Introduction: a tragic dilemma --An extraordinary country -- An extraordinary professor and the 'Cape Nats' -- "The most terrific clash of interests imaginable': Hendrik Verwoerd's response -- Denying Black South Africans citizenship: John Vorster's empire -- Moving out into Africa: John Vorster's foreign schemes -- PW Botha and 'power sharing without losing control' -- A crossing suspended: PW Botha's Rubicon -- Van Zyl Slabbert: the golden boy and the black prince -- 'The risk of not taking risks': ending empire -- Time for a 'quantum leap': FW de Klerk's venture -- 'Paddling into dangerous rapids': drafting a new constitution -- A record of understanding -- A wary military -- Negotiating the NP out of power.