Proud, ruthless and erratic, Robert Mugabe is a unique figure. Almost alone among today's African presidents, Mugabe led the struggle against colonial rule and has dominated his country since independence.
David Blair was forced to leave Zimbabwe in June 2001 as Mugabe sought to silence the media. Before then, he witnessed every twist and turn of the country's drama. 'Degrees In Violence' tells the story from the hopeful era of new independence to the present reality of farm invasions, food riots, fuel queues and a terror campaign waged by Mugabe's supporters.
From white farmers who live as if the colonial era had never ended, to a paranoid government and its often inept opposition, Blair exposes the wilfulness and folly that lie behind the crises in Zimbabwe.
In this new paperback edition, Blair examines the events leading up to and during the 2002 elections. The months filled with violence, media clampdowns and political manoeuvrings brought almost inevitable results. Now with Mugabe back in office, internationally isolated and on the brink of famine, what does the future hold for Zimbabwe?
