At the heart of Elusive Histories is a long-neglected story of the clandestine journeys of Mozambican migrant laborers and their families to Rhodesia. Drawing from oral histories, court records, archives, newspapers, and popular magazines, the authors chronicle Mozambican migration, work experiences, and settlement in Rhodesia. Thousands of men, women, and children traveled long distances, often on foot, to reach Rhodesia. Starting with a trickle of workers seeking to avoid chibharo, a Mozambican agricultural forced-labor system, the number of migrants peaked in the 1950s.

In 1958, the Rhodesian government passed legislation to bar new Mozambican migrants from entering large cities, redirecting them toward agriculture and mining. When Black Rhodesian laborers began to complain about losing jobs to Mozambicans, the restrictions became an outright ban to prevent further migrants from entering the country.

Contrary to previous assumptions, Mozambican labor in Rhodesia was not contract labor derived from bilateral negotiations between the Mozambican colonial and Rhodesian governments. In fact, many Mozambicans who came to work and live in Rhodesia arrived as illegal migrants. The book also demystifies the widely held notion that all foreign migrant workers in Rhodesia who spoke Nyanja were Nyasalanders. Because Nyanja is widely spoken at the confluence of Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique, many Mozambicans who came to work in Rhodesia were fluent. Despite the national, racial, and cultural differences and the discrimination in job placement, promotion, and housing, Mozambican migrant laborers creatively adapted and made Rhodesia home for the duration of their lives.

In re-reading this brilliant essay one should be reminded that the author was only 26 years old at the time and had not been brought up in Africa. Considering that, it is truly remarkable that he could have been so unfashionably 'illiberal' and so insightful into the African psyche.Carlos Whitlock Porter was born in 1947 in California in a family of Navy officers and lawyers. C.W. Porter studied in Europe, and is a professional translator and member of the Institute of Linguists. Since 1976, he has studied the Holocaust and war crimes trials with detailed patience and precision, including the related questions of law, toxicology and chemistry. Concerning the International Military Tribunal trial records, C.W. Porter's work exposes these kangaroo courts to have been absurd and hideous miscarriages of justice. The Nuremberg Trial records would be hysterically funny if they were not responsible for over fifty years of suffering and injustice. His main works are Made in Russia: The Holocaust and Not Guilty at Nuremberg.

2016 marks the half century that has passed since the brutal assassination of Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd in the House of Assembly, Cape Town, on 6 September 1966. This passage of time not only allows for a new perspective, but provides an opportunity to examine and reassess Dr. Verwoerd's life and achievements. Dr. Verwoerd has been unjustly condemned as the architect of apartheid, when it was in fact the official policy of successive Dutch and British colonial administrations. Dr. Verwoerd gave apartheid a new name, a different meaning and dimension and implemented it in a far more humane manner for the benefit of everyone. Separation at social level, mutual co-operation in the economic sphere and scope for the indigenous Bantu peoples to obtain their freedom and independence at their own pace, unhindered by the depredations of the super capitalists and international bankers. These policies received widespread support throughout all population groups and were a reflection of an economy growing at 6% per annum and a Black unemployment rate of 5%. Amongst Black people Dr. Verwoerd was accorded the highest accolades with the titles of Rapula, the rainmaker who brings the good things in life, and Sebeloke, the protector of the people. Dr. Verwoerd would not tolerate any interference in the internal affairs of South Africa and it was his determination to destroy the subversive activities of the international money power, which contributed to his demise and the eventual downfall of South Africa. To-day the country is an abject colony of the international bankers and, not surprisingly, experiences the greatest disparity in income distribution in the world.

Before there was Zimbabwe, there was Rhodesia, a British colony founded by the great capital imperialist Cecil John Rhodes, and administered by the British South Africa Company. Rhodesia was the last British territory in Africa, and the most difficult to divest. This is the story of a gifted land, bitterly contested as the final imperial chapter in Africa. Through war and peace, following the careers of some of the great African leaders of the modern age, this was the last, painful transition from colonial to liberated Africa.A story intricately told and meticulously researched. For all enthusiasts of African and British Imperial history, this book is a must read

At the heart of Elusive Histories is a long-neglected story of the clandestine journeys of Mozambican migrant laborers and their families to Rhodesia. Drawing from oral histories, court records, archives, newspapers, and popular magazines, the authors chronicle Mozambican migration, work experiences, and settlement in Rhodesia. Thousands of men, women, and children traveled long distances, often on foot, to reach Rhodesia. Starting with a trickle of workers seeking to avoid chibharo, a Mozambican agricultural forced-labor system, the number of migrants peaked in the 1950s.

In 1958, the Rhodesian government passed legislation to bar new Mozambican migrants from entering large cities, redirecting them toward agriculture and mining. When Black Rhodesian laborers began to complain about losing jobs to Mozambicans, the restrictions became an outright ban to prevent further migrants from entering the country.

Contrary to previous assumptions, Mozambican labor in Rhodesia was not contract labor derived from bilateral negotiations between the Mozambican colonial and Rhodesian governments. In fact, many Mozambicans who came to work and live in Rhodesia arrived as illegal migrants. The book also demystifies the widely held notion that all foreign migrant workers in Rhodesia who spoke Nyanja were Nyasalanders. Because Nyanja is widely spoken at the confluence of Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique, many Mozambicans who came to work in Rhodesia were fluent. Despite the national, racial, and cultural differences and the discrimination in job placement, promotion, and housing, Mozambican migrant laborers creatively adapted and made Rhodesia home for the duration of their lives.

Dive into the heart of conflict with The Boer War.

This riveting narrative unfolds a tumultuous chapter in history where ambition, resilience, and tragedy collide on the sun-scorched plains of South Africa. Embark on a journey through time where the indomitable spirit of the Boer farmers clashed with the might of the British Empire, driven by dreams of expansion and the glittering allure of gold and diamonds.

Discover the roots of a conflict that reshaped the landscape of a nation and foreshadowed the brutal warfare of the 20th century. Here are just some of the things you will accomplish by reading this book:

• ���� Unearth the origins of a fierce community determined to preserve their land against an empire's reach.
• ���� Witness the spark of the conflict, fueled by imperial demands that provoked a nation to war.
• ⚔️ Explore the tactical evolution on the battlefield, where guerrilla warfare and modern tactics foretold the future of combat.
• ���� Experience the dramatic sieges and the resilience of besieged towns, embodying the unyielding human spirit amidst adversity.
• ✨ Follow the adventurous saga of Winston Churchill, from captivity to daring escapes.
• ����️ Marvel at the tactical ingenuity of the Boers, whose mastery of the land and hit-and-run tactics bewildered a traditional military power.
• ���� Confront the dark legacy of the conflict, including the creation of concentration camps and the heavy toll on civilian lives.

The Boer War not only offers a window into the past but also presents timeless lessons on resilience, strategy, and the human cost of ambition. This is not merely a book; it's an expedition into the heart of human conflict, resilience, and the quest for freedom.

The Morality of Revolution offers the first historical examination of urban cleanup campaigns and reeducation camps in socialist Mozambique. The book presents the camps as the template for independent Mozambique's punitive society under Frelimo. Individuals who transgressed the law and socialist normative codes of behavior were targeted by the revolutionary party, which obsessively pursued putative wrongdoers in an effort to build a new society from the ruins of Portuguese colonialism. Benedito Luís Machava argues that the socialist experiment, while ushering in an era of economic development and social progress, sought also to remake the moral fabric of Mozambican society. At play was the contradictory combination of high modernist, socialist aspirations and conservative anxieties rooted in a moralist reading of society. From its inception in 1974 to its demise in the late 1980s, the reeducation program was a do-it-yourself enterprise. The Frelimo government, unable to finance and support the carceral regime, expected its agents and the detainees to carry out the ambitious project on their own. Without material and human resources to run the program, state officials compelled detainees to build their own detention facilities; to grow their own food; to enforce their own political education; and in many ways, to oversee their own incarceration. The state's incapacity to translate the salvationist ideas of reeducation into planned action--a general feature of the socialist experiment in Mozambique--produced spaces of social neglect and castigation that negatively affected both the inmates and the personnel tasked with disciplining and reeducating them.

When Alexandra (Bo) Fuller was home in Zambia a few years ago, visiting her parents for Christmas, she asked her father about a nearby banana farmer who was known for being a tough bugger. Her father's response was a warning to steer clear of him; he told Bo: Curiosity scribbled the cat. Nonetheless, Fuller began her strange friendship with the man she calls K, a white African and veteran of the Rhodesian war. With the same fiercely beautiful prose that won her acclaim for Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, Fuller here recounts her friendship with K.

K is, seemingly, a man of contradictions: tattooed, battle scarred, and weathered by farm work, he is a lion of a man, feral and bulletproof. Yet he is also a born-again Christian, given to weeping when he recollects his failed romantic life, and more than anything else welling up inside with memories of battle. For his war, like all wars, was a brutal one, marked by racial strife, jungle battles, unimaginable tortures, and the murdering of innocent civilians--and K, like all the veterans of the war, has blood on his hands.

Driven by K's memories, Fuller and K decide to enter the heart of darkness in the most literal way--by traveling from Zambia through Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) and Mozambique to visit the scenes of the war and to meet other veterans. It is a strange journey into the past, one marked at once by somber reflections and odd humor and featuring characters such as Mapenga, a fellow veteran who lives with his pet lion on a little island in the middle of a lake and is known to cope with his personal demons by refusing to speak for days on end. What results from Fuller's journey is a remarkably unbiased and unsentimental glimpse of men who have killed, mutilated, tortured, and scrambled to survive during wartime and who now must attempt to live with their past and live past their sins. In these men, too, we get a glimpse of life in Africa, a land that besets its creatures with pests, plagues, and natural disasters, making the people there at once more hardened and more vulnerable than elsewhere.

Scribbling the Cat is an engrossing and haunting look at war, Africa, and the lines of sanity.

In 1990 Namibia gained its independence after a decades-long struggle against South African rule--and, before that, against German colonialism. This book, the first new scholarly general history of Namibia in two decades, provides a fresh synthesis of these events, and of the much longer pre-colonial period. A History of Namibia opens with a chapter by John Kinahan covering the evidence of human activity in Namibia from the earliest times to the nineteenth century, and for the first time making a synthesis of current archaeological research widely available to non-specialists. In subsequent chapters, Marion Wallace weaves together the most up-to-date academic research (in English and German) on Namibian history, from the mid-eighteenth century to the present. She explores histories of migration, production and power in the pre-colonial period, the changes triggered by European expansion, and the dynamics of the period of formal colonialism. The coverage of German rule includes a full chapter on the genocide of 1904-8. Here, Wallace outlines the history and historiography of the wars fought in central and southern Namibia, and the subsequent mass imprisonment of defeated Africans in concentration camps. The final two chapters analyse the period of African nationalism, apartheid and war between 1946 and 1990. The book's conclusion looks briefly at the development of Namibia in the two decades since independence. A History of Namibia provides an invaluable introduction and reference source to the past of a country that is often neglected, despite its significance in the history of the region and, indeed, for that of European colonialism and international relations. It makes accessible the latest research on the country, illuminates current controversies, puts forward new insights, and suggests future directions for research. The book's extensive bibliography adds to its usefulness for scholar and general reader alike.

In 1990 Namibia gained its independence after a decades-long struggle against South African rule--and, before that, against German colonialism. This book, the first new scholarly general history of Namibia in two decades, provides a fresh synthesis of these events, and of the much longer pre-colonial period. A History of Namibia opens with a chapter by John Kinahan covering the evidence of human activity in Namibia from the earliest times to the nineteenth century, and for the first time making a synthesis of current archaeological research widely available to non-specialists. In subsequent chapters, Marion Wallace weaves together the most up-to-date academic research (in English and German) on Namibian history, from the mid-eighteenth century to the present. She explores histories of migration, production and power in the pre-colonial period, the changes triggered by European expansion, and the dynamics of the period of formal colonialism. The coverage of German rule includes a full chapter on the genocide of 1904-8. Here, Wallace outlines the history and historiography of the wars fought in central and southern Namibia, and the subsequent mass imprisonment of defeated Africans in concentration camps. The final two chapters analyse the period of African nationalism, apartheid and war between 1946 and 1990. The book's conclusion looks briefly at the development of Namibia in the two decades since independence. A History of Namibia provides an invaluable introduction and reference source to the past of a country that is often neglected, despite its significance in the history of the region and, indeed, for that of European colonialism and international relations. It makes accessible the latest research on the country, illuminates current controversies, puts forward new insights, and suggests future directions for research. The book's extensive bibliography adds to its usefulness for scholar and general reader alike.

Diamonds have long been bloody. A new history shows how Germany's ruthless African empire brought diamond rings to retail display cases in America--at the cost of African lives.

Since the late 1990s, activists have campaigned to remove conflict diamonds from jewelry shops and department stores. But if the problem of conflict diamonds--gems extracted from war zones--has only recently generated attention, it is not a new one. Nor are conflict diamonds an exception in an otherwise honest industry. The modern diamond business, Steven Press shows, owes its origins to imperial wars and has never escaped its legacy of exploitation.

In Blood and Diamonds, Press traces the interaction of the mass-market diamond and German colonial domination in Africa. Starting in the 1880s, Germans hunted for diamonds in Southwest Africa. In the decades that followed, Germans waged brutal wars to control the territory, culminating in the genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples and the unearthing of vast mineral riches. Press follows the trail of the diamonds from the sands of the Namib Desert to government ministries and corporate boardrooms in Berlin and London and on to the retail counters of New York and Chicago. As Africans working in terrifying conditions extracted unprecedented supplies of diamonds, European cartels maintained the illusion that the stones were scarce, propelling the nascent US market for diamond engagement rings. Convinced by advertisers that diamonds were both valuable and romantically significant, American purchasers unwittingly funded German imperial ambitions into the era of the world wars.

Amid today's global frenzy of mass consumption, Press's history offers an unsettling reminder that cheap luxury often depends on an alliance between corporate power and state violence.

The Morality of Revolution offers the first historical examination of urban cleanup campaigns and reeducation camps in socialist Mozambique. The book presents the camps as the template for independent Mozambique's punitive society under Frelimo. Individuals who transgressed the law and socialist normative codes of behavior were targeted by the revolutionary party, which obsessively pursued putative wrongdoers in an effort to build a new society from the ruins of Portuguese colonialism. Benedito Luís Machava argues that the socialist experiment, while ushering in an era of economic development and social progress, sought also to remake the moral fabric of Mozambican society. At play was the contradictory combination of high modernist, socialist aspirations and conservative anxieties rooted in a moralist reading of society. From its inception in 1974 to its demise in the late 1980s, the reeducation program was a do-it-yourself enterprise. The Frelimo government, unable to finance and support the carceral regime, expected its agents and the detainees to carry out the ambitious project on their own. Without material and human resources to run the program, state officials compelled detainees to build their own detention facilities; to grow their own food; to enforce their own political education; and in many ways, to oversee their own incarceration. The state's incapacity to translate the salvationist ideas of reeducation into planned action--a general feature of the socialist experiment in Mozambique--produced spaces of social neglect and castigation that negatively affected both the inmates and the personnel tasked with disciplining and reeducating them.

If you want to discover the captivating history of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War, then keep reading...

How well do you think you would fare if you were armed with short spears and cowhide shields against an army with rifles, machine guns, and artillery?

In January 1879, a powerful and modern British army advanced confidently into Zululand, determined to kill or capture Zulu King Cetwayo and crush the Zulu warrior army. Days later, the British soldiers were in headlong retreat, having suffered one of the most devastating defeats in British military history. That same day, only a gallant defense of a small outpost at Rorke's Drift, matching one hundred British soldiers against four thousand Zulus, redeemed British imperial esteem.

You may know these two battles, but the campaign as a whole only lasted eight months and was full of desperate defenses, heroic attacks, tragedies, and surprise reversals of fortune.

In The Zulu War: A Captivating Guide to the Origins, Battles, and Legacy of the 19th-Century Anglo-Zulu Conflict, you will gain a good understanding of the causes, course, and consequences of the war, including the following:

• The background and approach to the war
• Why though the British government in London did not want a war with the Zulus
• The background of the Zulu Empire, including its history, rulers, culture, military structure, weapons, and tactics
• The British army of the time, including its structure, weapons, and tactics
• The strengths and weaknesses of both sides
• The mistakes and miscalculations made by the British commanders as they confronted the Zulus
• The challenges facing the Zulus against a modern European army
• The course of events during the eight-month campaign
• The detail of the two famous battles of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift
• The defeat of the British first invasion and the need for a second one
• The course of the main battles and the reasons for the ultimate defeat of the Zulus
• And much, much more!

Embark on a captivating journey through the ancient tapestry of Namibia's history and landscapes. This amazing book takes you on an immersive exploration of a nation's evolution, from the footprints of its earliest inhabitants to the modern aspirations that shape its identity.
Discover the enigmatic stories hidden within the petroglyphs of Twyfelfontein, where rocks whisper tales of the past. Traverse the colossal depths of the Fish River Canyon, where time has etched its mark on the Earth's canvas. Dive into the struggles and triumphs of Namibia's fight for independence, a testament to the unyielding spirit of its people.
With chapters dedicated to the historic cities, diverse cultures, and breathtaking landscapes, The History of Namibia presents an insightful exploration of the nation's past and present. This text-only book weaves a narrative that seamlessly integrates historical facts, cultural anecdotes, and vivid descriptions of Namibia's natural wonders.
Perfect for history enthusiasts, travel aficionados, and anyone curious about the world's hidden treasures, this book invites you to traverse the landscapes of Namibia from the comfort of your own imagination. Immerse yourself in the stories of ancient civilizations, colonial encounters, and the timeless beauty of the land where desert meets sea.
Unlock the secrets of Namibia's history, culture, and heritage within the pages of this meticulously researched and beautifully written book. Whether you're seeking knowledge, inspiration, or a deeper understanding of a remarkable nation, The History of Namibia is your companion on an unforgettable voyage through the heart of Africa's southwestern gem.

Embark on a captivating journey through the vibrant history, diverse landscapes, and rich cultural heritage of Botswana in this engaging text-only masterpiece. The History of Botswana offers a compelling exploration of a nation's evolution, from the ancient footprints of early human habitation to the modern achievements that shape its identity.
Discover Untold Stories: Unearth the wisdom of the San people, trace the rise of tribal kingdoms, and witness the influence of Great Zimbabwe on trade routes that crisscrossed the land.
Witness Nature's Grandeur: Journey into the heart of Africa's wilderness as you traverse landscapes that teem with iconic wildlife. Explore the majestic Chobe National Park, marvel at the aquatic wonder of the Okavango Delta, and uncover the spiritual enclaves of Tsodilo Hills.
Celebrate Cultural Heritage: Immerse yourself in the cultural heartbeats of Botswana's historic cities, from the modern genesis of Gaborone to the resonating traditions of Serowe and the historical echoes of Francistown.
Champion Conservation: Join the pursuit of conservation excellence, where pristine wilderness and the delicate balance of ecosystems take center stage. Delve into the efforts that have preserved Botswana's natural wonders for generations to come.
The History of Botswana is a testament to the resilience of a nation and its people, a journey that resonates with the spirit of unity, progress, and reverence for the land. This text-only book offers an opportunity to explore Botswana's vibrant tapestry of history, culture, and nature through words that paint vivid landscapes in your mind.
Ignite your curiosity, satisfy your wanderlust, and broaden your understanding of this extraordinary nation. Unlock the stories that have shaped Botswana's legacy and embrace a journey that invites you to connect with the heart of Africa's soulful history. Purchase The History of Botswana and embark on an adventure that transcends time and brings you closer to the essence of a remarkable land.

General Jan Christian Smuts (1870-1950) was an heroic icon for many. But over the decades, he was regarded in another light. For Afrikaners of a previous generation, he was seen as a traitor, but in the modern age, he seems to have become far-sighted. This book by Stephen Goodson reveals a consistency in his actions and thinking which shows what purpose this far-sightedness served. Since the time when he studied at Cambridge University, he adopted a philosophy known as Holism, and a stance grounded on internationalism which served the interests of the international bankers (and in SA, the 'Randlords'), as opposed to a national outlook, serving the people. He involved South Africa in three unnecessary wars. He introduced a central bank in SA (permitting privately owned banks to create the nation's money supply as an interest bearing debt). A New World Order under a world government was seen as a logical outcome of his Holistic view. He was infatuated with Zionism. He is credited with doing much of Winston Churchill's thinking for him. Born in the British Cape Colony, he studied law in Britain. The book covers his early years and indoctrination, his involvement with Paul Kr ger and the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 and his relationship with people like Strakosch, who paid Winston Churchill's gambling debts, and who left Smuts a bequest in his 1943 Will. Also discussed are his friendship with US President Woodrow Wilson; his presence at Versailles; his part in the League of Nations; and the 1914 Rebellion in SA. He also played a part in Britain's Imperial War Cabinet in 1917, and helped fashion the British Commonwealth. Some little known aspects of Versailles and WWI and WW2, as well as the Ossewa-Brandwag, are revealed. Smuts's role in the Balfour Declaration and his close friendship with Chaim Weizmann resulted in a kibbutz and streets in Israel being named after him. He was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1939 to 1948, when according to some analysts, the votes of the returning SA soldiers from the front had turned against him, resulting in his party's defeat, and the National Party (much to their surprise) became SA's new government.

A Rhodesian Childhood Remembered is a lively account of the author's childhood in Rhodesia during the days of Ian Smith, the highly controversial figure who led the country as it faced an increasingly uncertain future in the 1960s and 1970s. Primarily, the text focuses on the author's life in Rhodesia's capital, Salisbury. Recollections of holidays in neighbouring Mozambique and South Africa are also vividly described, as are the country's landscape and history. The book will appeal to a wide range of readers who wish to know more about Rhodesia's remarkable story and the events that led to its demise.

This book presents the narratives of Zimbabweans whose lives have been affected by the country's political, economic, and human rights crises. This book asks the question: How did a country with so much promise--a stellar education system, a growing middle class of professionals, a sophisticated economic infrastructure, a liberal constitution, and an independent judiciary--go so wrong?

Journalist Peter Godwin has covered wars. As a soldier, he's fought them. But nothing prepared him for the surreal mix of desperation and hope he encountered when he returned to Zimbabwe, his broken homeland.

Godwin arrived as Robert Mugabe, the country's dictator for 30 years, has finally lost an election. Mugabe's tenure has left Zimbabwe with the world's highest rate of inflation and the shortest life span. Instead of conceding power, Mugabe launched a brutal campaign of terror against his own citizens. With foreign correspondents banned, and he himself there illegally, Godwin was one of the few observers to bear witness to this period the locals call The Fear. He saw torture bases and the burning villages but was most awed as an observer of not only simple acts of kindness but also churchmen and diplomats putting their own lives on the line to try to stop the carnage.

The Fear is a book about the astonishing courage and resilience of a people, armed with nothing but a desire to be free, who challenged a violent dictatorship. It is also the deeply personal and ultimately uplifting story of a man trying to make sense of the country he can't recognize as home.

An historic review of evidence on the Rhodesian Bush War 1965-1980. A compiling story of how identity played a crucial role in the outcome of war in Rhodesia. An in depth analysis of the conflict from a military and political prospective. The Cold War comes to life in Rhodesia.