Cullinan was sent to the United Kingdom in a plain box via registered post. The cypher is surrounded by a circlet containing the words ‘The Africa Star'. Eventually though, I picked up this book and began to read. This enormous gem was named for the chairman of the company that owned the mine.. Black Star of Africa At over 200 carats, this is about the 11th largest diamond in the world. [4] Newspapers called it the "Cullinan Diamond", a reference to Sir Thomas Cullinan, who opened the mine in 1902. 20 New Books on Women’s History. 2006 Re-branding of ZSR Corporation to Starafrica Corporation limited. The Cullinan is estimated to have formed in Earth's mantle transition zone at a depth of 410–660 km (255–410 miles) and reached the surface 1.18 billion years ago. [6], Shortly after its discovery, Cullinan went on public display at the Standard Bank in Johannesburg, where it was seen by an estimated 8,000–9,000 visitors. [33] It is set at the top of the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross which had to be redesigned in 1910 to accommodate it. Star of Africa. Marseille was larger-than-life: he loved women, flying, and drinking, had a South African servant who served with him in the North Africa, and was a talented musician who loved jazz and dared to play Scott Joplin in front of Hitler at an official state function, much to Der Fuehrer's horror (this scene is one of the best passages in the book). This is one of the best books about fighter pilots I've read. Marseille was larger-than-life: he loved women, flying, and drinking, had a South African servant who served with him in the North Africa, and was a talented musician who loved jazz and dared to play Scott Joplin in front of Hitler at an official state function, much to Der Fuehrer's horror (thi. Betrayal and deceit quickly follows. Unfortunately, is let down by the technical and historic information used to put the events in context, such as repeated errors in aircraft details and some real howlers in descriptions of the desert campaigns in which most of events took place. Fascinating stories about Marseille. A bohemian Berliner, who was openly anti-Nazi in the era when one careless word could send you packing off to a concentration camp, was definitely born in a wrong place, if not in the wrong time. The book is more than that though as the book follows him through his turbulent youth growing up in Nazi Germany and his early years in the Luftwaffe where he was a "troublemaker" before going to join the North African campaign. Making the incision alone took four days, and a steel knife broke on the first attempt,[4] but a second knife was fitted into the groove and split it clean in two along one of four possible cleavage planes. For me this became a little boring. In 1907, the Transvaal Colony government bought the Cullinan and then presented it to Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom, who had it cut by Joseph Asscher & Co. in Amsterdam. During her visit, she unpinned the brooch and offered it for examination to Louis Asscher, nephew of Joseph Asscher, who split the rough diamond. In total, the brooch is 6.5 cm (2.6 in) long and 2.4 cm (0.94 in) wide. Abraham Asscher collected it from the Colonial Office in London on 23 January 1908. [33] It was also set in the base of Queen Mary's Crown but was removed in 1914. [12], The king chose Joseph Asscher & Co. of Amsterdam to cleave and polish the rough stone into brilliant gems of various cuts and sizes. [5] It was three times the size of the Excelsior Diamond, found in 1893 at Jagersfontein Mine, weighing 972 carats (194.4 g). The Star / The Star. All but the two largest stones – Cullinans I and II – remained in Amsterdam by arrangement as the fee for Asscher's services, until the South African government bought them (except Cullinan VI, which Edward VII had purchased and given to his wife Queen Alexandra in 1907), and the High Commissioner for Southern Africa presented them to Queen Mary For other uses, see, The Cullinan Diamond Centennial, Gems and Gemology, 2006, "Jewellery made from the world's largest diamond is to go on display", "SECOND EDITION. Instagram. The Star brings you breaking news, developing stories, politics, entertainment, lifestyle, sports and much more from Kenya and around the world, throughout the day. He was not a Nazi, just a fighter pilot doing his job.Great read. [47], Cullinan VII is also marquise-cut and weighs 8.8 carats (1.76 g). [12] The Transvaal Colony government bought the diamond on 17 October 1907 for £150,000,[13] which adjusted for pound-sterling inflation is equivalent to £15 million in 2016. The Africa Star was awarded for service in any operational area in North-Africa between June 10th 1940 (the day of Italy's entry into the war) and May 12th 1943 (the end of hostilities in North-Africa) or the Mediterranean. The Africa Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to subjects of the British Commonwealth who served in the Second World War, specifically in North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943 inclusive. However, when it comes to polished diamonds, the Great Star of Africa (530.4 carats) lost its title as the biggest polished diamond to the Golden Jubilee Diamond (545.67 carats) in 1985. [26] Cullinans I and II are part of the Crown Jewels,[2] which belong to the Queen in right of the Crown. Hauptmann Hans Joachim Marseille, better known as the Star of Africa, was probably the most formidable opponent the British ever encountered in the air. Cullinan produced 9 major stones of 1,055.89 carats (211.178 g) in total, plus 96 minor brilliants and some unpolished fragments weighing 19.5 carats (3.90 g). She died alone in poverty after the war, having lost two children and a husband so perhaps the letters were lost. [47], Cullinan IX is smallest of the principal diamonds to be obtained from the rough Cullinan. Sections and supplements are laid out just as in the print edition, but complemented by a variety of digital tools which enhance the printed newspaper's look and feel. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Start by marking “The Star of Africa: The Story of Hans Marseille, the Rogue Luftwaffe Ace Who Dominated the WWII Skies” as Want to Read: Error rating book. The Star of Africais a biography of the dramatic life and meteoric career of German Luftwaffe Captain Hans-Joachim Marseille, the "Star of Africa." 56,927 talking about this. Besides being in love with life, Marseille was an exceptional pilot whose talent alone made him bearable to his superiors, who generally hated him. Cullinan produced stones of various cuts and sizes, the largest of which is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.4 carats (106.08 g) it is the largest clear cut diamond in the world. “The Star of Africa” is a biography of one of the most brilliant and controversial aces of the Luftwaffe. Star of Africa by Heinz Krebs. [12] Mary also inherited Cullinan VI from Alexandra, and she left all her Cullinan diamonds to her granddaughter Elizabeth II in 1953. In April 1905, it was put on sale in London, but despite considerable interest, it was still unsold after two years. 2006 Acquisition of R. Chitrin & Co. 2006 Acquisition of West Beverages. If you are a war historian this book is amazing. [36], Cullinan III, or the Lesser Star of Africa, is pear-cut and weighs 94.4 carats (18.88 g). [18], On 10 February 1908, the rough stone was split in half by Joseph Asscher at his diamond-cutting factory in Amsterdam. Find the latest news in politics, business, entertainment, sports, live radio and TV The Africa Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943 during the Second World War. In April 1905, the rough gem was deposited with Premier Mining Co.'s London sales agent, S. Neumann & Co.[7] Due to its immense value, detectives were assigned to a steamboat that was rumoured to be carrying the stone, and a parcel was ceremoniously locked in the captain's safe and guarded on the entire journey. Hans-Joachim Marseille was a great fighter pilot. It is widely considered to be a superb advertising environment. Africa Star. Welcome back. Original title: Der Stern von Afrika. Our … The book itself was well-written, with many in-depth accounts of aerial battles - tactical descriptions which I have not read about elsewhere and which were consequently very interesting (though the fact that it was Allied pilots being shot down in each case made me feel faintly ill!). A little insight into what Germans were fighting for, even when they disagreed with Hitler's ideology, was provided by Marseille's superior; he told them to fight for their families and homes. [40] It measures 4.54 cm × 4.08 cm × 2.42 cm (1.79 in × 1.61 in × 0.95 in). The Star brings you breaking news, developing stories, politics, entertainment, lifestyle, sports and much more from Kenya and around the world, throughout the day. [13] Meanwhile, to much fanfare, a Royal Navy ship carried an empty box across the North Sea, again throwing off potential thieves. [42] In 1914, Cullinan III was permanently replaced on the crown by a crystal model. All the bigwigs are there. It was named after Thomas Cullinan, the mine's chairman. *Disclaimer* I won this through a Goodreads ARC giveaway. I read this book 5 times. ACADEMY GRADUATES. Aged 84, he was deeply moved that the Queen had brought the diamonds with her, knowing how much it would mean to him seeing them again after so many years. [22], Cullinan produced 9 major stones of 1,055.89 carats (211.178 g) in total,[23] plus 96 minor brilliants and some unpolished fragments weighing 19.5 carats (3.90 g). He was a deadly fighter pilot yet he had a soft spot for enemy pilots and risked his life more than once to assist them when he knew they were no longer able to fight. But there are only so many ways you can shoot down an air plane and after 158 times things get rather repetitive. The book gives great detail on his operational flying and his claimed victories and many anecdotes about him as a comrade from many different great fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe. [4], Transvaal Prime Minister, Louis Botha, suggested buying the diamond for Edward VII as "a token of the loyalty and attachment of the people of the Transvaal to His Majesty's throne and person". [33] It was originally given by Edward VII to his wife and consort Queen Alexandra. Kenya's Bold Newspaper. On 25 March 1958, while she and Prince Philip were on a state visit to the Netherlands, Queen Elizabeth II revealed that Cullinan III and IV are known in her family as "Granny's Chips". A deal is struck between a billionaire and a ruthless mercenary. One More Bit of Aviation History It had a blue-white hue and contained a small pocket of air, which at certain angles produced a rainbow, or Newton's rings. [36] Queen Mary, wife of George V, often wore it like this. A fascinating biography of Luftwaffe ace Hans Marseille, with a wealth of anecdotes supported by numerous numbered references to previous interviews with other former Luftwaffe pilots. [14] Due to a 60% tax on mining profits, the Treasury received some of its money back from the Premier Diamond Mining Company. The Star Africa - Advertisement - Latest posts. Even though Marseille's actual victory score is disputed by many historians, this book undoubtedly makes it clear that he was one of the greatest fighter pilots of World War 2. [39], Cullinan II, or the Second Star of Africa, is a cushion-cut brilliant with 66 facets weighing 317.4 carats (63.48 g) set in the front of the Imperial State Crown,[33] below the Black Prince's Ruby (a large spinel). The Star; Cape Argus; Weekend Argus; Daily News; Cape Times; The Mercury; Pretoria News; Saturday Star; The Independent on Saturday; Sunday Tribune; Sunday Independent; The … Four of its eight surfaces were smooth, indicating that it once had been part of a much larger stone broken up by natural forces. [9] In August 1907, a vote was held in the Legislative Council[10] on the Cullinan's fate, and a motion authorising the purchase was carried by 42 votes in favour to 19 against. It also amused me no end that he was said to have loved jazz music (forbidden as degenerate by the Nazis) and once ended a piano recital by playing the banned music in front of Hitler. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. STAR OF AFRICA The Star of Africa (also called the Cullinan diamond) is the largest diamond yet found, weighing 3,106 carats (roughly 1.3 pounds) in its rough form. We’d love your help. Hitler, Goring, Gobbels, Himmler, lots of Generals in uniform and their families. No. Presentation of the Cullinan Diamond", "Jewellery made from the Cullinan Diamond", "Delhi Durbar Necklace and Cullinan VII Pendant", "The Cullinan Diamond and its true story", "A Description of the Big Diamond Recently Found in the Premier Mine, Transvaal", "Large gem diamonds from metallic liquid in Earth's deep mantle", "Notes on the weight of the 'Cullinan' diamond", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cullinan_Diamond&oldid=1012478661, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 March 2021, at 16:07. Freedom-loving and eccentric, honest and kind-hearted, Marseille simply didn’t belong in Nazi Germany. The comment he made about Goering's nail polish, playing ragtime in front of Hitler and other Nazi officials, etc., would have resulted in death sentences for any other Wehrmacht official. [15], The diamond was presented to the king at Sandringham House by Agent-General of the colony, Sir Richard Solomon, on 9 November 1907 – his sixty-sixth birthday – in the presence of a large party of guests, including the Queen of Sweden, the Queen of Spain, the Duke of Westminster and Lord Revelstoke. I became so caught up in the Allied cause that I couldn't bear to countenance the human experience of the Axis forces. Discover the world of IOL, bringing you a mix of current news across politics, sport, business, motoring and lifestyle. [31] Cullinans I and II were examined in the 1980s by gemologists at the Tower of London and both graded as colourless type IIa. He was victorious in 158 aerial combats against the Royal Air Force, 154 of which were fighter aircraft. I feel that any of that tediousness is made up by the stories of how he took care of downed pilots, told "enemy" squadrons that their pilots were safe, his best friend was technically a POW that, how he was disgusted by the Nazi politics - most of which would have resulted in a general court martial had he been in the European theater. His favorite music. You really feel like your in the cockpit with Marseille. It can be suspended from the VIII brooch and can be used to suspend the VII pendant. The stone is mounted in the head of the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. A fascinating biography of Luftwaffe ace Hans Marseille, with a wealth of anecdotes supported by numerous numbered references to previous interviews with other former Luftwaffe pilots. [17] When Joseph's nephew Louis heard the story, he exclaimed "No Asscher would ever faint over any operation on any diamond". you feel each control movement.Fantastic Book. 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