BOOK REVIEWS129The Land is Bright: A Special Report to the National Arts Foundation onthe State of the Arts in Rhodesia 1973, with Some Proposals for Their1974, 159pp., Rh$l,75.The Story of Reps: The History of Salisbury Repertory Players By R, CarySalisbury, Galaxie Press, 1975, 240pp., Rh$5,5O.These two books ostensibly share little in the way of subject matter, as Jack-son's is a report on the contemporary scene and Gary's is a history of oneorganisation; but they are in a sense complementary, for Jackson's surveygives a context of activity in the arts in which the detailed account of thegenesis and development of Rhodesia's foremost dramatic society offered byCary may be more fully appreciated.As Jackson acknowledges in his Introduction, his survey commissionedby the National Arts Foundation of Rhodesia, 'has had to be carried out,assessed, programmed and costed in about five months'. For a work that isso far-reaching in its coverage and executed at such speed. The Land is Brightis a remarkable achievement; its defects are largely those of haste. Jacksonbegins with a comparative study of aid for the arts in Canada, Australia,New Zealand, and the Republic of South Africa, Then under the successiveheadings of Art, Ballet, Arts Councils, Music in Education, Theatre, Theatrein Education, Literature, Poetry, and Festivals he describes and evaluates theactivities of no less than 48 societies, institutions, and promotional organisa-tions. Thereafter he assesses the contribution to the arts of 13 Municipalitiesand 3 maior public bodies. A brief chapter on 'Housing for the Arts' is givento the physical requirements of the arts for the present and in terms of futureexpansion. Jackson concludes with a 'Summary of Proposals', 29 in all- Thereis an Appendix which gives the names and addresses of organisations con-nected with the arts.As its title indicates, The Land is Bright offers a cheerful and encouragingpicture of cultural activity in a country struggling against considerable odds:likewise, its prognostications are, in the main, optimistic. Much of the bookmanifests Jackson's firm grasp of fact and clarity of insight. However, it is un-fortunate that his few asperic moments are also his least informed; theseoccur chiefly where he arms the sling of the David of Bulawayo against theGoliath of Salisbury and where he attacks those large institutions which heterms 'Titans'. He reveals the fabled British sympathy for the underdog, atrait which, though admirable on the field of battle, has little justification ina work of this nature. Nevertheless, his adverse criticisms are not entirelywithout foundation; one could only wish that they were more evenly dis-tributed. The Land is Bright is much more readable than one might expecta survey of this kind to be and will form a useful basis for future researchersinto the arts in this country.In The Story of Reps, Cary recounts the history of the Salisbury Reper-tory Players from the foundation of the society in 1931 up to 1975. He beginswith some pre-history; Chapter I offers a racy and thoroughly entertainingaccount of social life in Salisbury before there was a Reps. Witty, anecdotal,and often seemingly irrelevant, this chapter epitomises Cary's approach: oneis reminded of those prose writers of the Renaissance who would unashamedlydigress in the interest of a good story and who are today the more readablefor it. However, the irrelevancies in Cary's book are apparent rather than real:for example, his quotation from an advertisement inserted in The RhodesiaHerald of January 1931 by a prominent motor company ('Our service isI3OBQOK REVIEWS100% European labour. No natives employed or allowed in the workshop.')prepares one for a later chapter describing the mentality with which Repswas later to grapple in the society's battle with the authorities over attend-ance by Africans and, ultimately, over African membership.The Story of Reps is largely a story of personalities. This is fitting be-cause Reps has been moulded by the influence of a few dominant individuals.The Story proper begins in Chapter II with the youthful zest of ChristineCollings, to whom the book is dedicated, the young Rhodesian who returnedfrom her studies in England with a headful of ideas; the life which she andher immediate associates, Dr Paul Anning and Joan Rankin, infused into thenascent theatrical world of Salisbury is projected forcefully and movingly byCary. Later chapters recount the financial tribulations of Reps until com-paratively recent times, the growth of the society and the critical, even agoniz-ing, decisions on matters of policy which accompanied changes in the charac-ter of Salisbury. Many of the productions over the years are succinctly evalu-ated, often with a spicy (but never uncharitable) account of intrigue behindthe scenes. One of the most serious points reiterated through the book is theconstant intention of Reps, from its inception, to fill the need in Salisburyfor drama that is more than frivolous entertainment; Cary protests Š toomuch, some might think Š that the sneer of 'box office' success cannot belevelled at Reps. Among the personalities who dominate the pages of thebook in turn are George Barnes, Dr John Keeling, and the society's profes-sional Director Adrian Stanley. They are drawn with sureness of touch byCarv. who is himself a founder member of Reps, as well as an experiencedauthor.If Gary's special qualification for writing this book, his intimate associa-tion with Reps, is his strength, it is also his weakness. There are momentswhen he expends more energy than is due to minor events and petty criseswhich are simply boring to anyone who was not involved in them. But theseare infrequent blemishes on a book that must be read by anyone who isgenuinely interested in the history of theatre in this country.Cary and the publishers must be congratulated jointly on the excellentappearance of the book, which is set in clear and attractive type, and for theprofusion of well-chosen photographs, which are excellently reproduced.University of RhodesiaC. J. WORTHAMA Service to the Sick: A History of the Health Services for Africans in South-ern Rhodesia (1890-1953) Bv M. Gelfand. Gwelo, Mambo Press, 1976.187pp., 44 Photographs, Rh$6,50.This book, the first of a new series entiled 'Zambeziana', has been written bythe Professor of Medicine in the University of Rhodesia. This series, under theGeneral Editorship of Professor R. S. Roberts, Professor of History at theUniversity of Rhodesia, aims to 'focus on various aspects of culture and ofdevelopment of society in Central Africa'. The author is already well knownin the field of medicine in Southern Africa and has also published manyworks concerning historical aspects of medical practice.The book, published in both soft and hard covers, describes the develop-ment of the health services in Southern Rhodesia from 1890 onwards in 17chapters. There is a masterly foreword by Dr Dyson M. Blair, the last Federal