Colour Bar (Film Tie In): the Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation Pdf
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FREE COLOUR BAR (FILM TIE IN): THE TRIUMPH OF SERETSE KHAMA AND HIS NATION PDF Susan Williams | 432 pages | 15 Feb 2017 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780141985701 | English | London, United Kingdom Seretse Khama - Wikipedia Free Shipping in the US on over 5 million books in stock. Consider changing the search query. List is empty. Account Log in Registration. Fiction Books. Non-Fiction Books. Children's Books. Rare Books. Colour Bar by Susan Williams. In Stock. Very Good Good. Qty: Add to cart. Add to Wishlist. The true story of a love which defied family, Apartheid, and empire - the inspiration for the major new feature film A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike London, He was the heir to an African kingdom. She was a white English insurance clerk. When they met and fell in love, it would change the world. This is the inspiring true story of Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams, whose marriage sent shockwaves through the establishment, defied an empire - and, finally, Colour Bar (Film Tie In): The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation over the prejudices of their age. It spoke to me as an African, as a man, as a romantic' David Oyelowo 'A story of forgiveness and healing A love story for the ages One of the best films of the year' Daily Mail 'Irresistible storytelling' Guardian 'Genuinely moving Fascinating and timely' Time Out. Our excellent value books literally don't cost the earth. Free delivery in the US Read more here. Every used book bought is one saved from landfill. A story of forgiveness and healing Susan Williams is an historian and author of many books, most recently Spies in the Congo. She grew up in Zambia and has worked in Britain, Zimbabwe and Canada. Additional information Sku GOR Author Susan Colour Bar (Film Tie In): The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation. Condition Used - Very Good. Binding type Paperback. Publisher Penguin Books Ltd. Year published Number of pages ISBN 10 ISBN 13 Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. Note This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us. Colour Bar : Susan Williams : At the heart of this engaging book is the story of an enduring love affair between a black man and a white woman, which began one summer night in gloomy, rationed postwar Britain. But this was no ordinary man, nor indeed any ordinary woman. He was Seretse Khama, the heir to the kingship of the largest tribe of an African protectorate under British control; she was Ruth Williams, a year-old clerk in a shipping company, and a conservative, with a small and large c. As Susan Williams shows in this extensively researched and elegantly written account, the love story of Seretse and Ruth defines an era of dying colonial power. Stymied in their relationship at every turn by the British government, in covert alliance with apartheid South Africa, the dignity of Khama and his strong-willed bride came to represent the emerging freedoms and racial tolerance of Africa as a whole. The young Khama was sent over to London in to study law by his uncle, the Regent of the Bangwato tribe to which Seretse was heir. Lonely at first in the chill world of Oxford, he moved to London, where he met several other politically minded young Africans; and then Ruth, at a dinner dance, in June Within months, the couple were engaged. Almost immediately, the young mixed-race couple faced Colour Bar (Film Tie In): The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation. They were plagued by racist landlords and casual abuse in the streets. British government officials, family friends and church figures tried to prevent the marriage. Four days after their first attempt to wed in a Kensington Church was blocked by the Bishop of London, Seretse and Ruth were married in a civil ceremony. The bride wore a black suit. In lateSeretse returned to Bechuanaland to seek ratification of his marriage from his tribe: at an extraordinary tribe assembly, thousands of men stood up in a dramatic show of support for their future Chief. Sadly, the British response was not so sophisticated: under intense pressure from Colour Bar (Film Tie In): The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation Africa, which bordered Bechuanaland, and in alliance with Khama's uncle, who violently opposed the marriage, they began to find ways to block the return of Khama to his native country. Williams has done a masterly job in unravelling and chronicling a shameful piece of colonial history, in particular, the twists and turns of the Harragin special inquiry and its political aftermath. Set up to decide whether Seretse was a fit and proper person to discharge the functions of Chief, the inquiry found in his favour but nonetheless argued that South Africa's opposition to his marriage, and therefore his chieftainship, constituted enough reason to bar Khama from returning to his country. This "inflammable document" caused Attlee great political Colour Bar (Film Tie In): The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation. Khama fought a dignified campaign against his painful seven-year exile in Britain. His case became a cause celebre among MPs, left and right, who kept up insistent pressure in Parliament, as well as prominent actors, journalists and churchmen. In early the then Tory government, hoping to keep Khama as far from Africa as possible, insulted him with the offer of an administrative post in Jamaica. He refused. The government's eventual capitulation was in large part due the advancing tide of colonial freedom. In lateAlec Douglas Home, the Commonwealth Secretary, persuaded Eden, preoccupied with the impending Suez debacle, of the case for negotiating a return home on condition that he renounce Colour Bar (Film Tie In): The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation claims to be chief. Susan Williams has succeeded in the difficult feat of seamlessly entwining a political and personal story. She conveys the human aspects of her tale, from the pettiness of the white settler population to the distinctive personalities of Ruth and Seretse - she, fiery; he, charmingly even-tempered - just as powerfully as the political ins and outs of this famous case. The even-handed narrative also cleverly underlines the casual racism, arrogant patronage and incredible hauteur of both Labour and Tory politicians. Writing of his meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary, Patrick Gordon Walker, in which he was first informed of his banishment, Seretse Khama was most struck by the politicians' manner: "as unfeeling as if he was asking me to give up smoking, or surrender old school examination papers that I had accumulated while at Oxford. I doubt that any man has been asked to give up his birthright in such cold, calculating tones. Ultimately, though, this is a story of love and redemption. After his return home, Seretse Khama was duly elected first democratic head of the newly created nation state of Botswana, which he ruled for over 20 years before his death from cancer in Ruth, who adapted remarkably easily to life both in Africa and the political spotlight, took her place as the mother of the nation during Seretse's life and after. As for Khama himself, he never let anger sour his outlook. Bitterness does not pay. Certain things have happened to all of us in the past and it is for us to forget those and look to the future. It is not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of our children and children's children that we ourselves should put this world right. Biography books. The bride wore black. Melissa Benn on Susan William's account of an extraordinary postwar attempt to suppress a mixed-race relationship, Colour Bar. Buy Colour Bar at the Guardian bookshop. Melissa Benn. Topics Biography books reviews Reuse this content. Colour Bar by Susan Williams | Waterstones Cookies are used to provide, analyse and improve our services; provide chat tools; and show you relevant content on advertising. You can learn more about our use of cookies here. Are you happy to accept all cookies? 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