Tracing Dar es Salaam's rise and fall as an epicentre of Third World revolution, George Roberts explores the connections between the global Cold War, African liberation struggles, and Tanzania's efforts to build a socialist state. Roberts introduces a vibrant cast of politicians, guerrilla leaders, diplomats, journalists, and intellectuals whose trajectories collided in the city. In its cosmopolitan and rumour-filled hotel bars, embassy receptions, and newspaper offices, they grappled with challenges of remaking a world after empire. Yet Dar es Salaam's role on the frontline of the African revolution and its provocative stance towards global geopolitics came at considerable cost. Roberts explains how Tanzania's strident anti-imperialism ultimately drove an authoritarian turn in its socialist project and tighter control over the city's public sphere. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

‘… an exciting new framework for understanding Cold War politics that prioritizes geography. For scholars working on transnational histories, Roberts’s acknowledgment of how his positionality afforded him an elite passport, research travel grants, and a good education is worth praise. This book should be featured in African, Cold War, and transnational undergraduate and graduate syllabi as chapters or full text.’

Fungisai Musoni-Chikede Source: American Historical Review