: The Private Memoirs of Anthony Richard Turton
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Shaking Hands with Billy is a book that goes behind the scenes into the top secret world of the South African security force community during the build-up to the country's first democratic elections in 1994. The book reads at three different levels, because that moment in time is embedded in a set of regional dynamics, by which the author is profoundly affected, but has no direct control. This means that the book is about the integrity of a human being living in times of great uncertainty – when the questioning of orders is being dealt with by a secret death squad authorised under Project Barnacle to eliminate “own forces” – using only his deeply anchored moral compass as his guide.
Shaking Hands with Billy is thus the story of a man accepting full responsibility for his actions as a soldier turned peace-maker, while justifying those actions to the people he cares the most for – his two children and immediate family. The book is written in a deeply personal way, as a father explaining to his two children, both now adult, why he was not always there while they were growing up, in a land divided, surrounded by secrecy. The foreword is by James Workman and the prologue is by the author.
| Author | Anthony Turton |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Just Done Productions Publishing |
| Place | London |
| Year | 2010 |
| ISBN | 9781920315580 |
| Binding | Paperback |
| Condition | Very Good |
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New: Exactly as it says.
As New: Pretty much new but shows small signs of having been read; inside it will be clean without any inscriptions or stamps; might contain a remainder mark.
Very Good: Might have some creases on the spine; no hard cracks; maybe slight forward lean and short inscription inside; perhaps very minor bumping on the corners of the book; inside clean but the page edges might be slightly yellowed.
Good: A few creases on the spine, perhaps a forward lean, bumping on corners or shelfwear; maybe an inscription inside or some shelfwear or a small tear or two on the dustjacket; inside clean but page edges might be somewhat yellowed.
Fair: In overall good condition, might have a severe forward lean to the spine, an inscription, bumping to corners; one or two folds on the covers and yellowed pages; in exceptional cases these books might contain some library stamps and stickers or have neat sticky tape which was used to fix a short, closed tear.
Poor: We rarely sell poor condition books, unless the books are in demand and difficult to find in a better condition. Poor condition books are still perfect for a good read, all pages will be intact and none threatening to fall out; most probably a reading copy only.