Ordinary people, not just the famous, create the history of a country. As a background to three true stories, A Tale of Four Countries describes the political evolution and unrest that erupted in southern Africa and in Northern Ireland during the latter part of the twentieth century. The book explores the impact of political change upon the daily lives of Seán Cassidy, who emigrated from Ireland to South Africa in 1967; marine biologist Carlos dos Santos, a native-born resident of Mozambique, and Michael Fitzsimons, an English-born teacher who emigrated to Southern Rhodesia in 1954.