Namibia's Liberation Struggle: The Two-Edged Sword (Eastern African Studies) [Paperback]

Colin Leys (Editor), John S. Saul (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1995

It took 23 years of armed struggle before Namibia could gain its independence from South Africa in March 1990. SWAPO's victory was remarkable in the face of an overwhelmingly superior enemy. How this came about, and at what cost, is the subject of this study which is based on unpublished documents and extensive interviews with a large range of the key activists in the struggle. The study should be of interest to everyone concerned with southern Africa. North America: Ohio U Press

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... Leys and Saul write about the past with a present agenda in mind. They wish to understand why a party which proclaimed socialism for so long has, since coming to power, followed a capitalist path and adopted what they call a neo-colonial economic strategy. They find the answer to lie, in part, in the suppression of democracy within SWAPO, which they attribute mainly to the brutalising effects of the war. And so they speak of the outcome as liberation without democracy, on the grounds that the present order is not really democratic because it does not empower the masses. And they reject any Robespierre-like justification that the terror used served a just purpose, in this case the ejection of South Africa from Namibia. - Christopher Saunders in SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORICAL JOURNAL This volume needs to be widely read and discussed within southern Africa and beyond. It is written with a clarity and concern for the people of this region, both of which make it attractive and engaged reading material. JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN STUDIES I can enthusiastically recommend the published outcome of the research project led by Leys and Saul for its insights into Namibia's struggle, as well as the politics of the region and the new state.' - Eve Sandberg, Oberlin College in JOURNAL OF MODERN AFRICAN STUDIES Le livre de Colin Leys et John Saul, mal accueilli par le gouvernement namibien, analyse pourtant le plus souvent de sympathie la remarquable transformation du movement de liberation de la SWAPO (Organisation de Lib ration du Sud-Ouest africain) en un parti de gouvernement post-colonial, mais il ne tait pas les pages honteuses de l'histoire du mouvement, qui avait etabli un regime de terreur dans certains de ses camps en Zambie et en Angola. - Victoria Brittain in LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE ... with little doubt the best researched, if at times controversial, book on Namibia's recent political history to appear since independence ... also a wealth of other valuable information and analysis here on key aspects of the struggle which have received little if any attention from historians and analysts so far. - Graham Hopwood in THE NAMIBIAN --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Ohio University Press; 1 edition (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821411047
• ISBN-13: 978-0821411049
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #269,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > History > Africa > Namibia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must reading for travelers to Namibia, September 17, 2008

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Paul S "Paul" (Portland OR area) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Namibia's Liberation Struggle: The Two-Edged Sword (Eastern African Studies) (Paperback)

This book is must reading for those going to Namibia who want to learn more about Namibia's recent history, particularly the liberation struggle and all the various parties involved in it. You'll learn a lot about church influence, how SWAPO leveraged the international community, about tribes in Namibia, re SWAPO's treatment of Namibians in Angolan internment camps, about South African rule of Namibia, etc.
I'd recommend reading Ley's "Histories of Namibia" before this book. It contains direct interviews from some of the people Leys talks about in the "Liberation Struggle" book and helps one gather a stronger understanding of this period.
I learned so much from "Namibia's Liberation Struggle"! It's great history, political science - all in a very readable format.
Paul