From his anti-colonial military leadership to the presidency of independent Mozambique, Samora Machel held a reputation as a revolutionary hero to the oppressed. Although killed in a 1987 plane crash, for many Mozambicans his memory lives on as a beacon of hope for the future.

The precipitous rise and controversial fall of a formidable African leader.
Samora Machel (1933–1986), the son of small-town farmers, led his people through a war against their Portuguese colonists and became the first president of the People’s Republic of Mozambique.
Machel’s military successes against a colonial regime backed by South Africa, Rhodesia, the United States, and its NATO allies enhanced his reputation as a revolutionary hero to the oppressed people of Southern Africa. In 1986, during the country’s civil war, Machel died in a plane crash under circumstances that remain uncertain.
Allen and Barbara Isaacman lived through many of these changes in Mozambique and bring personal recollections together with archival research and interviews with others who knew Machel or participated in events of the revolutionary or post-revolutionary years.

"“An all-encompassing book that covers the major events in Mozambique’s modern history … recommended to all scholars of Mozambique.”" - American Historical Review

"“The authors have achieved a compelling narrative of how Samora shaped post-colonial events in Mozambique and how the leader’s personality and life trajectory were transformed by these same events. Students and all those readers interested in learning more about Mozambique’s recent history will find this book a great introductory read.”" - Connections: A Journal for Historians and Area Specialists