The impossible machine : a genealogy of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission /

This work will be of considerable interest to a highly specialized audience. This meticulously documented work with nearly 100 pages of footnotes traces the legal and philosophical roots of South Africa's groundbreaking Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Sitze (law, jurisprudence and social thought, Amherst College) brings to light the extent to which the commission must be seen as drawing upon past legal precedent within both the context of South Africa and the broader jurisprudence of Europe. Clearly, no single volume may address all aspects of a subject such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; however, it must be noted that Sitze could have appealed to a wider audience by analyzing more fully the interplay of background political pressures and factors that may have shaped the decisions to adopt and apply the Peace and Reconciliation Commission model. Nevertheless, Sitze does provide a compelling, if densely worded, analysis of the commission and its wider meaning within the context of the field of transitional justice. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections. C. W. Herrick Muhlenberg College