It was the beginning of 1976 and life was good.

White South Africans danced along to Queen and ABBA. There was huge anticipation of the pending All Black rugby tour in July – and at last South Africa had TV!

And then came the Soweto student uprising in June. It was the end of normal, setting in motion a series of events that culminated in the negotiated settlement of 1994.

MAX  DU PREEZ, born and raised in a conservative Afrikaner Christian Nationalist family, witnessed the first stones thrown on 16 June – and the first shots fired – as a young newspaper reporter. That was also the end of his normal.

In the half century since those seismic days, Du Preez has had a front-row seat to South Africa's darkest and brightest moments. The End of Normal explores how otherwise decent people came to implement and support the evil system of apartheid. He examines the long-term impact of 16 June and takes a hard look at attitudes today, in particular the recent resurgence of Afrikaner nationalism.

In this highly readable account, replete with anecdotes, confessions and revelations, Du Preez pulls no punches.