GEHEIME REVOLUSIE: MEMOIRES VAN N SPIOENBAAS - NEIL BARNARD IN SOUTH AFRICA

In the sinister world of spies few rules apply and everything is allowed in the name of state security even talking to your Enemy No. 1. And this is exactly what Nil Barnard did in the late 1980's as head of the National Intelligence Service. On instruction of PW Botha he started talking to Nelson Mandela in secret about the possibility of a democratic election and a majority government. Not even the cabinet was informed of these talks. Geheime Revolusie  reveals the details of these meetings that were the first step towards a democratic South Africa. It also tells of the special personal bond that developed between these two former enemies. While both men were strong personalities who could be stubborn and even bad-tempered at times, they realised the importance of what they were doing. The book also offers a fascinating insight into the daily lives of spies and NIs successes during the 1980's. As spy boss Barnard succeeded in establishing relationships with both friends and enemies of the South African state. He not only visited several African heads of state in a time when South Africa was shunned by the international community but also managed to open an intelligence channel with communist Russia. Geheime revolusie  is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what happened behind the political scenes in the 1980's. Also available in English:  Secret Revolution: Memoirs of a Spy Boss First Published April 2015.  Softcover, 288 pages