Kenneth Kaunda, the United States and Southern Africa

Andrew DeRoche

Bloomsbury
London
2017
English
Paperback
320 pages

Synopsis

Kenneth Kaunda, the United States and Southern Africa carefully examines US policy towards the southern African region between 1974, when Portugal granted independence to its colonies of Angola and Mozambique, and 1984, the last full year of the Reagan administration's Constructive Engagement approach. It focuses on the role of Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda, the key facilitator of international diplomacy towards the dangerous neighborhood surrounding his nation. The main themes include the influence of race, national security, economics, and African agency on international relations during the height of the Cold War.

Review

This book provides a powerful insight into the relations of one African leader with a global superpower and in doing so reveals the importance of the interaction between African liberation and the Cold War. DeRoche brilliantly guides the reader through complex international negotiations with a steady hand and crystal clear prose. This study is an important new contribution to our understanding of Africa's place in global diplomatic history in the late twentieth century. - Miles Larmer, Oxford University, UK

Author

Andy DeRoche was born and raised in Maine. He earned a history BA from Princeton, a history MA from Maine, and a history PhD from Colorado. His first book was on US/Zimbabwe relations, and his second was a biography of Andrew Young.