Drawing on Manley's own letters to and from close con dante, Rex Nettleford, and others; author interviews with over 30 persons in Jamaica, Cuba, the US and UK, Canada, Trinidad and Barbados; countless hours of intense and extensive research and review of footage of Manley's speeches, press conferences, o cial visits and writings, Smith provides fresh and revealing insights into one of the most charismatic personalities in the modern political history of the Caribbean. Access to and use of declassi ed US State Department documents in particular, adds a completely new dimension to the Manley story and the dynamics of US-Jamaica relations in the turbulent years of the 1970s and the '80s. With his signature strong narration and uid writing, Smith presents a detailed, yet engaging exploration of Michael Manley's life and career. From his relationships with his parents, his children, and with women, to his trade union and political careers and the bitter antipathy with political rivals, no aspect of Manley's life is left unexamined.