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Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, A Psalm of Life)
You walked with me, footprints in the sand
And helped me understand where I am going
You walked with me when I was all alone,
With so much unknown along the way.
(Footprints in the Sand, sung by Leona Lewis, songwriters Simon Cowell et al)
Pioneering people, interesting places and significant events – these are the themes of the non-fiction historical books published by Footprint Press. Highly readable and entertaining, these stories are told through the eyes of the characters living at the time.
George Cory, the eminent historian whose name is embodied at the Cory Collection at the Rhodes University Library wrote these words in his introduction to Barbers of the Peak by Ivan Mitford-Barberton:
It is no more than the grateful duty of a succeeding generation to revere the memory of those who bore the heat and burden of the days long gone. But better than merely holding in one’s memories of departed heroes is the placing on permanent record the account of their lives and works.
The importance of recording history is an ancient as history itself. Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote:
Not to know what happened before we were born is to remain perpetually a child. For what is the worth of human life unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history.
And we are reminded of this too by contemporary writers. The Canadian novelist, Margaret Attwood, wrote:
The past no longer belongs only to those who lived in it; the past belongs to those who claim it, and are willing to explore it and infuse it with meaning for those alive today.
Hilton-Barber is a fourth generation South African. He was born in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape and holds a BA Honours degree from Rhodes University. He then trained as a journalist, following in the footsteps of his maternal great-grandfather Frederick York St Leger, founder and first editor of the Cape Times.
In his later career as a public relations consultant he was involved in a wide range of public relations programmes for the public and private sector, included lecturing and contributing to the compilation of the communications course at the University of South Africa.
He served as president of the PR Institute of SA and as council member for South Africa on the International Public Relations Association.
He retired to Tzaneen to his wife Tana Tooley’s family farm and together they developed the now legendary Kings Walden gardens and guest house.
David has now relocated to Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape to research and write further historical works. He is an Associate Member of the Professional Editors Guild.
Pioneering people, interesting places and significant events – themes of non-fiction historical books. Visit our Shop to find out more.