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The Barrel of a Gun
Political Power in Africa and the Coup d'État
Series: Verso's Southern Questions
Brief Description
A committed communist and anti-apartheid activist, Ruth First dedicated her life to African liberation struggles until her assassination by South Africa’s Special Branch in 1982.
The Barrel of a Gun establishes First’s position in the canon of post-colonial revolutionary thought.
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See moreThe classic study of coups d’état in post-colonial Africa, with incisive new foreword
The classic study of coups d’état in post-colonial Africa, with incisive new foreword
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Description
A committed communist and anti-apartheid activist, Ruth First dedicated her life to African liberation struggles until her assassination by South Africa’s Special Branch in 1982.
The Barrel of a Gun establishes First’s position in the canon of post-colonial revolutionary thought.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781804299449
Publisher: Verso Books
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 18 August 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Verso Books
Edition: Paperback original
Contributors:
- Contributions by Christopher J Lee
- Foreword by Christopher J Lee
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 33.0mm
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 597g
Pages: 544
About the Author
Ruth First (1925–1982) was a fearless South African journalist, scholar, and anti-apartheid activist. Born to Latvian Jewish immigrants, she dedicated her life to fighting systemic racism and inequality. Her relentless investigative journalism and involvement with the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party (SACP) led to multiple arrests, a 117-day solitary confinement, and her eventual assassination via a parcel bomb in Mozambique
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