Helen Suzman

Helen Suzman was the legendary anti-apartheid campaigner whose life's work brought the iniquities of that regime to global attention and shone a shaming spotlight on minority rule. As a lone female, Jewish MP among 165 male, mostly Afrikaner and highly chauvinist politicians, Suzman single-handedly carried the anti-racism banner in South Africa's parliament during the darkest era of apartheid. Fearless, though she was confronted by constant antagonism and the threat of physical violence, Suzman's life is a story of determination reinforced by a brilliant sense of humour. Access to all of Suzman's personal papers, including her unpublished correspondence with Nelson Mandela, was granted by her family to the author, former British ambassador to South Africa Robin Renwick, who has penned a book rich with examples of her biting wit and political brilliance. This first biography of her extraordinary life goes beyond her famous struggle against South Africa's apartheid regime into her criticisms of the post-apartheid government of the African National Congress. A fascinating insight into the life and work of one of the truly great campaigners, this biography is an essential contribution to one of the most resonant and important struggles of modern history. The first biography of the legendary anti-apartheid campaigner.