The Barrel of a Gun: Political Power in Africa and the Coup d'État

The classic study of coups d'état in post-colonial Africa, with incisive new foreword

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.

Author: Ruth First
Publisher: Verso
Published: 08/18/2026
Pages: 544
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.00w x 1.50d
ISBN13: 9781804299449
ISBN10: 1804299448
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Race & Ethnic Relations
- Political Science | History & Theory | General
- History | Africa | South | Republic of South Africa

About the Author
Ruth First was an internationally known anti-apartheid activist who was a member of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the African National Congress (ANC). In 1982, she was assassinated in Maputo, Mozambique, by a mail bomb sent by the apartheid government.

Christopher J. Lee is a historian who has written or edited thirteen previous books on different aspects of decolonization, global history, and the South African Left. He has held academic appointments at universities in Africa, Asia, and North America. As Co-General Editor, he is currently completing the five-volume Cambridge History of Colonialism and Decolonization.