Battlefields of Gold: How Gold Fields fought for survival and won

Published by Jonathan Ball Publishers SA, 2012, hardcover, illustrated, index, 334 pages, condition: as new.

THIS IS THE STORY OF 25 TUMULTUOUS YEARS IN THE LIFE OF GOLD FIELDS, ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREAT MINING COMPANIES. IF IT IS TRUE THAT 'BIG BUSINESS' IS THE LAST ADVENTURE FRONTIER, THEN MINING FOR GOLD HAS TO BE THE MOST ADVENTUROUS, DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE BUSINESS PURSUIT OF THEM ALL. MINING IS ALL ABOUT RISK - RISK AND REWARD. GOLD FIELDS, FOURTH-BIGGEST GOLD PRODUCER IN THE WORLD, HAS CONFRONTED RISK MANY TIMES IN ITS HISTORY. MINING FOUR KILOMETRES UNDER THE EARTH AS WELL AS SURFACE MINING, IT HAS FLIRTED WITH DISASTER AS OFTEN AS IT HAS KNOWN TRIUMPH. VIEWED FROM A DISTANCE, GREAT COMPANIES SEEM TO FLOAT SERENELY ACROSS UNTROUBLED WATERS. BUT THE REALITY IS VERY DIFFERENT. MINING IS ABOUT PEOPLE TOO - STRONG-MINDED PEOPLE READY TO TAKE CHANCES AND BACK THEIR OWN JUDGEMENT. SUCH FORCEFUL AND DAUNTLESS PERSONALITIES TEND TO CLASH. BATTLEFIELDS OF GOLD IS NOT MERELY A HISTORY. IT TELLS THE STORIES, LARGELY UNTOLD, OF WHAT REALLY WENT ON BEHIND THE SCENES .