This title continues both these ideas. It places Pietermaritzburg firmly in its context - no longer Voortrekker dorp or colonial capital, it is now a modern city, unequivocally located in southern Africa, with all the pressures and problems, energies and demands. And this title is also a 'portrait' in that it not only depicts the face of the City, but also looks beneath the surface to explore and analyse its character and personality. It takes a fresh look at what is well known about the City's history and offers many new topics that have never been written up before; it looks critically at the present and hopefully at the future.