A Critical History of Southern Rhodesia

"Gardner Thompson has stepped forward with anuanced history of colonial Southern Rhodesia that culminates in a judiciousconclusion. His thoughtful and thought-provoking book shows the way forward."--Nigel Biggar,author of Colonialism:A Moral Reckoning "A valuableread on an almost forgotten moment in late empire.... Thompson captures well thedilemma that faced Rhodesia's white settlers, who missed a real chance forsomething better than the bush war and Mugabe."--Matthew Parris, Times (London) columnist andformer UK member of Parliament"Wrestles with the complexities of the politics of race and racial domination in Rhodesia.... A provocative take on Rhodesian history."--Munya Munochiveyi, College of the Holy Cross Gardner Thompson offers a fresh history of British rule in Southern Rhodesia, from the first colonial settlements in Mashonaland in the 1890s to the establishment of the country's sovereignty as Zimbabwe. After tracing developments in the early decades, Thompson turns to the post-World War II debate about the colony's future direction--which pitted progressive settlers against the increasingly racialist conservative core--the impact of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965, and the many damaging consequences of the choices that were made. Not least, he assesses the legacy of Rhodesian colonialism in postcolonial Zimbabwe. CONTENTS: Why a New History of Southern Rhodesia? The Founding of Southern Rhodesia. The Settler Colony. Winds of Change. Liberal Dawn? Turn to the Right. Cul-de-Sac. Legacy: Zimbabwe. Judging Empire.