Forty Lost Years: The Apartheid State and the Politics of the National Party, 1948-1994

by Dan O'Meara

An analysis of the rise and demise of the National Party's long and violent rule in South Africa, which offers unique insight into the bleakest period in South African politics the years from D.F. Malan's surprise victory in the 1948 election to the concession of power by F.W. de Klerk and South Africa's first democratic election in 1994. Topics include the nature and functioning of the apartheid economy, the political role of big business and foreign governments, and the evolution of Afrikaner literature. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Genres: Africa

624 pages, Paperback

Published January 3, 1997

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richly detailed look at the rise, rule, and maintenance of one of the most brutal systems of oppression ever known. More on the spectrum of a Poli Sci report than nonfiction book but worth reading for anyone wanting to better understand the rise and fall of Apartheid.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read book for anyone delving deep into South African history or seeking to understand the challenges of social-economic transformation of the country still not properly understood or embraced since 1994.