ECU Libraries Catalog

Ruth First and Joe Slovo in the war against apartheid / Alan Wieder ; foreword by Nadine Gordimer.

Author/creator Wieder, Alan, 1949- author.
Other author/creatorGordimer, Nadine writer of added commentary.
Format Book and Print
Publication Info New York : Monthly Review Press, [2013]
Description390 pages ; 24 cm
Subject(s)
Contents Introduction -- From the shtetl to South Africa -- War, wits, politics and Ruth meets Joe -- Apartheid, children, and the beginning of the struggle -- The treason trials, and underground action -- Sharpeville, prison, and exile -- The initial exile : living in London -- Academics, writing, and activism : moving toward Africa -- Academics and revolution : taking the struggle home -- Assassination, grief, and expulsion from Maputo -- Lusaka, marriage, and the beginning of the journey home -- Home -- Election, ministry, resting in Soweto -- Epilogue.
Abstract "Ruth First and Joe Slovo, husband and wife, were leaders of the war to end apartheid in South Africa. Communists, scholars, parents, and uncompromising militants, they were the perfect enemies for the white police state. Together they were swept up in the growing resistance to apartheid, and together they experienced repression and exile. Their contributions to the liberation struggle, as individuals and as a couple, are undeniable. Ruth agitated tirelessly for the overthrow of apartheid, first in South Africa and then from abroad, and Joe directed much of the armed struggle carried out by the famous Umkhonto we Sizwe. Only one of them, however, would survive to see the fall of the old regime and the founding of a new, democratic South Africa. This book, the first extended biography of Ruth First and Joe Slovo, is a remarkable account of one couple and the revolutionary moment in which they lived. Alan Wieder's heavily researched work draws on the usual primary and secondary sources but also an extensive oral history that he has collected over many years. By intertwining the documentary record with personal interviews, Wieder portrays the complexities and contradictions of this extraordinary couple and their efforts to navigate a time of great tension, upheaval, and revolutionary hope."--Publisher's website.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 359-378) and index.
Genre/formBiography.
LCCN 2013014378
ISBN9781583673560 (pbk. ; alk. paper)
ISBN1583673563 (pbk. ; alk. paper)
ISBN(cloth ; alk. paper)
ISBN(pbk. ; alk. paper)
ISBN(cloth ; alk. paper)
ISBN1479863068
ISBN9781479863068

Available Items

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks DT1948 .W54 2013 ✔ Available Place Hold