Gently into the Light: An African Story of War and Peace

As he nears the end of a long and full life, Angus McDonald finds his mind ranging widely, bringing up some thoughts he would rather avoid. He is kept awake at night, tormented by the dark and violent history of the country he loves, South Africa. In recalling both his own life and those of his forbears he is reminded of instances of cruelty and inhumanity that Angus - a self-confessed "man of peace" - finds highly disturbing. Yet ultimately it is Angus' sense of wonder at the beauty of the world and at the processes that have helped shape it over unimaginable periods of time that comes to dominate his thinking. Through his career as a geographer he has been able to pursue his interests in geology, palaeo-anthropology, meteorology, biology and history…and he looks forward to being able to pursue them further in the life to come. Angus moves towards “the light” feeling deeply grateful for his life. He finds himself saying simply “Thank you, God.”