French journalist and humanitarian Lapierre has authored and co-authored several New York Times bestsellers, including Is Paris Burning?, O Jerusalem, Freedom at Midnight, and The City of Joy. In his latest text, he provides a fascinating account of the human element in the history of South Africa, from the first Dutch settlers in the mid 1600s to the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994. The text is based on extensive personal research and contains much information that has not been previously published. Originally published in French as Un arc-en-ciel dans la nuit in 2008; English translation provided by British translator, Kathryn Spink. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)