Routledge
256 pages | 17 B/W Illus.
This book offers an insightful analysis of presidential policy towards Rhodesia during the UDI era of 1965-1979. Michel provides an informative account of the stance adopted by the differing presidential administrations towards Salisbury and highlights the shifting alignment of the global and domestic dynamics that shaped decision-making. The book also explores the complex relationship between pragmatism and morality in formulating policy, and Michel considers intriguing questions over the competing visions within Washington of what constituted pragmatism or morality during the era of decolonization.
"An invaluable narrative of the contrasting approaches of a series of White House administrations on the Rhodesian question, caught as they were between often conflicting international and domestic imperatives, including geopolitical concerns, economic interests, race relations and the rise of Human Rights… an indispensable account of U.S. policy towards Africa during the Cold War era."
-Dr. Thula Simpson, author of Umkhonto we Sizwe: The ANC's Armed Struggle.
"The White House and Africa is a welcome addition to the flourishing literature on the history of Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). Eddie Michel's analysis of presidential decision-making highlights one of the key determinants of Rhodesia's varying fortunes during the UDI period."
-Dr. Carl Peter Watts, author of Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence: An International History.
Introduction
1. Measured Hostility: President Lyndon B. Johnson
2. The Luster of Chrome: President Richard M. Nixon
3. Laying the Foundations for Peace: President Gerald R. Ford
4. From Rhodesia to Zimbabwe: President Jimmy Carter
Conclusion