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This work reveals the role played by US diplomacy in South Africa's surprisingly successful transition from apartheid to democracy. Princeton Lyman, the US ambassador during the transition, makes clear that America didn't "own" the transition process - the South Africans did. But US involvement was active and intense. And it made a difference. Lyman tells the story of how Washington policymakers and the American embassy used US influence, economic assistance, and political support to help end apartheid without sparking civil war. The book offers candid assessments both of US policy deliberations and of the leading players in the unfolding, unpredictable drama. It takes us behind the diplomatic scenes as well as onto the public stage, as American diplomats strove to facilitate dialogue, encourage reconciliation, and dissuade potential spoilers.