Military History - Southern Africa:BushveldNET

Layout Table~~~~364~364~~

Military History~Southern Africa - Angola, SWA Namibia, South Africa~~~364~4599~%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EMilitary History - Southern Africa%3Cbr%3EWars and conflicts, politics.%3CBR%3EBooks covering terrorism guerrila tactics conflicts in Southern Africa, the elite South African special forces, Recce Paratroopers, elite parachute battalions, psuedo-terrorist units, helicopter pilots, insurgency counterinsurgency techniques, guerrilla warfare counter-guerrilla warfare, swapo unita koevoet nis anc sadf saaf south west africa, buffalo soldiers. Colonization & independence, terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle . Includes popular titles%3A A Greater Share of Honour - Jack Greeff, Buffalo Soldiers - Story of South Africa’s 32-Battalion%3A 1975-1993 by Col. Jan Breytenbach, Mercenary Commander - Col Jerry Puren as told to Brian Pottinger, On South Africa%27s Secret Service - Riaan Lauschange, South African Air Force - Peter Dancey, The Silent War%3A South African Recce operations 1969 - 1994 - Peter Stiff, Warfare by Other Means%3A South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s by Peter Stiff~

32 Battalion - The Inside Story of South Africa's Elite Fighting Unit - Piet Nortjie~32 Battalion is the gripping inside story of South Africa's most controversial fighting unit of the 1970s and 1980s. Originally formed in order to lend support to the FNLA and UNITA in the Angolan war, 32 Battalion quickly gained the reputation of being an unconventional, secretive, yet highly effective group. Written by a man who was intimately involved with the unit and served as its Regimental Sergeant Major for two years, the book aims to explode the myths surrounding the legendary 32 and set the record straight. It records how and why 32 Battalion was formed, explores its unique identity forged by the men who fought in it, details the many operations in which they participated, and concludes with its eventual disbandment at the dawn of a new South Africa.What they did, and how they did it, would earn this controversial group official recognition as the best fighting unit in the South African Army since World War II. This book's unembellished, factual reporting will fill a big gap in the highly popular military genre.~~32 Battalion - The Inside Story of South Africa%27s Elite Fighting Unit|ISBN 9781868729142|~364~11484~32 Battalion~

A Cook's Tour of Duty - Peter Chapman~Memoirs of a conscripted National Serviceman, who served in the South African Army Service Corps between 1978 and 1980, including a year in South West Africa (now Namibia).
ISBN-13 978-1-920169-15-2, August 2006. Paperback A5, 131 pages.~JDP Publishing
Paperback
ISBN-10 1-920169-15-6
ISBN-13 978-1-920169-15-2
131 pages
Size A5
Publication Date 1 August 2006

~A Cook%27s Tour of Duty|ISBN-13 9781920169152|~364~11335~South African Army Service Corps~

A Greater Share of Honour: The Memoirs of a Recce Officer - Jack Greeff~The first major first person account of South African special operations written by a former Recce operator, Major Jack Greeff. As a young Staff Sergeant in the South African Special Forces Recces, Jack Greeff became one of the most decorated soldiers in the SADF. Leading two-man reconnaissance patrols deep into enemy held territories and operating under the noses of the enemy, they collected vital strategic information on enemy movements and installations. Using the information gathered, he led raiding parties to the targets to execute what were probably the biggest and most daring acts of sabotage in recent military history. The author also tells in detail how men, both black and white, trained together and fought a common enemy to create one of the most respected Special Forces units of its time. He chronicles the many operations in which he participated; from the start of his career in Operation Savannah (Angola) through to the almost catastrophic battle at Eheki (Angola) and the months spent as D Squadron Rhodesian SAS on external operations in Mozambique.
This is a revised (second) edition which contains numerous more photos and has been extensively re-edited and updated.
July 2008. 2nd Edition, 366 pages. Colour and B/W photos versions available

Expected dispatch dates: Colour photos 2nd Edition, mid Sept 2008 (accepting discounted pre-orders). Black/White photos 2nd Edition, immediate (in stock).
NOTE - see 'Special Offers' section at bottom of this page~Original pubilcation (cover shown on left - now out of stock / print, scarce copy)
Ellisras: Ntomeni Publications, 2001.
ISBN 0620279990. Stiff Soft Cover. 150x220mm. 172pp

Second revised Edition
JD Publishing
July 2008ISBN-13 978-1-920315-06-1
Softcover, A5 size
366 pages (POD print, text font size usually larger than usual)

This is the first personal account of Recce operations during the South African bush war, by one of the top and most experienced Special Forces officers." His adventures reveal some of the most brilliantly planned and executed special operations in the history of the SADF.The stories and numerous photographs, take the reader into the world of clandestine war, African guerilla warfare and undercover operations. The author not only gives an extraordinary knowledge into the secret world of South African Defence Force special operations, but also a great knowledge of modern warfare stategies and of the great battles of the past.

Jack Greeff's story gives a unique glimpse into the life and times of one of the very few elite warriors that we came to know as "recces". These soldiers, correctly known as 'Special Forces Operators', were truly special. Their selection was tough (arguably the toughest in the world) with a tiny percentage of those who applied making the grade. Their training was even tougher, culminating in an actual operation against the enemy so that those who were eventually able to wear the Compass Rose and Operator's badge knew that all others who did so had been through the same gruelling selection and training. Jack was already an accomplished soldier when he first attempted selection. He passed on his second attempt and finally joined this elite brotherhood. His story as related in this book chronicles the many operations in which he participated; from the start of his career in Operation Savannah through to the almost catastrophic battle at Eheki and the months spent as "D Squadron Rhodesian SAS". It also describes various strategic operations such as Amazone, Kerslig and Katiso.

Futhermore the Author reveals from his own experiences the advantages of operating in small groups. As detailed in the book, the success of his small group was such that his group was sent to help in other countries and in other desperate situations where his group of six, by means of stealth and suprise, took on hundreds of enemy. His small band was sent to Rhodesia to help the Selous Scouts in some of the tricky operations there. Quitely in the dark and stealth of night, and quickly out by means of a helicopter the next morning was their trademark.

The authors reference to his naming of the title of the book is most interesting. The author quotes from an adress by King Henry V to his band of demoralized soldiers on the eve of the battle of Agincourt against a Superior French force. " If we are marked to die we are enough.and if to live, the fewer men the greater share of honour" A most highly recommended book.

Their bravery in action was awesome, and their friendship and loyalty to me a stranger in their land, matched it.
Harry McAllion - author of Killing Zone. Former British Paras, Recce, 22 SAS, RUC.

And though they are extraordinary proficient in the use of small arms and have conducted some of the hairiest operations in modern warfare, the Recces are far more valuable to the SADF as eyes and ears
Capt (Ret) Larry Bailey. US Navy SEAL. Soldier of Fortune June 1993.~Select Edition||A Greater Share of Honour (2nd Edition Colour)|ISBN13 9781920315061 C|A Greater Share of Honour (2nd Edition B/W)|ISBN13 9781920315061 BW|~364~1493~A Greater Share of Honour, Jack Greeff, South African special forces operations force Recces~

A Secret Burden: Memories of the Border War by South African soldiers who fought in it - Edited by Dr Karen Batley~This collection of poetry and prose, written by young, white South African conscripts deployed during the 'Border War' in Angola and Namibia, provides an intimate, sometimes shocking, glimpse of an important era in South Africa's history which has hitherto been swept under the carpet. Very few are aware of the sheer horror experienced by the young conscripts, or of the physical and emotional scars many of these 'walking wounded' carry to this day. A Secret Burden constitutes a literal unburdening for those whose voices have been silenced for too long. According to Justice Yvonne Mokgoro, Judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, who wrote the foreword to this book, '… it is greatly to be hoped that this work can bring about more compassion and understanding in a country that desperately needs it.'
ISBN 9781868422906, Sept 2007. Paperback 133 pages~~A Secret Burden|ISBN 9781868422906|~364~11990~border war~

Altered States - Frank Nunes~The memoirs of Frank Nunes recording his time in the South African Army during the 1980s. We follow his adventures through his two years National Service as he tries to get into the Parabats, then gets sent to 8 South African Infantry (8 SAI) and to the Border.
"Life is full of change, either small personal changes or at times large unpredicted changes that seem to occur outside of our control. The important element in this, is the way in which we react and then deal with each of these when we meet them. This will not only determine the final outcome, but also have a lasting effect on your life moving forward. The mind interprets these forces and reactions to form an 'Altered State', something that human's are capable of recalling at will as a memory or a feeling of Deja Vu. From these events we learn hopefully that we need to leave that experience in the past but at the same time learn from it. Use it in the present and build a new way forward. In my own life, conscription was not a choice, and I only got through it by using humour as a coping tool. At the same time for me it was a life changing event that taught to me how to accept responsibility, to value team work, camaraderie , trust, and that antaganism, violence and war are not good fixes to lifes problems. True forgiveness and the ability to work together on a common goal is paramount to success. By the same token, humour and having fun throughout life is just as important, and presents itself everywhere, but one has to look for it to find it.. The military is full of humourous anecdotes and situations. I hope this book allows you to cope with your own Altered States and enable to stand back and if possible get through it with a more positive outcome."
ISBN: 978-1-9201-6942-8, April 2008. Paperback 338 pages.
Two editions available - B/W photos/drawings, Colour photos/drawings.~The memoirs of Frank Nunes record his time in the South African Army during the 1980s. We follow his adventures through his two years National Service as he tries to get into the Parabats, then gets sent to 8 SAI and to the Border.

From the Author:

"…Of the several 'altered states' experienced in my life, the events pertinent to this personal reflection occurred throughout the duration of my two year period as a military conscript, in mandatory National Service in South Africa.

Sure, the military genre is not everyone's topic of choice, but this book concentrates more on the life changing experiences during my training. For those who feel they are not well versed in military doctrine, it is actually a tradition more than an institution. The military instils in one the character traits of obedience, honour, bravery, pride and comradeship by applying rules, uniformity and leadership. This system creates an environment which is capable of producing experiences that are extremely boring and staid one minute and full of adrenaline-pumping physical activity the next.

It has the ability to take one's emotional barometer from a negative reading one instant, to an overpoweringly positive emotional experience the next. At times, as impossible as this may seem, the army was even capable of producing a feeling of no emotion whatsoever, a state of numbness which is difficult to imagine unless one has experienced it.

There is a second intentional and more literal meaning in this title too. Whilst serving on the border, we always referred to home, South Africa, as 'The States', which at the time was also undergoing its own changes in our absence. Mostly these changes took shape in respect to politics, crime, business, financial markets and the increasing international pressures on the Apartheid policies of the day.

The essence of ALTERED STATES is the message that we have the ability to accept change and to ensure a positive outcome. I survived military service by using humour as a tool, even though at times circumstances were dire and life threatening. Most ex servicemen I have spoken to readily agree that at the time of service they found it tough, some hated the daily regime while others were more accepting. But collectively they strongly concur that they cannot let go of the powerful memories, feelings of camaraderie, shared purpose and friendships made during their years of service."

An extract from the book

"One evening at 101 Battalion base, we went off to the camp canteen which was packed solid. In the corner was an old television set mounted on a wall bracket and a newly acquired video machine. They were showing a music video marathon, a very rare treat and the attendance was outstanding.

In fact we could not find space to fit into the canteen, so we sat outside smoking and watching through an open window. The VCR must have been brand spanking new because everyone seemed to have a go at fiddling to get the manual tracking right. Eventually someone came to the rescue, stopped the sporadic slipping of the picture and the night of pop videos commenced and continued into the wee hours. It is so much simpler these days with digital DVD equipment, it just works!

Well the same tape must have been played several times in succession. In particular I remember the Blondie clip 'The Tide is High' and Ultravox with 'Vienna.'

The video evening was escapism at its very best. As for our day job, after patrol duty, we would to retreat to the closest base for dinner, a shower and a hard army bed. I think mostly it was about sourcing a hot meal, but on some occasions we were denied entry and were forced to rough it in the bush. Either way we would spend a lot of time making small talk, cracking jokes, listening to music when we had batteries for the tape cassette player or at times rereading the latest letter or two. There was also a lot of time allocated to daydreaming and philosophising. I distinctly remember dissecting every lyric, every guitar riff and tune from Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' album. I was trying to find its true meaning, which was eventually and instantly revealed when I watched the music video several years later. But had I arrived at the same conclusion anyhow.

Everyone also wanted their own bit of quiet time, spending 24 hours a day with the same group of people, especially out of wedlock, can become taxing. Each of us had our own preference regarding singular recreation. Carl would sit under a bush and smoke, while writing poetry or drawing pictures in his little notebook. Most took lots of snoozes. In order to develop ideas on prospective careers, I used this time to rotate and talk to the guys who had come from working jobs, or those in apprenticeships. I was still undecided on my future plans….."

And another extract......

"….Leave pass was always good for a number of reasons, namely: no queues, no communal bathrooms, excellent home cooked meals, a comfortable bed and matching pillows, a real towel, hot water, no 2.4 km morning run, real soap, shampoo, no bluestone, real cutlery and crockery, soft toilet paper, friends, family and an undoubtedly positive reception. There was all this to look forward to, even though every time I got home, less of my clothing fitted me. Apart from my trusty, bright red, Adidas tracksuit top, this had stretched two sizes bigger in the wash. What a bargain! At the end of the leave period I got dad to drop me off at Johannesburg train station and caught the pre-arranged bus ride back to Upington.

The ride back was always tedious and every town we passed took us that much further from our homes and closer to the camp. People talked, laughed, boozed, ate and slept. By the time we reached Upington, we were all in agreement that thankfully the sitting was over. Once back at barracks, we exchanged leave stories as the rest of the troops trickled in slowly from around the country. The men who were already parents seemed to be missing their kid's youth and watching them grow. It must have been particularly tough on them. All said and done, the next day was going to be just another day in the army, and things were going to be done the army way, there really was no option."~Select Item|None|Altered States (B/W)|ISBN-13 9781920169428|Altered States (Colour)|ISBN-13 9781920169428 colour|~364~11387~south african army, parabats 8 SAI~

An Unpopular War: From Afkak to Bosbefok - Voices of South African National Servicemen - JH Thompson~In the seventies, eighties and nineties, conscription had a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of young men, particularly those who had to serve in the Angolan war. This book is a collection of reflections and memories of that time, collected by JH Thompson, who interviewed men who did the South African National Service. Contributors include ordinary soldiers, Special Forces members, helicopter pilots, chefs and religious objectors. The book is a fast, fascinating read that captures the spirit and atmosphere, the daily duties, the boredom, fear and other intense experiences of an SADF soldier. For everyone who did military service, as well as their loved ones, this book is a must.~~An Unpopular War|ISBN 9781770073012|~364~11485~South African National Service Special Forces members helicopter pilots religious objectors.~

At Thy Call We Did Not Falter - Clive Holt~A frontline account of the 1988 Angolan War, as seen through the eyes of a conscripted soldier.
This book is a brutally frank and refreshingly honest account, seventeen years after the fact, of a teenage national serviceman's exposure to and experiences in the war in Angola. It does not glorify or demonise war, but tells the real story of so many young white South Africans like Holt who were sent into battle against overwhelming forces less than a year after finishing school. This book will resonate with the vast majority of those men, now entering or in middle age.The timing of the book is extraordinarily fortunate, coming just as interest in Cuito Cuanavale is being revived, with moves afoot to arrange battlefield tours, and debates raging anew in military and veteran circles about who the victors and vanquished were. At Thy Call has the hallmark of a classic battlefield biography, as well as providing a window into the world of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is a riveting account of how a government took schoolboys and turned them into killing machines.
ISBN 9781770071179. Zebra 2005, softback, 195 pages~Zebra
ISBN 9781770071179.
2005, softback, 195 pages

At Thy Call We Did Not Falter is a gripping frontline account of the Angolan war, as seen through the eyes of a 19-year-old conscripted soldier. It tells the story of so many young white South Africans who, like him, were sent into battle against ' overwhelming forces straight after completing school.

Clive Holt was at the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, where the South African Defence Force supported the rebel movement Unita after a massive build-up of Cuban and Angolan troops. It was the bloodiest and most significant battle fought by South African troops since World War II.

With diary extracts, previously unpublished photographs and a riveting narrative, this book transports the reader into the firing line and the dark realms of war. At Thy Call We Did Not Falter is a classic account of war, as well as a window into the world of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is a chilling account of how a government took schoolboys and turned them into killing machines.

Clive Holt was born in East London, South Africa, and started his national service in January 1987. During his time in the army, he was involved in several operations inside Angola, as a result of which he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder. He now lives in Australia with his wife and children, and works as a marketing consultant.

~At Thy Call|ISBN 9781770071179|~364~11486~angola~

Bloodsong ! First hand accounts of a modern private army in action, Angola 1993-1995 - Jim Hooper~Executive Outcomes was the title of the most successful mercenary army of modern times, having been involved in Angola, Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea. This is the story of Executive Outcomes' operations whilst in Angola. The eyebrow raising fact here is that Executive Outcomes' top staff were former South African Defence Force soldiers who had fought against that very same Angolan government in the Bush campaigns of the late 1970s and 1980s. Many of the EO members had served in the finest Special Forces units in South Africa.
ISBN 0007119151 Hardback; 240pp; 24pp colour, bw pics, maps
ISBN 000711916X Paperback, 240pp; 24pp colour, bw pics, maps

NOTE - See latest book by the founder of EO - Executive Outcomes: Against all Odds below.~~Bloodsong! Hardback|ISBN 0007119151|Bloodsong! Paperback|ISBN 000711916X|~364~1496~Executive Outcomes, mercenary guerrilla army angola unita private war,~

Borderstrike! South Africa into Angola. 1975-1980 - Major Willem Steenkamp~When first published in 1983, it sold out almost immediately. A reconstruction of the early "external operations" of the South West African/Namibian border war between 1978 and 1980, it remains a standard reference work to this day. This was a significant publishing event because it showed how the nature of the border war had changed irrevocably, from the occasional ad-hoc "hot pursuit" of SWAPO insurgents into a full-blown semi-conventional conflict. It heralded the shape of things to come, which was to culminate in the fierce later battles of 1988/89, when South Africans and UNITA slugged it out toe-to-toe with the Soviet-supported and led forces of the Angolan government (Cuban & Russian). Out of print for many years, Borderstrike! has long been a sought-after item among those interested in African wars. Now reprinted with new information, new chapters and many new postscripts and annotations.
ISBN-13 978-1-920169-00-8, Mar 2006, 3rd Edition. Softback A4 350 pages~JDP Publishing
Cover Type Softback
ISBN-10 1-920169-00-8
ISBN-13 978-1-920169-00-8
No of Pages 350
Size A4
Publication Date 1 March 2006 - 3rd Edition

The first shots of a long war.

A generation ago soldiers of the South African Army slipped discretely over the northern border of what was then South West Africa on the country's first real external combat operation since World War II. Operation Savannah marked the start of a protracted campaign, part counterinsurgency and part conventional, that did not end until 1989, a decade and a half later. The book also covers the other external operations that the South Africans military were involved in - Operation Reindeer (May 1978), Operation Revenge (August 1978), and Operation Sceptic (June 1980).

In 1983 Willem Steenkamp wrote the first detailed account about the early days. Entitled "Borderstrike!", it went into two editions and is still a standard reference work on the place and period. In this new third edition, he has updated and greatly expanded his original work to provide what is virtually a new book; which retains most of the old material but has a great deal that is new.

Among the provocative comments, observations and revelations which emerge from the revised version of Borderstrike! are the following:

* Why the "border war" came within an inch of ending in 1978 instead of 1989 ... but didn't.

* How the Cold War drastically affected every single military war and insurrection in Southern and Central Africa for almost three decades.

* Why none of the three home-grown movements involved in the Angolan civil war had any proven legitimacy in terms of popular support.

* What was the real planning failure - not the flawed drop about which the Army and Air Force have been arguing for 3o years, but the actual defect - which nearly turned the 1978 Cassinga parachute attack into a disaster.

* Why did Operation Savannah end up becoming virtually a private war between the South Africans and Cubans?

* What happened to the three 5.5-inch guns the South African artillerymen had reluctantly abandoned after the disastrous Battle of Death Road on 10th November 1975?

* Why did the SWA/Namibia peace talks break clown on several occasions when they were close to a resolution?

* Was there a third alternative in 1975 which might have prevented both a protracted counter-insurgency campaign in SWA/Namibia and a South African incursion into Angola?

* How the frigate SAS President Steyn sneaked along the Angolan coast and snatched a top-secret South African mission which was in danger of being captured by the MPLA: the first time the full story has been told.

* How Savannah's tactical legacy, both good and bad, affected the South African military, then and much later.

* What happened to some of the "cast of characters" in later years.~Borderstrike! South Africa into Angola|ISBN-13 9781920169008|~364~11337~Air Navy SADF Army Angola Russian CUBAN cuba, South Africa army,~

Buffalo Soldiers - Story of South Africa's 32-Battalion: 1975-1993 by Col. Jan Breytenbach~32-Battalion was forged from guerrilla irregulars during the South African military intervention in Angola in 1975 under the code name Operation Savannah. The author, Colonel Jan Breytenbach, was its founding commander. Because of the secrecy surrounding it, 32-Battalion not only became one of the finest fighting units in the South African Army, it also became the most controversial.
Softback, 350 pages, 142 X 168mm; lavishly illustrated with colour, b/w pics and maps.
ISBN 1-919854-07-X~ISBN 1-919854-07-X
Softback, 350 pages, 142 X 168mm;
Lavishly illustrated with colour, b/w pics and maps.

The Buffalo Soldiers is the story of South Africa's 32-Battalion, forged in battle from black guerrilla irregulars and white South African officers and NCOs during the South African military intervention in Angola in 1975. It was destined to become the most elite infantry unit in the South African Army's order of battle - it also became its most controversial.

The author, Col Jan Breytenbach, was its founding commander.

It is a soldier's story about warring in southern Angola and Namibia and about the enemies that 32-Battalion fought. It tells of insurgency and counterinsurgency, guerrilla warfare and counter-guerrilla warfare, almost conventional warfare and conventional warfare. It tells of a conflict that the world regarded as unpopular and unjust and in which South Africa was perceived as the aggressor.

The South African soldiers who fought in it, however, saw it as a conflict aimed at stopping what is now, Namibia, from falling into the hands of the Soviet and Cuban-backed SWAPO black nationalist political organisation. They believed that after Namibia, South Africa would be the next target. They saw the conflict as an extension of the Cold War, a war that was `Cold' on the frontiers in Europe, but very `Hot' war in Angola, in other parts of Africa and in South-East Asia.

The Buffalo Soldiers is effectively the story of how the South Africans fought the Angolan War, for there was scarcely a combat fighting action during its course that did not involve 32-Battalion.

'Battalion' was a misnomer for towards the end of the Angolan War 32-Battalion was more a mini brigade with two infantry battalions, an anti-tank squadron of Ratel armoured cars with 90mm guns and anti-tank missiles, two artillery batteries and an anti-aircraft battery.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union imminent, the war was finally resolved in 1989 by the democratic solution of UN supervised free and fair elections in Namibia. Since then, regrettably, there has been interference by the ruling party with the democratic constitution put in place in there which has eroded much of that hard won democracy.

With peace in place in Namibia, the unit was withdrawn to South Africa and deployed to combat MK infiltrations into South Africa. After the ANC's unbanning in 1990, its troops were redeployed to deal with political troubles, principally between armed ANC self-defence units and armed units of the IFP. The intrusion into the townships of black foreigners who were prepared to deal with the troubles robustly and without fear or favour, did not suit either the ANC or the IFP as they could not be subverted to support local causes because they held no local tribal allegiances.

This resulted in 32-Battalion becoming something of a bargaining chip at the CODESA talks where a new political dispensation was being sought for South Africa. Despite having borne the brunt of South Africa's war in Angola with the blood of its troops, the National Party Government, to its lasting shame, ordered its arbitrary disbandment in March 1993 as an act of political appeasement.

The Author:
Col Jan Breytenbach, a living legend in South Africa, is a tough but thinking fighting soldier with an independent turn of mind. He commenced his military career in tanks in the SA Army in 1950. He left in 1955 and joined the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as a navigator, taking part in the Suez landings of 1956. In 1961 he rejoined the SA Army and became a paratrooper. Few soldiers anywhere have had the privilege of forming a fighting unit, but he formed the three most elite units in the SA Army's order of battle. He was the founding commander of 1-Reconnaissance Commando - the forerunner of the present Special Forces Regiments (the equivalent of the British SAS), 32-Battalion itself which he forged in battle from FNLA guerrillas during the South African intervention in Angola in 1975, using a command element of Recce officers and NCOs, and 44-Parachute Brigade. While commanding 44-Para Brigade he led the successful 1978 paratrooper assault on SWAPO's main base at Cassinga - one of the largest airborne assaults anywhere since World War-II. Another first was his formation of the SA Army's Guerrilla School, which he commanded until his retirement in 1987. Since hanging up his uniform he has pursued a career as a full-time author.

The Buffalo Soldiers is his fifth book.~Buffalo Soldiers|ISBN 191985407X|~364~1497~southern africa elite special forces recces sas selous scouts parabats, koevoet south african police sap airforce army battalion, secret services nis, sadf swapo unita~

Canberra: In Southern African Service - M Hamence & W Brent~The authors have combined their efforts and brought out a tribute to the Canberra in southern africa service. The Canberra served with distinction in the Rhodesian Air Force and is recorded by Michael Hamence, who had served on that aircraft for several years. Winston Brent records its SAAF service, including its operational service over SWA/Namibia and Angola. He lifts the lid on the South African "Nuclear Era" and speculates which aircraft would have carried the "A-bomb". He records the Canberra in an Electronic Warfare role and includes an aerial photograph of the Soviet "spy ship" Kapushka, when it passed around the southern tip of Africa in 1989.
IBSN 0 958 38804 0. 2001. Size - 297x210mm, 96 pages, 26 colour & 65 b/w photographs.

Available from mid Oct 08.~~Canberra|IBSN 0958388040|~364~12152~canberra~

Charlie's Omega - Danie Van Den Berg~During the Bush War in South West Africa / Namibia not much was known about 31 Battalion. Due to the secrecy surrounding all activities during the Bush war, and especially at this Unit, it was virtually unknown till the late 1980's. When 31 Battalion was relocated to South Africa, it started to gain notice, but with many misconceptions. This book has few words, but lots of colour photos of the activities at Omega. Its focus is Charlie Company, in which the Author served as a 2nd Lt. It takes the reader through the history, starting years, Omega Base, Charlie Company, Operations, the Reunion and the way the base looks today. It is the result of contributions from both visitors and soldiers. They shared the feeling that this was the correct time to give the general public, historians and ex-soldiers an insight into what made 31Battalion tick. Their opinion was that the photos must speak for themselves and that the words only fill the gaps, to allow people to experience Omega as it was to its people, the best soldiers there have ever been.
ISBN: 978-1-9201-6935-0, A4 Softback. Jan 2007. 120 pages, full color pictures.~JDP Publishing
Cover Type Paperback
ISBN-10 1-920169-35-0
ISBN-13 978-1-920169-35-0
No of Pages 120
Size A4
Publication Date 15 January 2007

During the Bush War, and in fact even to this day, not much has been known about 31 Battalion or its people. The idea behind the book started when the author realised that very few books had been written about 31 BN, and not much had been shown about the people at the base or what they had done. Due to the secrecy surrounding all activities during the Bushwar, and especially at this Unit, it was virtually unknown till the late 1980's. When 31 Bn was relocated to South Africa, people started taking notice of Omega's people, often getting the wrong ideas due to incorrect, and often amusing, reporting.

This book is a coffee table book with few words, but has lots of candid photos showing the activities at Omega. The Book focuses on Charlie Company, the company seen as the most successful at this unit, which was the company with which the Author served as a young 2nd Lt. The Book takes the reader through the history of 31 Bn, including the starting years, the base at Omega, Charlie Company and its people , the operations, the Reunion and a brief look at how the base looks today (2006).

The book was the result of contributions from people who had been at the base, both as visitors and as soldiers. Most of them shared the feeling that this was the correct time to give the general public, historians and ex-soldiers an insight into what made Charlie Company tick. They also felt that it was of no use having photos, but denying the world outside the opportunity to experience the real Omega. The general opinion was that the photos must say everything and that the words must just fill the gaps, a book that will be on the coffee table, close to the fireplace, close to hand, so that one can page through it at any time and experience Omega as it was to its people, some of the best soldiers there have ever been, dedicated and trustworthy till the end.~Charlie%27s Omega|ISBN-13 9781920169350|~364~11338~Namibia War South Africa Bushmen 31 Battalion~

Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington, Pretoria - Piero Gleijeses~ This is a compelling and dramatic account of Cuban policy in Africa and of its escalating clash with US policy and later its direct military clashes with the South African Defence Force in Angola. It is the other side of a conflict that South Africans have not been told about until now.
ISBN 1-919-85410-X Hardback, 504pp; size 242 X 160mm, b/w pics and in-text illustrations. ~ISBN 1-919-85410-X Hardback,
504pp; size 242 X 160mm, b/w pics and in-text illustrations.

Conflicting Missions is a compelling and dramatic account of Cuban policy in Africa and of its escalating clash with US policy and later its direct military clashes with the South African Defence Force in Angola.

It is the other side of a conflict that South Africans have not been told about until now.

Gleijeses' narrative gallops from Cuba's first hesitant steps in rendering assistance to Algerian rebels fighting France in 1961, to the war in the Congo (later Zaire and now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1964-65, when 100 Cubans led by Che Guevara, acting in support of the Simba rebels, were confronted by white mercenaries from South Africa, Rhodesia, Britain and elsewhere - supported and controlled by America's Central Intelligence Agency.Gleijeses writes about the dramatic despatch to Angola of Cuban troops to aid the communist-inclined rebel MPLA movement in 1975. And how, being the rainy season, their destruction of the major river bridges in Angola's north contributed to halting the rapid and victorious advance of the seemingly unstoppable Battle Group Zulu of South Africa's SADF.

The blocking of Battle Group Zulu from reaching Luanda led to political decisions by the US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, to call off the CIA's IAFEATURE operations in support of UNITA and the FNLA and to South African Prime Minister John Vorster withdrawing all South African forces from Angola. This left the MPLA and its Cuban and other communist allies in control.

This was undoubtedly the most significant domino that would soon lead to the fall of white Rhodesia and ultimately to the handover of Namibia to SWAPO and finally to black rule in the Republic South Africa.

Piero Gleijeses analysis is clear, rigorous and balanced; the archival research supporting it is unprecedented. Not only is he the first historian to have gained access to closed Cuban archives, he also worked extensively in the archives of the United States, Belgium, Great Britain and East and West Germany.

In addition he interviewed many of the protagonists in the United States, Cuba and Africa - from the head of the CIA station in Luanda to Che Guevara's second-in-command in the Congo - and analysed the American, European, South African and other African press. The result is a remarkably comprehensive document that sheds new light on the history of those times. It revolutionises our view of Cuba's international role, challenges conventional beliefs about the Soviet Union in directing Cuba's action in Africa and provides. for the first time, a look from the inside of Cuba's foreign policy during the Cold War.

Piero Gleijeses, since 1972 has been the Professor of American Foreign Policy and Latin American Studies at the John Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. He is fluent in four languages and can get by in another four including Afrikaans - although he has not yet set foot in South Africa. This has clearly assisted him greatly in his penetrating researches.

His book Conflicting Missions was awarded the 2003 Ferrell prize of the Society of Historians of American Foreign relations and it has been the subject of high praise by numerous reviewers.

He is the author of five books and monographs and has written numerous articles for journals, newspapers and journals as well as contributing chapters to a number of books.

He is presently researching a further book on the Cuban/Angolan situation which will record events leading up to the Cuban withdrawal from the country in 1989. This will incorporate Cuban, FAPLA, UNITA and South African standpoints of the bloody battles and political events that took place around Cuito Cuanavale during 1987-1989.~Conflicting Missions|ISBN 191985410X|~364~1498~~

Chopper Pilot - Monster Wilkins~The personal experiences and exploits of Monster Wilkins, who was regarded as the SAAF’s top helicopter pilot, with over 6,000 hours, of which he has spent in excess of 4,000 hours on his favourite chopper the Alouette III. He details his service in the various operational areas, such as Angola, SWA/Namibia, Rhodesia and Mozambique. He was still serving as a brigadier-general at time of the original publication in 2000.
ISBN 0958388075. JDP 2008 (Redone / re-printed from original first published in 2000). Size - 297x210mm (A4), 152 pages. 181 Black and White, 37 colour photographs.

~JD Publishing, 2008
Re-worked edition of original title first published in 2000

"Monster Wilkins joined the SA Air Force after leaving school and qualified for his Wings before he had a driving licence. He had his first flight in a helicopter (an Alouette II) in April 1965 and that was the start of a love affair which has grown stronger over the passing years.

In CHOPPER PILOT he tells us of some of his experiences, the places he has visited and the fun he has had while serving in the SA Air Force. He writes easily and with feeling and has the gift of describing events in graphic form...Monster is the most experienced helicopter pilot in the Air Force and is well qualified to introduce us to the great variety of roles of which this versatile aircraft is capable - and what a kaleidoscope of experiences this encompasses: Operations on our northern borders during the Border War, in an environment which was often decidedly unfriendly and where navigation at low level in difficult terrain with virtually no navigation aids was the norm; working with the SA Navy on the oceans round our coastline, where he chalked up nearly 900 deck landings; co-operating with the police during dagga (marijuana) raids; fighting runaway fires and rescuing people from the sea, from floods, from snow and from fires; and evacuating casualties from accidents, often in mountainous terrain, to safety"
. Lt General R.H.D. (Bob) Rogers SSA, SM, MMM, DSO, DFC (Ex-Chief of the Air Force.~Chopper Pilot|ISBN 0958388075|~364~11689~~

Corporal K-9 - Peet Coetzee~Peet Coetzee, author of Special Forces "Jam Stealer" served in the South African Defence Force Dog School between 1968 - 74. He was an instructor of this Infantry Unit and this book is a recollection of his time during that period, as well as some of the experiences of his colleagues/students operating on border patrols / reconnaissance in other countries against the SWAP0. Dog School personel were all animal lovers who had volunteered to do the Army Dog Instructors course - they all originated from a wide spectrum of SADF units. Here for the first time, read about the exploits while training thier dogs, and the ultimate, the training of an Operational Tactical Platoon.
ISBN 9780981402086. 2008. Format - Paperback 160 pages, 220 photos (some in colour).

Pre-order this book before the official release (Oct/Nov 08) to qualify for a discount off the recommended retail price~~Corporal K-9 - Peet Coetzee|ISBN 9780981402086|~364~11986~sadf dog school~

Days of the Generals: The untold story of South Africa’s apartheid era military Generals - Hilton Hamann~What really happened during South Africa’s military involvement in Angola? Did the military leaders always see eye to eye with the politicians or for that matter, with each other?
Was South Africa responsible for the death of Mozambican President Samora Machel? What was the extent of South Africa’s nuclear programme? How did South Africa’s military machine deal with the end of apartheid?
Based on interviews with the former generals of the South African Defence Force, Days of the Generals addresses these and many other fascinating questions. The book looks in detail at South Africa’s intervention in Angola, Namibia and Mozambique. It examines the armed struggle of the ANC and the state’s war against the liberation movements. It investigates chemical and biological warfare, the ‘Third Force’ and other top secret issues.
ISBN 1-86872-340-2 Softback. 242pp; 244 X 172mm; 16pp b/w illustrations~~Days of the Generals|ISBN 1868723402|~364~1499~~

Eagle Strike - Colonel Jan Breytenbach~Written by the highest decorated soldier in the South African Defence Force and author of several top class military books. Founder of top South African elite army units - the SA Special Forces (Recces), 32 Battalion, 44 Parachute Brigade, SA Guerrilla School, and the SA Pathfinders (The Philistines).
This is not only an autobiography but also a comprehensive journal of one of the greatest airborne assaults ever mounted in Africa. Colonel Jan Breytenbach planned, jumped in and led the paratroopers into the Battle of Cassinga in Angola with total commitment, superb strategy and leadership ability that has made him legendary in military circles worldwide. The book is lavishly illustrated with some 60 colour photographs, detailed map overlays and to crown it all, both the full Fit Chute lists as well as Colonel Breytenbach's original 20 page handwritten battle orders that he wrote at De Brug on 28 April 1978! There are numerous appendices that should further assist historians and students of military history.
Manie Grove Publishing, 2008. ISBN 9780620406147. 640 pages, 60 colour photos. Two editions available - Standard & autographed Limited editions
Standard Edition - 1.2kg
Limited Edition - 2kg. Limited signed and numbered leatherbound collectors edition, with slipcase (250 copies only). Strictly 1st come, 1st serve basis. VERY FEW COPIES LEFT!

Accepting pre-orders, expected dispatch date from UK - early/mid Sept 08. (Southern Africa customers - if ordering 'Eagle Strike' and/or 'Ongulumbashe' only, please select cheapest P&P in CheckOut - book will be dispatched from within SA, within 1 week).~Manie Grove Publishing
May 2008
ISBN 9780620406147
2 Editions - Standard & Limited leatherbound with slipcase.
640 pages, 60 colour photos

This is the story of an audacious airborne assault, on 4 May 1978, on a SWAPO fortified base containing its Military Headquarters, logistical support, reserves and training facilities. The assault was supported by a very strong airstrike by bombers and fighters as well as by air transport to drop the paratroopers into battle in one of the major, post World War para drops, 250 kms deep behind enemy lines, and thus, of a necessity, the deployment of a veritable swarm of helicopters to extract the paratroopers back to safety. This required intensive combined planning and slick execution of the whole intricate operation through a Joint HQ deployed in the field.

Unfortunately the subsequent uproar in the International media, based on allegations that this assault was a brutal attack on a refugee camp, did much to detract from the incredible victory the SADF had claimed for the paratroopers and the air force.

Was it a refugee camp as claimed by the Third World and the Communist block, a SWAPO HQ and strategic military establishment as claimed by the RSA Government and the SADF, or a mixture of both as claimed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? Were the casualties mostly combatants or were they innocent civilians? This is the only personal account ever written by somebody on the SADF side who 'was actually there' and who was the commander of the paratroopers. It also brings to light much more than this brief outline, especially the dangerous nature of the whole enterprise through personal experiences, by paratroopers and air crews, and how and why it nearly became the most disastrous undertaking of the whole 'Bush War' era through uncalled for meddling by an outsider who should not have been there.

This rivetting account is told in nearly 640 pages replete with maps, the original pax lists (fit chutes manifests), the original handwritten opso's by Col Jan Breytenbach and over 50 colour images of the SWAPO base photographed by one of the paratroopers! This work is destined to become a reference work by which future airborne operations will be measured by.

Standard Edition
Limited Edition - Limited signed and numbered leatherbound collectors edition, with slipcase (250 copies only). Strictly 1st come, 1st serve basis. VERY FEW COPIES LEFT!

Accepting pre-orders, expected dispatch date from UK - early/mid August. (Southern Africa customers - if ordering 'Eagle Strike' and/or 'Ongulumbashe' only, please select cheapest P&P in CheckOut - book will be dispatched from within SA).~Select item|None|Eagle Strike (Std Edition)|ISBN 9780620406147|Eagle Strike (LTD Edition)|ISBN 9780620406147 LTD|~364~11898~Cassinga Angola, Colonel Jan Breytenbach, paratroopers~

Executive Outcomes: Against all Odds - Eeben Barlow~Eeben Barlow a former lieutenant-colonel in the Permanent Force of the South African Defence Force, served in the Engineer Corp, the Reconnaissance Wing of the elite 32-Battalion, Military Intelligence and in the shadowy Civil Co-operation Bureau division of Special Forces.When the government arbitrarily disbanded the CCB Barlow found himself on the street. Taking advantage of his exceptional military skills he formed Executive Outcomes, a private company under whose aegis he was invited to train the SADF's Special Forces in intelligence skills and to stem the flow of stolen diamonds from the De Beers Corporation's properties.He was then invited to recruit a force of ex-servicemen retrenched from the SADF to assist an oil company in the recovery of equipment that they had been forced to abandon at Soyo in north-western Angola after it was overrun by UNITA rebels. EO's successes resulted in a contract to re-train the Angolan army and lead it in a fight to defeat the UNITA rebels.A contract to restore order in Sierra Leone and other like contracts followed, including one to rescue Western hostages taken by separatist rebels in Indonesia .
Aug 2007, ISBN-13 9781919854199, Softback 552 pages.~August 2007
552pp, 32 pages colour photographs
Six in-text maps and other in-text illustrations
Softback
ISBN-13 978-1-919854-19-9

Executive Outcomes is the model on which all Private Military Companies (PMCs) operating in Iraq and Afghanistan are based. Founded by author Eeben Barlow in the early 1990s he originally offered courses in intelligence to South Africa's Special Forces and security work to De Beers' diamond mining industry. This was greatly expanded in 1993 when an oil company offered EO a contract to provide security for its staff while they recovered valuable drilling equipment stranded at the Angolan oil port of Soyo - after its capture by UNITA rebels.

Barlow recruited ex-members of South Africa's elite military units for the job. EO was contracted for a month, but this ended up being extended and EO spearheading an Angolan Army assault on Soyo and its capture from UNITA. This highly successful operation led to a contract to retrain the Angolan Army. Both UNITA and MPLA had taken part in UN supervised elections in 1992, but UNITA had rejected the results after losing and it had returned to civil war.

During a hard-fought campaign, retrained Angolan Army units led by EO captured Cafunfu - the diamond producing area that funded UNITA's war effort. Eventually, international pressure spearheaded by the UN and the 'blood diamond' lobby, forced EO's withdrawal from Angola which quickly sank back into chaos. The UN's efforts to restore the situation achieved by EO for US$35 million, cost the world body many billions of dollars.

EO's next contract was in May 1995 when 200 men were despatched to Sierra Leone where RUF rebels, chopping off people's limbs and engaging in cannibalism, were marching on Freetown. EO smashed the rebels and this led to free and fair elections with a new government being elected. Pressures were again exerted which resulted in EO's withdrawal. In the place of its 200 troops the UN deployed 18 000 soldiers at a cost of US$1 billion per year. The rebels regrouped, frequently taking UN troops as hostages, and the country again sank back into an orgy of cannibalism and limb chopping.

There is much, much more to the Executive Outcomes' story and Eeben Barlow tells it the way it was in this no-punches-pulled account.

Media Reviews:

Interviewing Eeben Barlow is not an experience you would describe as comfortable.

it's not because he is a former CCB operative nor the fact that he is proficient in multiple ways of killing and maiming. It's because what he says not only makes a lot of sense, it also makes you somewhat ashamed of both yourself and your profession, journalism.

He doesn't like most journalists, whom he accuses of helping his enemies wage a vicious disinformation war against him and his company, Executive Outcomes, for many years.

"All that shit you wrote, all the garbage you passed on from the so-called 'sources' - where was even the slightest bit of evidence to back it up?"

In his newly-published book - Executive Outcomes, Against All Odds - Barlow savages many local and international journalists who, he says, willingly did "hatchet jobs" on EO.

I'm one of them. Back in 1993, my byline was one of three which appeared on a piece quoting former SA Defence Force Colonel Jan Breytenbach as saying EO was "training ANC hit squads" in Angola . (At the time, EO had been given a contract by the Angolan government to re-train the army - a project which effectively spelled the beginning of the end of Jonas Savimbi and his UNITA movement, as the Angolan forces were better trained and prepared for battle.) The alleged ANC squads had a hit list of prominent people, including himself, claimed Breytenbach. I don't even remember the story, save to know that Breytenbach was never one of my sources or contacts. But my byline was on the story and I must have contributed to it.

Did we ever try to get corroboration or confirmation of Breytenbach's claims? No. Why would we? Barlow and his bunch of ex-SADF "mercenaries" could only have been up to no good in Angola . After all, we told ourselves, why would they help the people who were once their enemies, unless they were being paid huge amounts and were involved in oil or diamond deals?

Barlow sits across from me in a Pretoria coffee shop, his blue eyes accusing. I have no answers. He has a point.

In conversation, Barlow echoes the litany of accusations and claims which were levelled against EO in the eight or so years it operated as a private military company in Africa and elsewhere: they committed atrocities, they were given huge diamond and oil concessions, that they were a front for Britain's MI6 secret service, that they fronted for the American CIA; that they were incompetent buffoons.

"Take the case of Sierra Leone (where EO helped the Freetown government crush RUF rebels): we were accused of committing atrocities against the local people. No proof. Nobody ever charged. No witnesses. The opposite was the case. As we went into action against the rebels in a new country and environment, we realised that we needed intelligence and information. And we got that from the local people, who realised that we were bringing stability and security after years of rape and murder by the rebels. We gave them some medical help and we made it safe for their (them) to go back to their normal lives. They helped us with the information we needed to mount our operations. Think about it - if we had been slaughtering them, would they have helped us?"

Barlow is correct. Neither the United Nations, whose peacekeeping troops replaced EO and who then virtually lost the country back to the rebels; nor the Sierra Leone government, has made any atrocity charges against the company.

"A professional journalist," Barlow says with just a hint of a sneer, "visited the country and wrote that the people were happy with our presence and what we achieved."

Angola , likewise, was an area where EO was repeatedly under fire, mainly from journalists in South Africa .

"You people," he says, "ignored everything we provided you in terms of intelligence about who was really benefiting from the continuation of the war between UNITA."

Those people were senior officials in the former SA government, companies and businessmen.

Barlow believes that UNITA's supporters in South Africa were making a fortune out of the diamonds-for-arms trade which saw the rebel movement exchanging gems for weapons which were flown into Angola from South African airfields.

"When General Ita (the then head of the Angolan military intelligence) told journalists this was happening and even provided registration numbers of the aircraft, nobody followed up on it." They actually verbally attacked Ita, claiming he was lying and then attacked the government for attacking UNITA.

He adds: "There are people who have a lot of blood on their hands - by prolonging the Angolan civil war, tens of thousands of people died.

"But I'm proud of what we in EO did and the sacrifices we made."

Undoubtedly, Barlow and the company made a lot of money contracting out their military expertise - he has long since ceased to care about being labelled a "mercenary" he says - but the costs of the EO intervention were miniscule when compared to that bucket loads of money spent by the UN and African Union whose troops replaced the South African company in Sierra Leone.

"What the Executive Outcomes experience proved was that there is a place in Africa - and the rest of the world - for private military companies. In our case, we did jobs that others either couldn't do or didn't want to do. And we did those jobs well, without any bias, because we were employed by legitimate governments."

In Angola , the company started off training the Angolan Army's 16 Brigade, but was also involved in some of the heavy fighting against UNITA. Barlow says that it was more the comprehensive training given to the Angolans which enabled them to turn the tide against UNITA, rather than EO's own combat team: "we had only 500 people, spread out around Angola and you can't win a war like that with that number of soldiers..."

In Sierra Leone , EO's combat-hardened veterans - white and black, former SADF and from the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe - didn't pussy-foot around when hitting the RUF rebels. Using highly mobile teams on foot and in vehicles, and backed up by air support which included a Russian-made Mi-24 helicopter gunship, EO decimated the rebels' jungle hide-outs after initially saving the capital, Freetown, from what looked like a certain surrender to the rebels.

"It is a great pity that EO did not continue, because it would have been a very effective instrument for change in Africa - and it would have enabled South Africa to project its influence to far corners of the continent. It wasn't long before the US and European governments stepped into to the vacuum we left. So, again, it's outsiders sorting out African problems..."

Ironically, many people are not aware that EO played a major role in drafting South African legislation which controls the private military industry, the Foreign Military Assistance Act - and that, so far, EO is the only company to have been licensed by the government to offer military assistance and know-how outside the borders of this country.

Although EO has been shut down, Barlow gets a number of calls from abroad, "asking me if I'd start it up again."

One such was for assistance ahead of the Iraq invasion in 2003 which, Barlow says, "I turned down because that is not legitimate, it is just about oil and resources."

It pains him to think that the expertise of thousands of former South African policemen and soldiers has been lost to this country, as they apply their skills and experience all around the world.

"Those in the military field know just how good the former SADF was and how capable some of our people were. It is a great pity that this government, in the name of transformation, has turned its back on those skills."

Barlow, in common with many ex-SADF officers, doesn't have a high opinion of the current SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and especially in its peacekeeping missions around Africa .

"Our guys seem more interested in theft, robbery, rape and murder than they do in carrying out their jobs."

These days, sitting in retirement in Pretoria , Barlow watches cynically from the sidelines at developments. Like the fiasco of the abortive Equatorial Guinea (EG) coup, where scores of South African ex-soldiers were detained in Zimbabwe en route to EG and later served jail sentences in Harare .

"Simon Mann (the coup plot leader who now sits in jail in Harare awaiting extradition to EG) is an arsehole and from my dealings with him, I regarded him as incompetent. So I'm not surprised at what happened."

But, that disaster also brought down the curtain on the 60s-style cowboy mercenaries, thinking that with a few people and a few guns they could take over a country.

"We were accused of that sort of plotting all the time. We could have overthrown governments, sure, but we were professional suppliers of military services, not hired guns."

Barlow still keeps a jaundiced eye on the media: "I can see the disinformation and bullshit all over the place."

The reports on the Pikoli/Selebi/Zuma sagas should all be looked at with extreme caution and cynicism, he says.

"There are some many different agendas at play and there are so many people involved who are past masters at spinning a lie: some of the people who put together smears against us are still at it and the ANC is also highly experienced at the art of disinformation."

He says he can see the media being used and manipulated.

"Some things never change..."

Brendan Seery - The Star, Johannesburg

"I first met Eeben Barlow in 1982 … (as) a young and eager reconnaissance officer with 32 Battalion …" writes the old South African Defence Force's former Intelligence chief, General R (Witkop) Badenhorst, in his foreword to this book.

A quarter-century later Barlow still looks surprisingly young, but definitely not so eager. Wary, perhaps.

Surely the founder of the first private military company to place this type of business in an ethical framework that saw him contracting only to legitimate governments - the man credited with paving the way for the expansion of similar operations around the world - could afford to look a little more satisfied with those achievements?

Why not is suggested by the second part of the title, "Against All Odds", as well as at the back, in a tailpiece.

There he confesses: "Today, I have little interest in the misery and chaos that is spreading across Africa . I have come to realise that any attempt to stem the tide is viewed as sinister - especially by those who are pursuing alternative agendas for personal gain. ...I still receive calls from governments asking if I would be prepared to assist them to resolve their problems. They have totally lost faith in the UN and even in South Africa , whose 'peacekeeping' missions have become tainted with gross misconduct, poorly disciplined troops and political partiality. To them, my answer is always 'No'."

(Prior to publication, Barlow reiterated the above comment, confirming continuing approaches from African, European and Far Eastern governments, hoping he would revive Executive Outcomes.)

To read the pages in between is to travel a journey that started with Barlow as a sapper - an engineer - in then South West Africa clearing mines (and getting wounded in the process), before moving to 32 Battalion, patrolling deep, and dangerously, into Angola. Then came a transfer to the Directorate of Covert Collections (DCC), where he built an agent network in Botswana and "controlled people within the SACP, the ANC, the PAC and the BDF". Later counter-intelligence work included spotting, developing and recruiting an agent with the US Embassy in Pretoria , before resignation from the military to join the Civil Co-operation Bureau, the CCB.

In the not-yet-notorious CCB his responsibility was for the United Kingdom , Europe and Middle East . However the actions of its Region 6 (within South Africa ) as a sort of "Murder Incorporated", in Barlow's words, led to the organisation's collapse. So sudden was this that Barlow ended up using his own money to bring home four of his overseas agents … leaving him both "broke and heavily indebted".

Thus was laid the road to Executive Outcomes. But first came (among others) a request from a South American country to enter the field of drug enforcement (stymied by the US); training for the SA Army's Special Forces, mainly in covert operations but also counter-espionage; and assisting De Beers to curb the illegal diamond trade.

Then in early 1993 Barlow was presented with "a very delicate problem". It led to the Executive Outcomes operations which made that company's name and brought invitations to operate far and wide.

With South Africa out of Namibia , there was no reason for Pretoria to be hostile to Angola . It was thus entirely legitimate for South African citizens to accept a contract to protect recovery teams extracting heavy equipment from a Unita-controlled area in Angola's far north, in "a little town called Soyo".

Barlow's description of the fighting that ensued is a classic of its kind: descriptive, detailed and vivid, at times passionate, without moving at any time into Soldier of Fortune bravado. It displays also the compassion and understanding which mark a true soldier.

But while this was going on, the South Africans doing their job for the government of Angola - a country with which this country was officially now at peace - were being shafted.

"In Pretoria , I received a frantic telephone call from London at about 05:00 South African time. It was one of my old CCB agents.

" 'Eeben, you guys are in big shit', Richard declared. 'A friend of mine works at GCHQ, Cheltenham . They intercepted a telephone call last night from the South African Parliament building in Cape Town to the Unita representative in London …"

Both Barlow and his company had been mentioned, together with the advice "by someone in your government" that Unita hang on to Soyo regardless of cost.

Meanwhile, fed by leaks from both Military Intelligence and the Department of Foreign Affairs, a media war was unleashed back at home, with very little consideration being given to what EO might have to say, or indeed as to whether the material being "fed" was in the least reliable.

Much more - both triumph and tragedy - followed in Angola . Then came the challenge of Sierra Leone .

Suffice it to say that a small group of South Africans restored peace, at minimal cost and loss of life, only to see these achievements negated following international pressure.

For around US$31-million a year, Barlow tells us that EO defeated the rebels on the battlefield, saw the child soldiers who had been a tragic feature of that conflict demobilised, the government regain control of the country's mineral wealth, a cease-fire in place and fair elections.

Enforced replacement of EO with the UN force Unamsil cost some US$600-million a year, lost Sierra Leone to a coup, led to thousands of civilians being killed, the capital overrun, floods of refugees and massive infrastructural damage. With presumably no sense of irony, the UN rated Unamsil as a "most successful" mission.

In 1996 Barlow mounted a low-profile and extremely successful mission at the request of the Indonesian government to rescue hostages from an irredentist group. Invitations were extended by other governments with whom SA has friendly relations to assist in various projects, but these did not come to fruition.

EO closed its doors at the end of 1998, when "the South African Government lost a perfect vehicle for projecting force and bringing about stability in Africa ".

Far too often we tolerate behaviour that should be unacceptable; put up with that which should be insupportable. If the written word has a sound, in Executive Outcomes this would reflect the quiet rustle of a coat being trailed.

Barlow freely names his villains. They come chiefly from the old Military Intelligence, the old Department of Foreign Affairs, and ambitious businessmen with multiple agendas. They also include journalists.

There is no way this reviewer can comment on the accuracy or otherwise of such charges. But they cannot be ignored.

Shortly before this book appeared there were rumours that one journalist was asking for help in seeking an interdict to prevent publication. More to the point would be an action for libel, mounted perhaps by one or more of the "eminent" businessmen and former top public servants whose characters and activities are also ripped to shreds here.

Yet Barlow appears to have been a compulsive acquirer, and keeper, of sometime incriminating records. What would happen if those suing him, lost? And what would the media do about some of those who have been employed and trusted for so long as opinion-formers, if - in court - the records and documents which Barlow says he has safely cached "off-site", substantiate his allegations?

Overall, this is an extremely important contribution to our understanding of recent political and military history, both here and throughout Africa . It would be a great pity if, because of the many cans of worms it exposes, it was ignored.

James Mitchell: The Star, Johannesburg

This is the story of the birth and demise of Executive Outcomes. It is also the side of the story of Eeben Barlow, founder of EO, and he does not mince his words…

Barlow was a Lt Col in the Army and served in the Engineer Corps, 32 Battalion, Military Intelligence and he later entered the shadowy world of the CCB.

He was a spy with a network of agents overseas and in southern Africa . He knew a lot about sensitive issues and especially who was involved. This was probably the reason why he and EO were castigated when they sold their talents to the "enemy" in Angola .

Barlow presented courses to the SADF's "Recces" until shortly before EO accepted a contact with an oil company in Angola .

Due to their success, EO was asked to aid the Angolan Armed Forces to train its troops in order to break the stranglehold of UNITA on parts of that country in order to establish a government of national unity.

Due to the fact that South Africa had supported UNITA, EO and Barlow were branded as traitors. It was however the continued support from South African diplomats, businessmen and other highly-placed members in UNITA - even after the UN implemented sanctions against UNITA - that clearly had a sobering effect on Barlow.

Disinformation campaigns, threats and even an attempt on his life made him realize that big money was fuelling the war behind the scenes.

The police regularly investigated EO but never found any reason to prosecute the company. This did not stop the South African government and MI's determined efforts to destroy EO. Indeed, Barlow used his contacts in MI to brace himself for the continued attacks on his person and that of the company.

The book stretches from EO's Angolan operations to those in Sierra Leone , as well as smaller contracts tackled by the company.

He writes frankly about the alleged ineptitude of MI, the Defence Force, Foreign Affairs, Armscor, the UN. He does not shy away from using documentation to name those officials involved - nor those he identified as double agents.

Ironically enough, some of the senior military officers who apparently helped to hound the company, are themselves now in security jobs abroad, where they do exactly the same work…

Beeld - Erika Gibson, Military Correspondent~Executive Outcomes|ISBN-13 9781919854199|~364~11576~~

Fields of Air - James Byrom~Man is both awed and terrified by the concept of flying. In this book James Byrom chronicles the disasters and mysteries surrounding many aviation calamities. As well as the numerous triumphs and heady days of early South African flight. The most sensational account is his investigation of the SAA Helderberg crash, just off the Mauritian coast, which has become a topic of great news value from time to time.
"A book all aviation buffs should acquire" - Pretoria News.
“A thoroughly researched chronicle of flight and more particularly, the men and women involved in civil aviation, it is also, with its novelistic style, a page-turner.” - Namib Times
“…he (the author) has compiled an eminently readable book – a remarkable accomplishment when dealing with something so specialised…an enthralling book.” Robert Kirby, Financial Mail.
ISBN:1 919874 12 7 Paperback. 2nd edition, Aug 2001. 316 pages, 73 b&w photos + 7 maps. ~~Fields of Air|ISBN 1919874127|~364~1500~~

From Fledgling to Eagle:The South African Air Force in the Border War - Brigadier-General Dick Lord~By the author of highly sought after renowned books - 'Fire, Flood and Ice', 'From Tailhooker to Mudmover', and'Vlamgat'.
With Foreword by Colonel Jan Breytenbach. The crucible of combat over 23 years forged the fledgling South African Air Force into a formidable strike weapon, capable of defeating the best Soviet air defences at the time. From Fledgling to Eagle chronicles the evolution of the SAAF in the `Border War' that raged in Angola and South West Africa (Namibia) from 1966 to 1989, covering all the major South African Defence Force (SADF) operations from Omgulumbashe to the `April Fool's Day war' in 1989. Dick Lord, who writes in a `from the cockpit' style, has drawn on his own first-hand operational reports and diaries, incorporating anecdotes from dozens of aviators from a wide variety of squadrons - Buccaneers, Canberras, Mirages, Bosboks, C-160s and C-130s, and helicopters. He also expands on the close relationship the SAAF had with the ground troops in a variety of operations - such units as the Parabats, Recces and Koevoet.
The only complete, chronologically accurate operational history of the Border War.
ISBN 9781920143305. Hardcover with dustjacket; 234 x 153mm; approx. 448pp; approx. 300 colour & b/w photos, 40 maps. diagrams

* Available from late Oct/early Nov 08 for the 1st 10 'Early Bird' discounted pre-orders. Main stock scheduled for dispatch early Dec 08. (NB - South African residents - if only ordering this book, select cheapest P&P. Dispatch scheduled end Oct).~ISBN 9781920143305. Oct 2008
Hardcover with dustjacket
234 x 153mm
Approx. 448pp
Approx. 300 colour & b/w photos, 40 maps. diagrams

The crucible of combat over 23 years, forged the fledgling South African Air Force into a formidable strike weapon, capable of defeating the best Soviet air defences of the time.

From Fledgling to Eagle chronicles the evolution of the SAAF in the 'Border War' that raged in Angola and South West Africa (Namibia) from 1966 to 1989, covering all the major South African Defence Force (SADF) operations from Omgulumbashe to the 'April Fool's Day war' in 1989. Dick Lord, who writes in a 'from the cockpit' style, has drawn on his own first-hand operational reports and diaries, incorporating anecdotes from d