A raw, darkly humorous memoir that follows one conscript’s chaotic journey through South Africa’s military machine during the border war. Drafted into the Defence Force in 1977 as a carefree seventeen-year-old, Jon Goetzsche’s tranquil schooldays were abruptly...
Armoured Warfare in Angola, 1987 A teenager in the mid-80s, fresh out of high school, is conscripted into the South African Defence Force where he goes through the hardships and humour of infantry training. Innocent youngsters from all over the country are moulded...
On 10 June 1980, during the Border War, the SADF’s 61 Mechanised Battalion Group attacked a complex of Swapo military bases in southern Angola. A long day of bloody fighting ensued. Second Lieutenant Paul Louw led Platoon 1, in four Ratel infantry fighting vehicles,...
Fighter pilot memoirs & accounts of Cuban, SAAF and Angolan air combat in Southern African skies Most books on the Angolan Bush War, especially those in English, present the South African perspective of events. Now a former MiG-23 Squadron Commander of the Cuban...
The inside story of a Recce's Special Forces training year The South African Special Forces, or Recces, has always been known for their gruelling selection course that pushes soldiers to the ends of their physical and mental limits. Many sign up for it; only a select...
Angolan and Cuban Forces, 1976-1983 As of mid-1976, the civil war in Angola was seemingly decided: supported by a large contingent of Cuban forces, the MPLA established itself in power in Luanda. Its native competitors, the US-French-Zaire-supported FNLA, and UNITA,...
Colonial–Communist Clash, 1961–1974 When a large group of rebels invaded Angola from a recently independent Congo in 1961, it heralded the opening shots in another African war of independence. Between 1961 and 1974, Portugal faced the extremely ambitious task of...
Rhodesian Bush War Operator Ranged against two powerful communist terrorist armies, the small, under-equipped army of Rhodesia defied all military convention by not only resisting the onslaught, but taking the fight to the very heart of the ZIPRA and ZANLA terrorist...
The Night Belongs to Us Every AK-47 is now firmly trained on the approaching man. Adrenaline pumps through the operators’ veins. They hold their breath, their hearts in their mouths. 1 Recce. One of the sharpest, most versatile and deadliest specialist units in the...
The world has witnessed several battles since the dawn of time. Whether ancient or recent, they all contain a wealth of data useful for life in several circumstances. These battles, which had a significant influence on the life of mankind and defined the course of...
Small Team Missions Behind Enemy Lines A gripping first-hand account of the combat operations and life of a member of the secretive and elite South African Special Forces, known as ‘Recces’. South African Special Forces, known as the ‘Recces’, are an elite group of...
South Africa's Seaborne Raiders 1978-1988 This seminal work documents the clandestine sea borne operations undertaken by South Africa’s 4 Reconnaissance Commando Regiment. It breathtakingly reveals the versatility and effectiveness of this elite unit which worked with...
The road to Cuito Cuanavale: Soviet Soldiers’ accounts of the Angolan War For almost fifteen year South Africa was involved in a civil war in Angola, the so-called Bush War, on behalf of the UNITA faction. The climax of this portrayed conflict was the battle of Cuito...
To Hell and Back with Koevoet ‘Both my guns are jammed. I’m dead meat, a sitting duck. All the insurgent has to do is pull the trigger of his RPG-7 rocket launcher. My heart surges, pumping pure adrenalin through my body and my mind.’ Arn Durand was a member of...
Up Close and Personal in Third World Conflicts Venter's choice of military events is eclectic. He has four chapters on Afghanistan, three on Somalia, several on how Lisbon fought its desperate rearguard colonial wars in Angola, Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea as well...
This is the story of a Kavango tracker who served for six years with Koevoet ('Crowbar'), the elite South African Police anti-terrorist unit, during the South West African –Angolan bush war of the '80s. Most white team leaders lasted only two years; the black trackers...