Jock of the Bushveld (abridged edition)
1st Edition
Published on 28. September 2012
978-0-14-352872-2 (ISBN)
Description
'I began to notice little things about him that no one else noticed, and got to be quite fond of the little beggar ...perhaps it was because he was always cheerful and plucky and it seemed as if there might be some good stuff in him after all.' Before the turn of the twentieth century, when the lure of gold was bringing men from all corners of the earth to the Transvaal, a young man from Cape Town goes to the Lydenburg goldfields to seek his fortune. On realising that a good hunting dog would be a great advantage in the Bushveld, he decides to find himself a puppy - but to all his companions' astonishment, it's not the prettiest or the strongest puppy that catches his eye. Instead, he chooses an ugly little bull-terrier called Jock, the runt of the litter, who eventually surprises everyone by growing up to become one of the most famous hunting dogs in South African history. With his master, Jock shares the excitement of a transport rider's life; they become close companions and all Jock's skill and intelligence are needed in many thrilling and dangerous encounters with big game.
Through the story of Jock and his master, a vivid picture of the Bushveld unfolds, as together they discover its birds and beasts and men. Now regarded as a classic, Jock of the Bushveld is still as fresh and exciting as it was when it was first told.
Through the story of Jock and his master, a vivid picture of the Bushveld unfolds, as together they discover its birds and beasts and men. Now regarded as a classic, Jock of the Bushveld is still as fresh and exciting as it was when it was first told.
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
South Africa
Publishing group
Penguin Random House South Africa
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 9 to 12 years
Product notice
Reflowable
File size
0,39 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-14-352872-2 (9780143528722)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Jock of the Bushveld was first published in 1907 and was an instant and great success. Since then it has been read by thousands in many countries and has become a classic among animal stories. It is a long book and a certain amount of the back-ground information and explanations are not as necessary now as they were for readers of seventy odd years ago; besides, the history of that period has appeared in detail in biographies and other works of history. We recently organised the publication of my father's biography entitled The First South African by A P Cartwright (Purnell & Son) which gives all the details of his life including the period covered in Jock. Thus, the preface and first two chapters have been left out entirely and the book now starts with the birth of Jock and moves fairly quickly from his puppyhood to his adventures. Only one incident has been retained from the original second chapter: the story of Jim's capture of the lion cub. This is essential to his character build-up and has been put into the chapter 'Jim Makokel' '. All the remaining chapters have been included, but the longer ones have been rearranged, and long paragraphs and sentences shortened. The glossary has been revised, and is now headed 'Bushveld Words and Pictures'. We asked Dolores Fleischer to do the abridgement and she has, in my view, done a marvellous job with sympathy and humility. I feel it is no small undertaking to abridge a literary work of this standing, and she has managed to retain a complete picture of Bushveld life as my father drew it, and to maintain the atmosphere and sensitivity of the original.
