When a burning sun dips low enough on the horizon to touch the brown-black earth, that is when South Africa is at its very best – a blazing expanse of broad landscapes of sea and veld, dusty savanna and equally dusty pavements. It is a vast country, extending from pristine coastal plain to rugged mountain passes across wide stretches of semidesert and forest, hills and valleys. Even travelling South Africans are unprepared for the sheer scale and enormous diversity of this grand landscape.

Every day, everywhere, there are new sights to behold and new experiences to share – a graceful old Cape Dutch homestead set against lush vineyards, blue-purple mountains, a bird on a wire. It is the sun, the sand, the textures, the colours and the sounds that conjure up the spirit of South Africa. This volume is a fine tribute to the country, its people and its land- and cityscapes. This is the face of the nation – the essence of South Africa.

This is Botswana takes the reader on a panoramic journey of discovery – from the arid vastness of the Kalahari Desert to the lush waterways of the Okavango Delta. It is a compelling visual essay on the country, its people and its wildlife. More than 250 stunning photographs provide an exciting and diverse overview of the country. These are complemented by a detailed introductory text that both establishes historical perspective and offers insight into the realities of a country moving hesitantly, but with hope, into a challenging future.

The Cape Town Book presents a fresh picture of the Mother City, one that brings together all its stories. From geology and beaches to forced removals and hip-hop, Nechama Brodie, author of the best-selling The Joburg Book, has delved deeply into the hidden past of Cape Town to emerge with a lucid and compelling account of South Africa’s first city, its landscape and its people.

The book’s 14 chapters trace the origins and expansion of Cape Town – from the City Bowl to the southern and coastal suburbs, the vast expanse of the Cape Flats and the sprawling northern areas.

Offering a nuanced, yet balanced, perspective on Cape Town, the book includes familiar attractions like Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch and the Company’s Garden, while also giving a voice to marginalised communities in areas such as Athlone, Langa, Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha.

Many of the images in the book have never been published before, and are drawn from the archives of museums, universities and public institutions. This beautifully illustrated, information-rich book is the definitive portrait of the wind-blown, contradictory city at the southern tip of Africa that more than three million people call home.