Kansvatter: Die rustelose lewe van Ben Viljoen

Abstract

To write a biography is a daunting task but if done correctly and fairly, it can be a
magnificent piece of historical literature. A biography, and especially an autobiography,
is a literary genre that can assist any historian to see past events directly through the eyes
of the person about whose life is being written. Some historical figures can boast a long
list of biographies due to their popularity during their lifetime or shortly after it. Others
are either merely mentioned briefly in other publications or their biographies are limited
due to a variety of external factors. When it comes to Benjamin Johannis (or is it Barend
Johannes?) Viljoen, his life story is finally explained thoroughly for the first time by the
Stellenbosch historian, Dr Carel van der Merwe.