Ted's Reviews > King of Diamonds: The Life of Barney Baranto

A fairly entertaining biography of one of the more colorful adventurer capitalists who made their fortunes in diamonds and gold in South Africa during the latter part of the 19th century. It is unusual in that it is a biography written in the first person, in the form of an autobiography.  The life of Barney Baranto makes for an interesting read but I suspect that much of what is written here is fiction. The author gives no indication of his sources; there are no footnotes; and the Bibliography consists of only three books.  In short, it's not possible to take this book seriously or to consider it a properly researched biography. At best, it is an entertaining rags to riches story and a starting point for learning more about Barney Baranto and the early years of gold and diamond mining in South Africa.