Chasing africas fighting

Buy ALLAN DU TOIT SOUTH AFRICAS FIGHTING SHIPS PAST AND PRESENT HARDCOVER, FIRST EDITION 1992 for R500.00

Subtitle: The Search for Africa's Fighting Spirit Author: Tim Butcher Publisher: Chatto and Windus () ISBN: Condition: Very Good Binding: Softcover Pages: 325 Dimensions: 23.3 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm +++ by Tim Butcher +++ For many years Sierra Leone and Liberia have been too dangerous to travel through, bedevilled by a uniquely brutal form of violence from which sprang many of Africa's cruellest contemporary icons - child soldiers, prisoner mutilation, blood diamonds. With their wars officially over, Tim Butcher sets out on a journey across both countries, trekking for 350 miles through remote rainforest and malarial swamps. Just as he followed H M Stanley through the Congo - a journey described in his best seller Blood River - this time he pursues a trail blazed by Graham Greene in and immortalised in the travel classic Journey Without Maps. Tim walks every blistering inch to gain an extraordinary ground-level view of a troubled and overlooked region.   A passion for books and a passion for collecting fine editions was the recipe that created the successful group of bookshops in Johannesburg called Bookdealers. The group started thirty years ago with one store in the quirky suburb of Yeoville and has grown through the years to a total of five shops, plus our online sales. Bookdealers is well-known for its collectable and used books. We also have a large variety of remaindered books sourced from around the world.  If you collect from one of our five branches there is no delivery charge. We also offer postal delivery (when available) and courier delivery, subject to a quote.

Buy 32 BATTALION The Inside Story of South Africas Elite Fighting Unit, by Piet Nortje for R220.00

Buy 32 BATTALION - The inside story of South Africas Elite fighting unit PIET NORTJE for R250.00

Buy 32 BATTALION The Inside Story of South Africas Elite Fighting Unit, by Piet Nortje for R210.00

Books on World War II abound, yet there are remarkably few publications on South Africas role in this war, which had such an influence on how we live today. There is even less written about those who participated on the margins of the war, especially those who were physically removed from the battlefields through capture by enemy forces. South Africas prisoners of war during World War II, their experiences and recollections, are largely forgotten. That is until now.  Historian Karen Horn painstakingly tracked down a number of former POW's. Together with written memoirs and archival documents, their interviews reveal rich narratives of hardship, endurance, humour, longing and self-discovery. Instead of fighting, these men adapted to another war, one which was fought on the inside of many prison camps. It was a war against hunger and deprivation, at times against ever-encroaching despondency and low morale amongst their companions in captivity.  In their interviews, all the POW's expressed surprise at being asked to share their experiences. The author found it astonishing that almost all of them claimed not to be heroes of any kind. This is not surprising when one considers that they returned to a country which soon tried its utmost to promote national amnesia with regard to the countrys participation in the war. With great insight and empathy, Karen Horn shines a light on a neglected corner of South African history.  The Author Karen Horn is a lecturer at Stellenbosch University. She has travelled to at least three of the four corners of the earth and has pursued many different occupations. With a Masters degree in History from Edinburgh University, followed by a PhD at Stellenbosch, she now spends many hours of research reading diaries, interrogating older generations and rummaging around in the archives. Softcover, published 2015.

Books on World War II abound, yet there are remarkably few publications on South Africa’s role in this war, which had such an influence on how we live today. There is even less written about those who participated on the margins of the war, especially those who were physically removed from the battlefields through capture by enemy forces. South Africa’s prisoners of war during World War II, their experiences and recollections, are largely forgotten. That is until now.  Historian Karen Horn painstakingly tracked down a number of former POW's. Together with written memoirs and archival documents, their interviews reveal rich narratives of hardship, endurance, humour, longing and self-discovery. Instead of fighting, these men adapted to another war, one which was fought on the inside of many prison camps. It was a war against hunger and deprivation, at times against ever-encroaching despondency and low morale amongst their companions in captivity.  In their interviews, all the POW's expressed surprise at being asked to share their experiences. The author found it astonishing that almost all of them claimed not to be heroes of any kind. This is not surprising when one considers that they returned to a country which soon tried its utmost to promote national amnesia with regard to the country’s participation in the war. With great insight and empathy, Karen Horn shines a light on a neglected corner of South African history.  The Author Karen Horn is a lecturer at Stellenbosch University. She has travelled to at least three of the four corners of the earth and has pursued many different occupations. With a Master’s degree in History from Edinburgh University, followed by a PhD at Stellenbosch, she now spends many hours of research reading diaries, interrogating older generations and rummaging around in the archives. Softcover, published 2015.

  In Enemy Hands: South Africa's POW's in WWII - Karen Horn - Jonathan Ball - 2015 - Paperback. Historian Karen Horn painstakingly tracked down a number of former POWs in which their interviews reveal rich narratives of hardship, endurance, humour, longing and self-discovery. Instead of fighting, these men adapted to another war, one which was fought on the inside of many prison camps.   In their interviews, all the POWs expressed surprise at being asked to share their experiences of almost 70 years earlier.They returned home in 1945 to a country which soon afterwards tried its utmost to promote national amnesia with regard to the country’s participation in the war. With great insight and empathy, Karen Horn shines a light on a neglected corner of South African history. Karen Horn is a lecturer at Stellenbosch University.     

Buy 32 Battalion by Piet Nortje - The inside story of South Africas Elite fighting unit for R200.00

 THIS BOOK IS SOFT COVERED AND IN NEW CONDITION. AN EXCELLENT PORTRAYAL OF ONE OF SOUTH AFRICAS ELITE FIGHTING UNITS.

AFRICA@WAR SERIES: VOLUME 26 The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale: Cold War Angolan Finale, 1987-1988 In the broad history of the Cold War, the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was the climax of a far-off, but nonetheless important African war. It was waged between the apartheid South African Defence Force (SADF) and the armed forces of the communist MPLA government in Angola and the Peoples Republic of Cuba. Led by Soviet generals, the MPLA embarked on a grand offensive in order to knock out the pro-Western rebel movement UNITA in southeastern Angola. As UNITAs survival was crucial to South Africas military strategy in fighting its own counter-insurgency war against the South West African rebel movement SWAPO, the SADF stepped in with a single mechanised brigade and broke the back of the overwhelming MPLA offensive. The MPLA forces were subsequently driven back over a hundred kilometres, before the SADF advance was finally stopped just short of the town of Cuito Cuanavale. Since then, a hot war of words have been waged about who actually won. In this book, a South African military historian and retired journalist examines the campaign, the adversaries, and their achievements on the basis of his research in SADF archives. His scrupulous attempt at objectivity results in interesting conclusions. While the MPLA lost hands down, he posits a draw between the Cubans and the SADF. Although having been a South African reservist officer himself, he has critical words for the SADF leadership. Many misunderstandings, some of which were purposefully created by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, are put to rest. While not sharing Castros political beliefs, he acknowledges Castros military acumen and political savvy in extricating his country from an unwinnable war while smelling of roses. The analysis contains many lessons about mechanised warfare in the African context from which both laymen and military professionals alike may learb. Paperback, 64 pages.  This title is imported on demand and dispatched within 15 working days depending on supplier.