The Rulers of Rhodesia From Earliest Times to the Referendum . First Edition

London :John Murray, 1968. HARDCOVER . X+ 345 p., b/w photogr. on plates, double page map, index. bibliogr (Orig.red cloth, gilt. title. Dust jacket. VERY GOOD) Traces the history of Rhodesia from earliest times up to the referendum of 1922 when the Rhodesian electorate decided to seek independence under the Crown, rather than accept the South African Government's generous terms of union. (Ransford) begins with a study of the early bushmen and their art. He then moves from this 'golden age' to the growth of the Monomatapan empire - which is best remembered for its great Zimbabwe-type stone buildings - and to its subjection by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. Here he introduces his main theme: that throughout its history Rhodesia has been governed by minority elites. The Portuguese were succeeded by the enigmatic Rozwi theocrats, and they in turn by the conquering Matabele who fled from Shaka's wrath in Zululand. It was during the Matabele ascendency that British missionaries first established themselves in the country, and the extraordinary story is told for the first time of the way in which internal dissension came close to wrecking their mission. The second part of the book describes Cecil Rhodes' occupation of the country and the events leading up to the referendum.