MAN OF BEES (Oliver Stuart York)
R 48.75 (Effective price if returned)
Please see full description below:
Estimated delivery times: 2-3 working days (Gauteng), 4-5 working days (Rest Of SA).
Exact shipping estimates vary by courier option chosen on the checkout page
Read & Return. Qualifying books can be returned within 30 days of purchase for a guaranteed 35% of the paid price back in ReadMatter credit.
Pickup available at JHB North East Pickup Point Usually ready in 2-4 days
Pickup available
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JHB North East Pickup Point
Pickup available, usually ready in 2-4 days
63 Dunrobin Street
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Sydenham
Johannesburg
Gauteng
2192
South Africa
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MAN OF BEES (Oliver Stuart York)
Medium Paperback
Oliver Stuart York's Man of Bees is a cracking good read: an African thriller that proves that few people are truly bad or good. Not since Wild Geese has a writer from Zimbabwe produced an edge of the seat tale that keeps you turning the pages late into the night and it has the added advantage of being an apparently true story.
Part one is the best-balanced account of the bush war I have read. I particularly liked the bit when African bushcraft outwits Western military might. And the account of a Zanla camp that might have been Chimoio will have greybeards of both colours shaking their heads.
York has a remarkable understanding of what it was like to be a guerrilla, living in the bush like a wild animal and how young Rhodesian men felt being called up to fight a war in which the numbers were stacked against them.
Dhina, the Man of Bees, is a heart-warming character. He survived losing his job, his family and then the civil war with enviable equanimity and it is his genuine warmth, which reaches out to help strangers, that makes him endearing. Then his understanding of his environment and how to use it to best advantage makes fascinating reading and is the key advantage of Zanla's most feared group of insurgents.
In the second part York, a British orphan adopted and brought to Rhodesia returns to newly independent Zimbabwe after an enriching stint on the North Sea oil rigs. He buys a small engineering works with his savings and rents a house next door to the Kufas: he is a colonel in the newly created Zimbabwe National Army and the household includes Tsitsi, a pretty blonde, blue-eyed child who is drawn to York and his swimming pool.
How did she end up with the Kufas? What is her future: how well do they care for her or is she the Cinderella of the household, paying for white supremacy and Ians Smith's vow that no black would rule Rhodesia in 1,000 years? Her story forms the backbone of the book, linking back to the earlier section and taking the tale onto three continents. The tension is relentless and the denouement totally unexpected.
We do not measure every book by hand but instead use the size table below and AI to list the size. Please note that US and UK sizes may differ slightly; where applicable, we provide dimensions for both. If you would like the exact size of a book, please WhatsApp us, and we will be happy to measure it for you.
| Format | Colloquially Called | Typical Dimensions (cm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format A | Small | 10.8 x 17.5 cm | Mass-market paperback, pocket-sized format. |
| Format B | Medium | UK: 12.9 x 19.8 cm US: 13.2 x 20.3 cm |
Medium paperback size, used in both UK and US editions. |
| Format C | Large | UK: 13.8 x 21.6 cm US: 14.0 x 21.6 cm |
Demi-size, often used for trade paperbacks in UK and US. |
| Extra Large | Extra Large | Greater than 14.0 x 21.6 cm | Larger books, including oversized trade paperbacks or hardcovers. |
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Format A
Colloquially Called: Small
Typical Dimensions: 10.8 x 17.5 cm
Description: Mass-market paperback, pocket-sized format.
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Format B
Colloquially Called: Medium
Typical Dimensions: UK: 12.9 x 19.8 cm
US: 13.2 x 20.3 cmDescription: Medium paperback size, used in both UK and US editions.
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Format C
Colloquially Called: Large
Typical Dimensions: UK: 13.8 x 21.6 cm
US: 14.0 x 21.6 cmDescription: Demi-size, often used for trade paperbacks in UK and US.
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Extra Large
Colloquially Called: Extra Large
Typical Dimensions: Greater than 14.0 x 21.6 cm
Description: Larger books, including oversized trade paperbacks or hardcovers.
This is a high-level condition guideline. If you would like more information about a specific book's condition, please WhatsApp us. Please note that book clubs are one of our main avenues for sourcing books, and as such, names and book club notes are allowed on all conditions from "As New" downwards and may not always be explicitly mentioned. Please look carefully at the pictures of the book to assess its condition. Any other notable defects, aside from those in the "Key Features" column, will be listed above in the "At a Glance" column under "Observations."
| Condition | RM Rating | Description | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand New | 10/10 | Completely new and unread. | Crisp pages, no marks, and no signs of wear. |
| As New | 9/10 | Almost brand new; typically in read-once condition. | No visible damage, but may have small marks or the previous owner's name. |
| Excellent | 8/10 | Lacks the crispness of a new book, but no major damage. | Clean and intact; very slight creasing on spine. |
| Very Good | 7/10 | Good condition with some signs of wear. | Slight spine concavity, off-white pages, and small bends on corners. |
| Good | 6/10 | More wear but still usable and readable. | Creased spine, yellowing pages, curling corners. |
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Condition: Brand New
RM Rating: 10/10
Description: Completely new and unread.
Key Features: Crisp pages, no marks, and no signs of wear.
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Condition: As New
RM Rating: 9/10
Description: Almost brand new; typically in read-once condition.
Key Features: No visible damage, but may have small marks or the previous owner's name.
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Condition: Excellent
RM Rating: 8/10
Description: Lacks the crispness of a new book, but no major damage.
Key Features: Clean and intact; very slight creasing on spine.
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Condition: Very Good
RM Rating: 7/10
Description: Good condition with some signs of wear.
Key Features: Slight spine concavity, off-white pages, and small bends on corners.
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Condition: Good
RM Rating: 6/10
Description: More wear but still usable and readable.
Key Features: Creased spine, yellowing pages, curling corners.
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Born from a dream during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, ReadMatter has blossomed into one of South Africa's premier online used bookstores. Operating from three strategic depots in Gauteng, we diligently deliver hundreds of books weekly, illuminating minds, enriching souls, and bringing the joy of reading to every corner of the nation.
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