PORTUGAL'S WAR IN ANGOLA 1961-1974 - WS VAN DER WAALS. IN SOUTH AFRICA

Van der Waals W. S. Portugal's War in Angola 1961-1974. Rivonia [South Africa]: Ashanti, 1993. Scarce First Edition. "This volume is a complete chronicle of Portugal's war in Angola from 1961 to 1974, and of the demise of the Portuguese empire. It is a popular version of the author's doctoral thesis which dissects the events leading up to the armed insurrection of 1961 and the subsequent uprisings by the various national liberation movements, and proceeds to examine the nature of the war that was to end where yet another conflict was merely to begin. The book describes the period until 25 April 1974, and provides a background for the analysis and comprehension of subsequent and present events in Angola. The nature and development of the war, with all its tragic repercussions, is also a case study in revolutionary warfare. It was ultimately to become a war attrition that Portugal could never win, despite her gradual ascendancy on the battlefield. As Portugal lost control over the process of decolonization, Angola was to be left to the icy machinations of the Cold War that had come to the region with a vengeance. At a time when Angola is once again a dark stain on the African continent, embroiled in renewed bloody civil war, this book should provide insight into that long-ago conflict in which the fathers of the Angolan and Portuguese youth fought, and show the pointlessness of the present bout of fighting" - mercenary-wars.net xviii, 296 p.: ill. (some col.), maps; Includes bibliographical references (p. 278-286) and index, 150x230mm Tall. Glossy Pictorial Soft Cover.  Faint surface scratching on cover and corners slightly curling up.  Rest of book in good condition.