Results | Kerko

Wilson, A. (2013). The Threat of Liberation: Imperialism and Revolution in Zanzibar. Pluto Press.

The Threat of Liberation returns to the tumultuous years of the Cold War, when, in a striking parallel with today, imperialist powers were seeking to institute ‘regime change’ and install pliant governments.Using iconic photographs, declassified US and British documents, and in-depth interviews, Amrit Wilson examines the role of the Umma Party of Zanzibar and its leader, the visionary Marxist revolutionary, Abdulrahman Mohamed Babu. Drawing parallels between US paranoia about Chinese Communist influence in the 1960s with contemporary fears about Chinese influence, it looks at the new race for Africa’s resources, the creation of AFRICOM and how East African politicians have bolstered US control. The book also draws on US cables released by Wikileaks showing Zanzibar's role in the ‘War on Terror’ in Eastern Africa today.The Threat of Liberation reflects on the history of a party which confronted imperialism and built unity across ethnic divisions, and considers the contemporary relevance of such strategies.

Petterson, D. (2004). Revolution In Zanzibar: An American’s Cold War Tale. Basic Books.

The Cold War exploded in Zanzibar in 1964 when African rebels slaughtered one of every ten Arabs. Led by a strange, messianic Ugandan, Cuban-trained factions headed the rebels, making Zanzibar (in the eyes of Washington) a potentially cancerous base for the communist subversion of mainland Africa. Exotic Zanzibar -- fabled island of spices, former slave-trading entrept, and stepping-off point for 19th century expeditions into the vast interior of the Dark Continent -- had succumbed to the terror of 20th century revolution and Cold War intrigue. In the vivid, eyewitness tradition of The Bang Bang Club and The Skull beneath the Skin , Donald Petterson weaves an engrossing tale of human drama played out against a background of violence and horror. As the only American in Zanzibar throughout the revolution, Petterson reports with the inside authority of a highly placed diplomatic observer, illuminating how the current troubles in Zanzibar are rooted in the Cold War and the revolution of 1964.

Read document

Moulin, L. de S. (1991). [Review of Review of Tippo-Tip: un potentat arabe en Afrique centrale au XIXe siècle, by F. Renault]. Canadian Journal of African Studies, 25(1), 155–157. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/485581

Read document

Craster, J. E. E. (1913). Pemba, the spice island of Zanzibar. T. F. Unwin.

Aldrick, J. (2015). The Sultan’s Spymaster. Old Africa Books.

The Sultan's Spymaster tells the story of Peera Dewjee, an Ismaili merchant who crossed from India to Zanzibar as a boy. Later he became Sultan Barghash's barber and valet, where he became a confidant to the Sultan and a trusted advisor. Peera Dewjee acted behind the scenes during momentous events in the history of Zanzibar and East Africa - the closing of the slave markets and imperial expansion by Germany and Great Britain. The Sultan's Spymaster displays 16 pages of rare photographs from Zanzibar as well as numerous old line drawings in the text of the book itself.

Bennett, N. R. (1962). Americans in Zanzibar. Essex Institute Historical Collections, 98, 36–61. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015052932954&view=1up&seq=9

View on babel.hathitrust.org

Foster. (1893). Handbook of British East Africa, including Zanzibar, Uganda, and the territory of the Imperial British East Africa company. War Office. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/ien.35556038041596

View on hdl.handle.net