In her first openly personal book, Marianne Thamm delves deeply into her own unconventional life story.

Her German father fought for Hitler and designed munitions for Verwoerd. He married her Portuguese mother in England, where she was working as a cleaner. Thamm, an outspoken gay feminist and political activist, grew up tough amid Afrikaans neighbours in Pretoria’s less salubrious suburbs. Today she is a leading South African journalist and the proud mother of two teenagers …

Thamm’s story is the story of a father and a daughter, of the ghosts of history, of family and forgiveness. But it is also the story of the last century, of the defeat of fascism and bigotry and a new era ushered in by Nelson Mandela. Sad at times, deeply moving and, like Thamm, hugely entertaining, this genre-defying book has created a buzz even before publication. It will attract massive attention.

About the author

Marianne Thamm is a top-selling author, comedian and commentator-at-large. She has written several successful books, including the recently filmed I Have Life, Alison Botha’s story. Thamm’s following is huge, and she has a presence across media including online and television. She is known in particular for her in-depth, off-beat journalism. She is assistant editor at The Daily Maverick.

Hitler, Verwoerd, Mandela And Me: A Memoir of Sorts is published by Tafelberg Publishers