THE STAR 100 YEARS IN JOHANNESBURG  1887-1987

This book commemorates The Star’s 100 years in Johannesburg, the maverick commercial capital of a controversial land.

The Star South Africa’s biggest daily, is itself controversial. A few years ago, after threats to curb Press freedom in South Africa, The Star adopted the challenging slogan: The Star tells it like it is.

Now comes Like It Was. This 260 page profusely illustrated book tells the city’s story as reported by it’s daily newspaper.

Johannesburg born out of history’s biggest gold rush established its centenary in 1986. The Star’s  centenary year is 1987. To celebrate it The star decided to replay the 100 years, decade by decade, in this unique and provocative book. Like It Was captures the mood of each period by using facsimiles of items lifted directly from The Star’s news pages.

The reader or the browser, for the book is for both, relives the stark dramas as well as the humour, the scandals and passions.

Like It Was is no dull history

• It traces the development of South Africas biggest city and it famous townships
• It tells the story of the motor car from the first one brought into town by horse and cart
• It traces the exciting history of aviation from Johannesburg’s perspective
• It examine society, the world of fashion, advertising, the battle of the sexes, technology, crime, theatre and sport
• The book vividly recalls the Pyrites Panic when thousands left town thinking the gold had run out, the Jameson Raid, the SA War, and such events as the Rand Rebellion when Johannesburg was bombed and the story of Pickhandle Mary
• Here is a decade by decade commentary on the black struggle for an effective political say
• See how the Star reported the events before during and after Sharpeville, and the stormy years that followed.

Like It Was is the raw stuff of history … and to remind the reader of contemporary events elsewhere there is a corner cutting on each page recording events such as the sinking of the Titanic, the rise of Germany, the bombing of Hiroshima …

Plus A supplementary encyclopaedia of Johannesburg Maps. An extensive index Johannesburg old and new in full-colour.