Product Description

Sir Seretse Khama, the first President of Botswana and heir apparent to the kingship of the Bangwato people, brought independence and great prosperity to his nation after colonial rule. But for six long years from 1950, Seretse had been forced into exile in England, banned from his own country. His crime? To fall in love and marry a young, white English girl, Ruth Williams. Delving into newly released records, Susan Williams tells Seretse and Ruth's story - a shocking account of how the British Government conspired with apartheid South Africa to prevent the mixed-race royal couple returning home. But it is also an inspiring, triumphant tale of hope, courage and true love as with tenacity and great dignity Seretse and Ruth and the Bangwato people ovecome prejudice in their fight for justice.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19144 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

About the Author
Susan Williams is the author of many books, most recently The People's King: The True Story of the Abdication (2003), The Children of London (2001) and Ladies of Influence (2000). She grew up in Zambia and has worked in Britain, Zimbabwe and Canada. She lives in London and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.

Customer Reviews

A rivetting read that should be compulsory for all
I bought this book as a 'worthy' read: to do some background research on a country I have visited and was preparing a talk on: it wasn't a book that I thought would be a great read. How wrong I was! When I finally picked it up I couldn't put it down. It almost read like a page turning thriller. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew it had a happy ending it would have been an agonising read as so many obstacles were put in the way of a man who was much bigger than the racist pygmies who tried to curtail his freedoms. I knew that Batswana held the Khamas in high esteem: after finishing the book I could see why. I was in awe of his intelligence, compassion, decency and refusal to dwell on past injustices. I can see why Nelson Mandela held him in such high regard. How fortunate southern Africa has been to have had two such great men guide it. It also made me very angry against the oppressive governments of Britain, Rhodesia and South Africa. The shenanigans of the UK officials were almost desperately farcical as they tried to manipulate and manoeuvre to obtain the petty outcomes they wanted, irrespective of natural decency or basic human rights, or what was best for Africa. If you thought 'spin' was a recent political development, this book will show you it's true age. This book could be sold at airports as a page turning thriller, and would also serve to show people how noble the human character can be, and also show how low and despicable those who think they are superior can be. This is my first ever glowing (and longest) review on Amazon but I was so 'blown away' by the story this book authoritatively tells, but with a lightness of touch that lets the reader draw their own judgements. This deserves to be as well known, and read, as Mandela's 'Long road to freedom'. Even if you know nothing about Botswana, buy this book: it gives a rare insight into Britain's 1950's society and its values that read sometimes like the history of another world, rather than my own country in its recent past.

A joy to read
I found this a very enjoyable read. Having visited Botswana in the summer, I actually read this when I returned - I wish I has read it before I left.

The underlying love story is well told, and the politics come across as abhorent as they were thought of at the time.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in post-colonial Africa, race issues, British politics, or anyone thinking of travelling to Southern Africa.

A well researched and enlightening account of examplary lives
I was probably 5 years old when Sir Seretse passed on, but accounts of his deeds, dignity, leadership and his reverence among us Batswana filtered through even to our young minds. But because of the generational gap, Sir Seretse was an enigma somewhat. For me this book filled the gap, bringing to life the unimaginable challenges he faced down. Susan Williams has done a sterling job, it is well researched and vividly unravels the characters involved in this saga and politics of that era. Through her account I have added respect for men like Anthony "Tony" Neil Wedgwood Benn, a Labour party veteran (whose daughter Mellisa we are told had Sir Seretse as godfather), who in helping Sir Seretse and Lady Khama, in debates in the House of Commons and by other means, he helped Batswana. I found myself reading the book in the London tube trains on daily commute and trying to imagine the London of Sir Seretse times..

Sir Seretse once said on the importance of writing about history:
"...It should now be our intention to try to retrieve what we can of our past. We should write our own history books to prove that we did have a past, and that it was a past that was just as worth writing and learning about as any other. We must do this for the simple reason that a nation without a past is a lost nation, and a people without a past is a people without a soul..." Sir Seretse Khama (1970)
Susan William has written about Sir Seretse and Lady Khama, that is a contribution, a fitting tribute.