Newton Books Kwame Nkrumah and the Dawn of the Cold War: The West African National Secretariat (1945-48)

The West African National Secretariat (WANS) has largely been forgotten by history. Founded by Kwame Nkrumah in London in 1945 and enduring for only three years, the scope of its influence as an organization is perhaps eclipsed by its significance in the story of the Cold War in Africa.

In this groundbreaking work, historian Marika Sherwood draws on unprecedented archival research and newly released MI5 files to reveal how Nkrumah, the WANS, and other pan-African organizations became entangled in Cold War politics during Africa's anti-colonial struggles and how Western powers colluded with the US to label African nationalists as communists in order to contain decolonization.

What This Book Explores:

• The founding and influence of the West African National Secretariat under Kwame Nkrumah
• How Cold War politics shaped and complicated Africa's anti-colonial struggles
• How Western powers colluded with the US to label African nationalists as communists
• The role of pan-African organizations in West African nationalism
• A crucial and neglected chapter in the history of West Africa and global politics

Perfect For: Historians, political scientists, students of African history, and anyone who wants to understand the intersection of African nationalism, pan-Africanism, and the Cold War.

Order your book from Newton Bookshop and get it delivered to your doorstep everywhere in Ghana and around the world.