rex gibson

This is the story of 25 tumultuous years in the life of the South African mining company of Gold Fields, one of the greatest in the world. If it is true that ‘Big Business’ is the last adventure frontier, then mining for gold has to be the most adventurous, dangerous and unpredictable business pursuit of them all.

Mining is all about risk – risk and reward. Gold Fields, fourth-biggest gold producer in the world, has confronted risk many times in its history. Mining four kilometres under the earth as well as surface mining, it has flirted with disaster as often as it has known triumph.

Viewed from a distance, great companies seem to float serenely across untroubled waters. But the reality is very different. Mining is about people too – strong-minded people ready to take chances and back their own judgement. Such forceful and dauntless personalities tend to clash.

Battlefields of Gold is not merely a history. It tells the stories, largely untold, of what really went on behind the scenes as the company fought time and again for survival. Fast-paced and pulling no punches, this tell-all history provides intriguing insights into the boardroom battles, risky ventures and tempestuous corporate climate of this giant gold producer.