Crossing the borders of power: The memoirs of Colin Eglin by Colin Elgin (Jonathan Ball Publishers)

In Crossing the Borders of Power, his memoirs, Colin Eglin recalls an active life as a politician in

Colin Eglin was at the frontline of the making of South African history for the second half of the 20th Century.

He served in Parliament through the terms of seven successive prime ministers and presidents – from J.G. Strijdom to Thabo Mbeki; and under five constitutions, from the Union Constitution to the constitution of 1996. In the negotiations that followed Nelson Mandela’s release from jail in February 1990, Mandela described Eglin as ‘one of the architects of our democracy’.

Eglin continued to make his impact in parliament over the first 10 years of South Africa’s transition to democracy. In Crossing the Borders of Power, Colin Eglin recalls an active life well lived. From childhood in South Africa in the 1920’s and 1930’s to fighting his way through Africa and Italy in the second world war. Then to fighting his corner in Parliament – from which perspective he provides searching insights into South African politics and politicians during the most dramatic and traumatic half-century in the history of South Africa.

Content: Crossing the borders of power. The memoirs of Colin Eglin

PART I Childhood, youth, war
Early years: Pinelands and OFS, 1923-1935
High school: Villiersdorp, 1936-1939
Cape Town University, 1940-1943
You're in the army now

PART II Towards a political future
Back home in Pinelands, 1946-1948
Early days in politics, 1948-1953
The Progressive Party is formed
Another year of trauma, i960

PART III Ascent to leadership
Learning freedom in the USA
The Progressive Party of South Africa develops, 1961-1970

PART IV Wider circles of understanding
Leader and strategy
The Progressive Reform Party, 1975

PART V Stormy days of opposition
Soweto explodes, 16 June 1976
Meeting Steve Biko
The Nationalist counterattack
A question of leadership in South Africa
New directions
Slabbert resigns, I am recalled

PART VI The era of negotiation
The Eminent Persons Group
Worrall makes his move
The De Beer-Eglin team renewed
The advent of De Klerk

PART VII Return to a welcoming world
Rejoining the world
The negotiations: progress and deadlock
Getting negotiations back on track
Towards a new history of South Africa

PART VIII Mandela and after
South Africa under Mandela, 1994-1997
Mbeki, Leon, transformation
Afterword
Acknowledgements