Seychelles Global Citizen: The Autobiography of the Founding President [Hardcover]

James Mancham (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1557788871 | ISBN-13: 978-1557788870 | Publication Date: September 2009

This title offers an insightful and informative look at the remarkable life and times of Sir James Mancham - founding President of the Republic of the Seychelles. James Mancham (b. 1939) is one of the most remarkable people to have appeared on the international political stage. In 1977, he became the Founding President of the Republic of the Seychelles as he led the country to independence from the Commonwealth. However, just one year later, he was ousted from this position and forced into exile after a coup d'etat which ended with a socialist one-party state being declared. During his years in exile, Sir James became a hugely successful and influential figure in world politics, international relations, and as an advocate for democracy. He returned to the Seychelles in 1992 after multi-party democracy was restored, since then he has dedicated himself to promoting the Seychelles in the international community.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Growing competition for power and influence in the Indian Ocean, the world's primary energy and trade seaway, placed the Seychelles, a small peaceful archipelago nation, at the center of superpower rivalry during the Cold War.

No one is better qualified to tell this story than Sir James R. Mancham, a lawyer who became the first President of the island nation east of Africa when Britain gave up its rule of the idyllic islands in 1976. Overthrown less than a year later in a violent Marxist coup, Mancham was fortunate to survive the turbulent times that enabled unscrupulous men to seize power by force throughout the post-colonial world. Sir James prospered in his forced exile, and when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, he returned as "an apostle of reconciliation" to work for his nation alongside the regime that deposed him.

Mancham's autobiography is about the resilience of the human spirit in the midst of the sweeping changes to the world after World War II. Globalization has not left even the remotest islands untouched. However, his story is more than a political treatise about the conflict for power in the Indian Ocean and about Seychelles' internal political turmoil, it is also the story of a colorful human being who has been dubbed "The Trudeau of the East" and "The Ernest Hemmingway of the Indian Ocean."

From the Back Cover

"James Mancham is the first President of Seychelles, one of several firsts achieved by this remarkable man. He is ambitious, politically shrewd, and a devoted Seychellois. He has the flamboyance of a Trudeau, the political determination of a Lee Kuan Yew, and the stamina for travel of a Kissinger."
--Alan Baily, The Times of London

"Mancham hailed, `International Ambassador for Peace and Goodwill'."
--Seychelles Nation

"I admire Sir James' tenacity and even more than that, his historical reflections as an objective view rather than the subjective. I have great admiration for his achievements; best of all, his devout interest in global peace."
--Reverend Delmer Tripp Robinson, ThD, PhD, EdDM, Archbishop (Emeritus), The Anglican Church USA

"Sir James is a unique Seychellois and global citizen. The traces left behind by his journey show he is a man of grandeur d'esprit, joix de vivre, compassion, insight, inborn charisma, and leadership. When a man of such caliber speaks, wise men listen."
-- J. C. Ahweng, PhD, University of Nagoya, Japan

"Sir James R. Mancham, the first President of the Republic of Seychelles, has become a visionary and passionate spokesman for the peoples of the small island states, a trail-blazer for peace across the oceans for he is truly a `Global Citizen' and a powerful advocate of our vision of `one human family under God'."
--Jose de Venecia, Five-time Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, Founding Chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), and Chairman-Emeritus of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Paragon House (September 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557788871
• ISBN-13: 978-1557788870
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,665,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > History > Africa > Seychelles

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating read that should not be missed by history buffs, October 14, 2009

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seychelles Global Citizen: The Autobiography of the Founding President (Hardcover)

The Cold War was called cold because there was no direct confrontation, but that doesn't mean there weren't conflicts. "Seychelles Global Citizen: The Autobiography of the Founding President of the Republic of Seychelles" is the biography of a man who was President of the small Island Nation of Seychelles after the island was given its independence in 1976. Although only president for a year before a communist coup overthrew him, he presents a unique perspective on the cold war that's unlikely to be duplicated. "Seychelles Global Citizen" is a fascinating read that should not be missed by history buffs.