John Garlick was one of the principal people in Cape Town from 1872 until 1931, and this biography by one of his descendants lovingly tells his story. An enormous amount of research over twenty years has gone into the work, and it never flags. The content has been carefully pared and crafted to create a sparkling book. It is packed with interesting facts, anecdotes and tales from cover to cover. The focus is the fascinating life of this department store owner, city councillor, politician, benefactor, philanthropist and family man. The author also tells succinctly what his successors did with the business and his legacy; and those who wonder what happened to the famous department store group will find the answer. This is a book that will be enjoyed by anyone interested in history of the city of Cape Town and South Africa, the civilised department stores of old, and top-notch biographies.