{"product_id":"airlift-to-america-tom-shachtman-9780312570750","title":"Airlift to America: How Barack Obama, Sr., John F. Kennedy, Tom Mboya, and 800 East African Students Changed Their World and Ours","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the long-hidden saga of how a handful of Americans and East Africans fought the British colonial government, the U.S. State Department, and segregation to transport to, or support at, U.S. and Canadian universities, between 1959 and 1963, nearly 800 young East African men and women who would go on to change their world and ours. The students supported included Barack Obama Sr., future father of a U.S. president, Wangari Maathai, future Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as well as the nation-builders of post-colonial East Africa -- cabinet ministers, ambassadors, university chancellors, clinic and school founders. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The airlift was conceived by the unusual partnership of the charismatic, later-assassinated Kenyan Tom Mboya and William X. Scheinman, a young American entrepreneur, with supporting roles played by Jackie Robinson, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The airlift even had an impact on the 1960 presidential race, as Vice-President Richard Nixon tried to muscle the State Department into funding the project to prevent Senator Jack Kennedy from using his family foundation to do so and reaping the political benefit. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The book is based on the files of the airlift's sponsor, the African American Students Foundation, untouched for almost fifty years. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Tom Shachtman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0312570759\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780312570750\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e St. Martins Press-3PL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/15\/2009\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.05lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.60h x 5.80w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2009\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/13\/2009 pg. 49\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/15\/2009 pg. 92\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/2009 pg. 14","brand":"Tom Shachtman","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43946436493567,"sku":"9780312570750","price":35.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_f09104c0-20ad-4cf9-af27-4796ef2432be.jpg?v=1681513139","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/airlift-to-america-tom-shachtman-9780312570750","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}