Manna in the Desert - Limited Edition 344/1000 copies

Manna in the Desert, first published in 1920, offers a fascinating insight into life on a Great Karoo farm in the 19th century. Life experiences are brought within feeling and smelling range through the author's extraordinary powers of observation, reflection and description, his attention to detail, his thoughts about the environment and ecology decades before ecosystems were ever a buzzword, his enviable command of English, and his ability literally to turn into poetry some of his thoughts about both the mundane and the profound as he brings his 'revelation of the Great Karroo',

"Alfred Jackson's great love for the Karoo. 'where you find rest for the weary body and comfort for the troubled soul', shines through every page. With an enchanting, touching honesty he paints its vastness, isolation and harshness, its 'evil barrenness' and its bewitching beauty, interweaving it all with the story of a close-knit farming family of the mid-1800s. His aim is ' to draw men towards a right and reverent regard for nature' and his simple faith is evident from his many tributes to the Great Author. A delightful read with many a smile, a few good laughs, and also, not surprisingly, some poignant and heart-wrenching moments."

Original rexine green boards with dust cover. This second edition published 2006. Number 344 of 1000 copies. Half-title. Portrait. Title. Dedication. Contents. Preface to Second Edition. Illustrations. The Book. Preface. Supplementary. The Karroo. The Likeness of the Karroo. xxiii plus 272 pages text with supporting colour photographs, old images and data.