In the Northern Hemisphere, the Cold War may have been fought with confrontations, blustering and threats, but in the Third World, it was all too hot. Two African battlegrounds, Angola and Mozambique, were liberated from their colonial rulers only in 1975 after lengthy wars and were immediately and cruelly plunged back into foreign-sponsored proxy wars and internal conflict.

Cold War politics alone, of course, are not responsible for the maelstrom that has engulfed Angola and Mozambique. Both countries have had the unfortunate distinction of having three post-World War II international conflicts fought out on their soil: the struggle of Third World peoples against Western (in this case, Portuguese) colonialism, the East-West confrontation between superpowers; and the fight against apartheid in, the regional domination by, white South Africa.

Potentially rich and productive (Angola particularly is blessed with natural resources, including minerals and oil), with plenty of arable land despite climatic extremes, both countries have suffered years of terror, leaving hundreds of thousands dead from battle, famine and disease, comprehensive social, economic and physical devastation and a horrific legacy of land mines everywhere.

Angola and Mozambique: Postcolonial Wars in Southern Africa is the story of these interrelated struggles. It establishes the historical, political, social and cultural context, explains issues, identifies players and assesses prospects for the future.