Colour Bar

London, 1947. He was the heir to an African kingdom. She was a white English insurance clerk. When they met and fell in love, it would change the world. This is the inspiring true story of Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams, whose marriage sent shockwaves through the establishment, defied an empire - and, finally, triumphed over the prejudices of their age.

“"Wonderful . . . Deeply researched and grippingly written." -- Independent”

A story of forgiveness and healing ... as relevant today as when the whole drama was being played out -- Alexander McCall Smith A gripping, heroic and darkly comic story of fading imperium Sunday Times Elegantly written ... Williams has done a masterly job Guardian An inspiring story ... [an] excellent and shaming book Literary Review Wonderful ... Deeply researched and grippingly written Independent A splendid book Spectator A pacy but judicious writer . . . her portrait of a love affair exposes the madness of the racial bar more effectively than a thousand anti-apartheid pamphlets' Tablet A hugely readable book. I couldn't put it down Saturday Independent As exciting as any detective story Art Beat A fantastic love story of modern times, one that is almost Shakespearian in its drama, intrigue and pathos Tonight

Susan Williams is an historian and author of many books, most recently Spies in the Congo. The Race for the Ore that Built the Atomic Bomb (2016) and Who Killed Hammarskjoeld? The UN, the Cold War and White Supremacy in Africa (2011), which triggered a new UN investigation in 2015 into the death of the Secretary General. She grew up in Zambia and has worked in Britain, Zimbabwe and Canada. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London.

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