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Typically biographies of African political leaders focus on their
adult lives. Topics that never enter social studies surveys are included, such as the development and organization of political parties, the formal and informal processes of obtaining independence, rivalry for political power both before and after independence, relationships with other African nations and their leaders during the independence struggle and the nation building period, and the roles of such groups as labor unions and women's societies in politics.
The accuracy and depth, of coverage in biographies of political leaders varies considerably, depending upon the knowledge of the author of the biography and the sources that he or she used for learning about the political leader. Among the better biographies that discuss both political structure and political process are Sophia Ripley Ames, Nkrumah of Ghana (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1961) and Shirley Graham Dlu Bois, Julius K. Nyerere: Teacher of Africa (New York, Messner, 1975). The biography of Nkrumah closely follows his autobiography, Ghana, The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah (London: Nelson, 1957),4 and though now dated in perspective, provides more information on preindependence politics in Ghana than any other book written for American children. The biography of Nyerere is based on the author's lifelong familiarity with African politics, as well as her personal familiarity with Nyerere. Unlike most biographies of African political leaders for children, it provides balanced coverage of both Nyerere's early and adult life, thus showing the personal and cultural origins of his adult political behavior. It Includes mention of details of political life rarely found in other books for children such as Africanization, building an army, annual political party celebrations, and how Nyerere responds to complaints about the government.
There also are collections of short biographies about African political leaders of the present and past. Because of the limited space devoted to the biography of each person, few details about politics are included, although numerous political events are enumerated. Collections of biographies of African political leaders may focus entirely on leaders of the past, such as Naomi Mitchison, African Heros (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968), or include leaders of both the past and present, such as Florence T. Polatnick and Alberta L. Saletan, Shapers of Africa (New York: Messner, 1969), or focus on leaders of the last two decades, such as Edna Mason Kaula's Leaders of the New Africa (New York: World, 1966).
By far the most successful collection of biographies for revealing political process is Colin and Margaret Legum, The Bitter Choice (Cleveland: World, 1968). subtitled Eight South Africans' Resistance to Tyranny, this book presents a unique political perspective of South Africa among children's books. Instead of focusing on the formal structure of the South African government, as do almost all books written for American children, it focuses on the resistance to that structure by persons who favor equality under the law and the representation of the African majority. It shows how workers, clergymen, "tribal" leaders, and a poet have been drawn into the political arena in South Africa as a response to legislation based on principles of apartheid. Unlike other collections of biographies written for children, it is united both by a common theme and a three chapter introduction that discusses the sociopolitical realities of South Africa of the 1960s. Also unique is the