The Bang-Bang Club (book)

The Bang-Bang Club is a non-fiction book by Greg Marinovich and João Silva, published in 2000. It chronicles the experiences of four photojournalists – Marinovich, Silva, Kevin Carter, and Ken Oosterbroek – covering the violence in the townships of South Africa between 1990 and 1994, during the transition from apartheid to democracy.

The book details the ethical and moral dilemmas faced by the photographers as they documented the brutal clashes between supporters of the African National Congress (ANC) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). It explores the personal toll that witnessing such violence took on the journalists, including the struggles with PTSD, guilt, and the constant threat of danger.

The title, "The Bang-Bang Club," was a nickname given to the group by South African magazine editor John MacGregor, referring to the photographers' penchant for being on the front lines of the action where the "bang-bang" of gunfire was prevalent. The book provides insight into the complexities of covering conflict, the role of photojournalism in shaping public perception, and the lasting impact of violence on both the victims and those who document it. It also addresses the controversies surrounding some of the photographers' work, particularly Kevin Carter's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph depicting a starving Sudanese child being stalked by a vulture.