The Damara of Southern of Southern Africa was published in 2007.  If you would like to buy a copy of this book,  you can contact me at mwdatru@iafrica.com  or +27 (0) 83 444 38 22 for further information.  You will find a review of this book by Paul Winter below.   This review appeared in the SA STUBREEDER Magazine, issue 18,  October 2007.

   In his book The Damara of Southern Africa, Dawie du Toit weaves together his own information and information from other experts in the field into a comprehensive and highly informative guide to the Damara. 

  In 2004 Dawie du Toit attended The World Congress on Coloured Sheep in New Zealand. At the conference Dawie met Dr Phil Sponenberg and Roger Lundie, two geneticists that took a keen interest in the variety of phenotypes seen within the Damara. Since then, both have been able to visit Dawie's flock and other flocks in southern Africa in order to work out the colour genetics involved.

  This book is the result of both geneticists' theories of the genetic makeup of the different phenotypes. Among other things, it highlights the Himba tribe of Namibia and its long association with the Damara. (Due to its isolation with this tribe, the Damara has maintained the characteristics of a landrace breed - hardy, resistant to parasites, and an ability to thrive in harsh conditions).

 With chapter headings like Conservation of the Damara, Farming Commercially with the Damara and The Future of the Damara Sheep Breed, the book will prove to be essential reading for all farmers and farming academics. Other chapters include The Darama of Southern Africa, The Place of the Darama in the World of Coloured Sheep, and Colour Genetics and Damara Sheep.

  Du Toit has obviously put a lot of passion and insight into his work and it shows. What’s more, the book is illustrated with dozens of high quality photographs, illustrating various colour patterns of the Damara. A brief history of the Damara sheep at the front of the book makes for interesting reading for anyone.