No stranger to the injustice of racial hatred in 1940s South Africa, Peekay is the only English schoolboy at an Afrikaans boarding school. Suffering at the hands of his peers he encounters amateur boxer Hoppie who inspires him with fiery ambitions.
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No stranger to the injustice of racial hatred in 1940s South Africa, Peekay is the only English schoolboy at an Afrikaans boarding school. Suffering at the hands of his peers he encounters amateur boxer Hoppie who inspires him with fiery ambitions.
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Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $14.56, good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1989 by William Heinemann Ltd.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages. Inscription on the first page, typically just a name but may include a dedication or a brief personal message.
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $41.24, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1989 by Random House.
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $54.00, fair condition, Sold by Chapter 1 Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, published 1989 by Heinemann.
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $57.00, fair condition, Sold by Chapter 1 Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, published 1989 by Heinemann.
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Seller's Description:
Fair in Poor jacket. Size: 9x6x1; 506 pages (complete). Dust jacket torn, creased and marked. Boards edge worn, old tape residue marks and marked. Tanning, stained. However, it is still in fair condition, tightly bound and intact. 1st edition. Mk.
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $58.00, fair condition, Sold by Chapter 1 Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, published 1989 by Heinemann.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. No Jacket. Boards are rubbed, edge worn and knocked. spine is a bit torn. foxing, staining and marks. ownership inscriptions. fair binding and condition. [S. K]
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $67.00, fair condition, Sold by Chapter 1 Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, published 1989 by Heinemann, London.
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Seller's Description:
Fair in Poor jacket. 506 pages (complete). The dustjacket has a clear cellophane protective cover. The dj is worn, torn, scuffed and marked. It is nonetheless vivid and secure. The boards are sober, worn from shelving and lightly tanned about the edges. The spine has user creasing and wear. The page-edges are tanned. This has seeped to the pages providing an edge of tanning. The pages have evidence of use throughout. Yet, they are tight, clear, clean, sure, comfortable. fk.
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $82.00, poor condition, Sold by Chapter 1 Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, published 1989 by Heinemann, London.
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Seller's Description:
Poor in Poor jacket. 506 pages (complete). In very poor condition. The cover is damaged at the head and foot of the spine. The dustjacket is marked, worn and torn. However, both the dj and cover are strong and secure. The dj is whole and entire. The cover is heroic. Inside, the contents are firmly affixed and clear. The frontispage has a previous owner inscription. The back pages have small areas of staining. Otherwise, the pages are clean, wholesome, sure and may be read with complete confidence and reassurance. fk.
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $92.00, good condition, Sold by Chapter 1 Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, published 1989 by Heinemann, London.
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Seller's Description:
Good in Poor jacket. 506 pages (complete). In good tight condition. The dustjacket is intact and whole and resolute. It is worn and torn but secure and sure. The blue cover is strong and healthy with mild wear to the shelving edges. The paper trims are tanned. The pages are clear, clean, tidy, neat, content and comfortable. fk.
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $122.00, fair condition, Sold by Chapter 1 Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, published 1989 by Heinemann, London.
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Seller's Description:
Fair in Fair jacket. 506 pages (complete). In fair condition. Ex reading club copy with consequent usage, annotations and wear. The dustjacket is entire and whole. There is some wear particularly to the spine. The covers are very grubby. The dj has storage rubbing. The board cover is sound. The spine is creased but not weak. There is wear to the edges, corners and spine head and foot. The frontis and end pages have adhesive tape injury. The contents are very relaxed, much evidence of usage. The paper trims have handling marks and wear. The pages are clear, sure, tight, comfortable, assured. fk.
Add this copy of The Power of One to cart. $132.00, good condition, Sold by Chapter 1 Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, published 1989 by Heinemann.
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Seller's Description:
Good in Good jacket. The jacket is edge worn and shelf rubbed. small closed tears at the edges. creased. some tanning. previous owner's inscription. tightly bound. [P.K. ]
one of the very best books i have ever read, entertaining from end to end. you go on a journey with this book, you laugh and cry but come out at the end fully entertained
paypalgirl
Oct 14, 2009
The only book i've read more than once!
A touching story of how a young boy endures the trials of racism, abandonment and violence. Inspiring!
geordietom
Feb 3, 2009
sheer excellence
This book is definitely in the top five of all the books I have ever read. Totally absorbing, it swings from humour to pathos in a manner which kept me spellbound. I am so looking forward to reading the sequel, Tandia
Raech
Aug 29, 2007
Power of One
The story of "Peekay" is a coming of age saga set in South Africa after the Boer Wars, when apartheid was enforced. As a young child, when his mother suffers a nervous breakdown, Peekay is sent to live in a boarding school dominated by Afrikaans children, or Boers. Born English and raised by an Zulu nanny, Peekay identifies with two groups of people that the Boers hate and despise. He undergoes horrific bullying from the other children (this book is not for the squeamish) and becomes focused on survival tactics. When his mother recovers, Peekay takes a train ride home that changes the course of his life. He meets a railway boxing champion who instills in him an obsessive desire to become a boxer.
As he grows up, Peekay never abandons this goal, although it puzzles and frustrates many of his family, friends and acquaintances. He finds several mentors who become very influential in his life: a German music professor and naturalist, a schoolteacher, a local librarian and several different boxing coaches, one of whom is a black man he met in prison. Being quite intelligent and easily influential, Peekay finds himself being pushed by other people's visions for his future. Some want him to become a polished scholar. His mother wants him to be a pianist. Even his best friend has ulterior motives. No one really understands his driving need to box, and to be the champion.
This is a powerful book that deals with issues of racism, oppression and prejudice. It is moving and profound. The characters are vividly depicted through riveting scenes and well-written dialog. The descriptions of boarding school, prison life, and the world of boxing make it rich indeed. It does get a bit melodramatic at times, and the ending felt rather abrupt and unexpected. The one really strange thing about the book is that you never know the protagonist's real name; only his nickname "Peekay" which he gave himself. No one ever addresses him by his original name. Perhaps the author meant this to be an underscore for the message of the book: we can each find our own inner strength in individualism; and so we know the hero only by the way he identified himself.