Fought story

This is a soldier's story about South African soldiers in southern Angola and Namibia and the enemies they fought. It tells of insurgency and counter-insurgency, guerrilla warfare and counter-guerrilla warfare, almost conventional warfare and conventional warfare. It tells of a conflict which the world saw as unpopular and unjust, in which South Africa was perceived as the aggressor. The South African soldiers who fought in it, however, saw it as a conflict fought to stop what is now Namibia falling into the hands of the Soviet and Cuban-backed SWAPO black nationalist political organisation. After Namibia South Africa would be next. They saw the whole conflict as an extension of the Cold War, but while it was on the frontiers in Europe, in Angola they were fighting a very hot war in Angola. Eventually, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the war was resolved 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 Namibia which has eroded much of that hard won democracy. 32 Battalion, of which Colonel Jan Breytenbach was the founding commander, became the most controversial unit in the South African Army because of the secrecy surrounding it. Its story is virtually the story of the Angolan/Namibian war, because its involvement in it was greater than any other South African unit. The regiment primarily consisted of black troops and NCOs originating from virtually every tribe in Angola. They were led by white South African officers and NCOs. Neither apartheid nor any form of racial discrimination was ever practiced in the unit. There was always a sprinkling of whites originating from countries like Great Britain, the old Rhodesia, Portugal and the USA amongst its leadership cadre, although in the latter stages of its existence this shrank to only a few. Such a presence undoubtedly led to stories circulating that the unit was a led by foreign white mercenaries. While it was true that the black Angolan element could have fallen with the mercenary definition, the whites involved were attested soldiers in the South African Army. In any case, they formed a minority and the vast majority of white officers and NCOs were born South Africans. The unit's aggressiveness and the successes it achieved in the field of battle, often against incredible odds, lay in its spirit and its  espirit de corps. In this respect and in many other ways it compared favourably with the French Foreign Legion. Its story parallels with and reminds one of the British and British Commonwealth Chindits of World War-2, operating behind the Japanese lines in Burma in large formations, out-guerrillaing those who only three years earlier had been regarded in awe as the unbeatable jungle warfare experts. Likewise, 32-Battalion consistently outfought both FAPLA, SWAPO and the Cubans in the Angola bush throughout the war years. It created a problem to which neither they nor their Soviet and East German mentors ever found a solution to. After the 1989 Namibian settlement the unit was with withdrawn to South Africa where they were deployed to effectively deal with MK infiltrations into the north of South Africa. From there, after the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, they were redeployed to deal with political troubles, principally between armed ANC self defense units and armed units of the IFP. The intrusion of black foreigners into the townships who were prepared to deal with 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. In the end it seems they became something of a bargaining chip at the CODESA negotiations, designed to find a new political dispensation for South Africa. Despite it having borne the brunt of South Africa' war in Angola with the blood of its troops, the National Party Government disgracefully ordered its arbitrary disbandment in March 1993 and the unit ceased to exist. Paperback, 360 pages with photos & maps  

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1991. Hard cover, 374 pages. Very good condition. Under 1kg. In this book James Ambrose Brown does more than write a campaign history: he draws the reader into the emotional and national frenzy of colonial politics in German East Africa during the 1916 - 1918 campaign and the annexations of African territories that preceded it. This sets the stage for the narrative that chronicles the major role that South Africa played in this war in tropical Africa. It was a campaign in Tanganyika remarkable for the suffering, hardships and stubborn courage on both sides. This story of human endurance is presented with the freshness of personally recorded experiences of officers and men who fought in what is now called Tanzania, and tells for the first time the important function that South African volunteers played under the command of General Jan Smuts. 

1963 hardcover with dust jacket in good condition. 399 pages. R50 postage in SA.                                 They Fought Alone recounts the true story of the nearly three year period in which a handful of mostly American servicemen, led by U.S. Army Colonel Wendell Fertig, and many Filipinos, banded together on the island of Mindanao to protect the civilian population, harass a brutal occupying enemy, and to provide intelligence useful to the larger war effort. Fertig used his organizational and technical talents to meld a guerrilla force of an estimated 25-40,000 personnel, and by so doing, brought a measure of hope to a beleaguered people.

1991. Hard cover, 374 pages. Very good condition. Selotape marks in front and back. Under 1kg. In this book James Ambrose Brown does more than write a campaign history: he draws the reader into the emotional and national frenzy of colonial politics in German East Africa during the 1916 - 1918 campaign and the annexations of African territories that preceded it. This sets the stage for the narrative that chronicles the major role that South Africa played in this war in tropical Africa. It was a campaign in Tanganyika remarkable for the suffering, hardships and stubborn courage on both sides. This story of human endurance is presented with the freshness of personally recorded experiences of officers and men who fought in what is now called Tanzania, and tells for the first time the important function that South African volunteers played under the command of General Jan Smuts. 

This item is sold brand new. It is ordered on demand from our supplier and is usually dispatched within 7 - 11 working days In the s, as the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the Congo River. Carrying out a genocidal plundering of the Congo, he looted its rubber, brutalized its people, and ultimately slashed its population by ten million--all the while shrewdly cultivating his reputation as a great humanitarian. Heroic efforts to expose these crimes eventually led to the first great human rights movement of the twentieth century, in which everyone from Mark Twain to the Archbishop of Canterbury participated. King Leopold's Ghost is the haunting account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions, a man as cunning, charming, and cruel as any of the great Shakespearean villains. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who fought Leopold: a brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure and unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust. Adam Hochschild brings this largely untold story alive with the wit and skill of a Barbara Tuchman. Like her, he knows that history often provides a far richer cast of characters than any novelist could invent. Chief among them is Edmund Morel, a young British shipping agent who went on to lead the international crusade against Leopold. Another hero of this tale, the Irish patriot Roger Casement, ended his life on a London gallows. Two courageous black Americans, George Washington Williams and William Sheppard, risked much to bring evidence of the Congo atrocities to the outside world. Sailing into the middle of the story was a young Congo River steamboat officer named Joseph Conrad. And looming above them all, the duplicitous billionaire King Leopold II. With great power and compassion, King Leopold's Ghost will brand the tragedy of the Congo--too long forgotten--onto the conscience of the West. Features Summary In "an enthralling story, full of fascinating characters, intense drama, high adventure, deceitful manipulation, courageous truth-telling, and splendid moral fervor" ("Christian Science Monitor")... Author Adam Hochschild Publisher Mariner Books Release date Pages 366 ISBN ISBN

After bitter debate, South Africa, a dominion of the British Empire at the time, declared war on Germany five days after the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Thrust by the British into the campaign against Erwin Rommels German Afrika Korps in North Africa, the South Africans fought a see-saw war of defeats followed by successes, culminating in the Battle of El Alamein, where South African soldiers made a significant contribution to halting the Desert Foxs advance into Egypt. This is the story of an army committed somewhat reluctantly to a war it didnt fully support, ill-prepared for the battles it was tasked with fighting, and sent into action on the orders of its senior alliance partner. At its heart, however, this is the story of men at war. Paperback, 352 pages

1960 hardcover with dust jacket and 256 pages in good secondhand condition. Browning to all pages edges. 6 June, 1944. 156,000 troops from 12 different countries, 11,000 aircraft, 7,000 naval vessels, 24 hours. D-Day - the beginning of the Allied invasion of Hitler's formidable 'Fortress Europe' - was the largest amphibious invasion in history. There has never been a battle like it, before or since. But beyond the statistics and over sixty years on, what is it about the events of D-Day that remain so compelling? The courage of the men who fought and died on the beaches of France? The sheer boldness of the invasion plan? Or the fact that this, Rommel's 'longest day', heralded the beginning of the end of World War II. One of the defining battles of the war, D-Day is scored into the imagination as the moment when the darkness of the Third Reich began to be swept away. This is the story of D-Day, told through the voices of over 1,000 survivors - from high-ranking Allied and German officers, to the paratroopers who landed in Normandy before dawn, the infantry who struggled ashore and the German troops who defended the coast.Cornelius Ryan captures the horror and the glory of D-Day, relating in emotive and compelling detail the years of inspired tactical planning that led up to the invasion, its epic implementation and every stroke of luck and individual act of heroism that would later define the battle. In the words of its author, The Longest Day is a story not of war, but of the courage of man.

  Anthony Blond, London, 1959. Hard Cover. Book Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: poor, edge-chipped, loss at head and foot of spine and bottom corners. Second Impression. Dust jacket price clipped, some closed chips. Black cloth with gilt titling on spine. Map end papers. Photographs on plates. 255 pages clean and tight. Size: 8vo. The Siege of Tobruk lasted longer than the Siege of Mafeking. This fly-blown, dust-ridden Lybian port was the only harbour between Bengazi and Alexandria and became crucial as the only stumbling-block preventing Rommel's sweep forward to the Nile. The centre of a shuttlecock war Tobruk was captured by Wavell in 1940, became a beleaguered fortress for 242 days until its garrison was relieved in November 1941 by Auchinleck. Churchill and his War Cabinet in Whitehall with a fine sense of unreality ordered that " Tobruk must be held to the death." It was. The Australians under Major General Morshead fought like tigers, but a year later another garrison of 30,000 men in Tobruk commanded by Major General Klopper surrendered to Rommel in twenty-four hours. Why? There were rumours of high-ranking officers on Klopper's staff surrendering to Rommel blind drunk, of native African troops pillaging the rum stores and being shot out of hand by their captors, and of Company Commanders deserting their men... a Court of Enquiry was held in Cairo but its findings remain secret. Now, after seventeen years, Anthony Heckstall-Smith who was himself a Flotilla Officer of the "A" Lighters which victualled the garrison at fantastic cost in men and ships, has sifted evidence from officers of all units involved-Australian, South African, German and British-in order to write a controversial and thrilling story of men in battle. 

  The Elite: the story of the Rhodesian Special Air Service - Barbara Cole - Paperbackin good condition. Barbara Cole's "The Elite" is the the singular cornerstone book on the Rhodesian Special Air Service, one of the most formidable fighting forces in the world. They operated almost exclusively across the Rhodesian border during the long bitter bush war undertaking deep-penetration missions against insurgents being harboured inside neighbouring Mozambique and Zambia. There were missions into Botswana too and at one stage. They were operating without benefit of passport in all three neighbouring black territories at the same time. Long before the war escalated and the whole region became their battlefield, secret clandestine missions across the border were undertaken by Special Air Service operators, Later, when the situation intensified, they were responsible for some of the most audacious and highly sensitive missions of the war. Yet little is known of this highly-professional Special Force unit which had its beginnings in the days of the Malayan Emergency and like its parent unit. the British SAS. boasted the coveted and very apt motto. Who Dares Wins. Fought against the magic and madness of a changing Africa, against almost insuperable odds, against two terrorist armies who were aided and abetted by the armies of their host nations and backed by Russia and China, two of the world's superpowers, the role of the Special Air Service was unique. The Commander of Combined Operations, Lieutenant-General Peter Walls, while reluctant to single out any one unit, was to acknowledge this after the war.      

  The Elite: the story of the Rhodesian Special Air Service - Barbara Cole - Paperback in good condition, few photographs loose. Barbara Cole's "The Elite" is the the singular cornerstone book on the Rhodesian Special Air Service, one of the most formidable fighting forces in the world. They operated almost exclusively across the Rhodesian border during the long bitter bush war undertaking deep-penetration missions against insurgents being harboured inside neighbouring Mozambique and Zambia. There were missions into Botswana too and at one stage. They were operating without benefit of passport in all three neighbouring black territories at the same time. Long before the war escalated and the whole region became their battlefield, secret clandestine missions across the border were undertaken by Special Air Service operators, Later, when the situation intensified, they were responsible for some of the most audacious and highly sensitive missions of the war. Yet little is known of this highly-professional Special Force unit which had its beginnings in the days of the Malayan Emergency and like its parent unit. the British SAS. boasted the coveted and very apt motto. Who Dares Wins. Fought against the magic and madness of a changing Africa, against almost insuperable odds, against two terrorist armies who were aided and abetted by the armies of their host nations and backed by Russia and China, two of the world's superpowers, the role of the Special Air Service was unique. The Commander of Combined Operations, Lieutenant-General Peter Walls, while reluctant to single out any one unit, was to acknowledge this after the war.      

At last! The history of the Rhodesian Light Infantry. Weve seen the stories of the more glamorous Selous Scouts, the SAS and the Rhodesian Air Force, but very little about the RLI, often underrated, but arguably one of the most effective counter-insurgency units of all time. This was the unit that brought the Fireforce concept to the worlds attention - the devastatingly ruthless airborne envelopment and annihilation of a guerrilla enemy. Dubbed The Killing Machine by Charles D. Melson, chief historian of the US Marine Corps, the RLI was a veritable foreign legion with over 20 diverse nationalities serving in her ranks. The RLI, a truly international airborne battalion, comprising of over 20 nationalities, fought the bitter Zimbabwean bush war for 15 years against the overwhelming tide of communist-trained guerrillas. Kill rates dont win wars, but during its brief 19-year history, it is estimated that the RLI accounted for between 12,000 and 15,000 enemy guerrillas, for the loss of 135 men. RLI soldiers were recipients of four Silver Crosses and 42 Bronze Crosses of Rhodesia. An RLI trooper holds the world record for operational parachute descents - a staggering 73 op jumps - most under 500 feet! A glossy coffee-table, pictorial format with hundreds of colour photos, maps, rolls, honours and awards. It is not intended as a definitive history but, with more of a classic scrapbook feel, the presentation attempts to capture the essence of this fine unit - what it was like to be a troopie, one of the ouens. We have accessed a host of unique, previously unpublished photos and illustrative material and many former RLI members have embraced the project, generously contributing photos, memorabilia and anecdotes. Ian Smith has written his tribute in the front and the foreword is by the last CO, Lieutenant-Colonel Charlie Aust. PAPERBACK: 544 PAGES WITH  1,800 b/w illustrations & maps.  Published June 2007

This book recounts the horror of World War II on the eastern front, as seen through the eyes of a teenaged German soldier. At first an exciting adventure, young Guy Sajer's war becomes, as the German invasion falters in the icy vastness of the Ukraine, a simple, desperate struggle for survival against cold, hunger, and above all the terrifying Soviet artillery. As a member of the elite Gross Deutschland Division, he fought in all the great battles from Kursk to Kharkov.*Inscription in black on title page.*

2015 paperback with 310 pages in very good condition. R65 postage in SA. It takes a tough mindset to be a successful sniper, to be able to dig in for days on your own as you wait for your target, to stay calm on a battlefield when you yourself have become the target the enemy most want to take out. Craig Harrison has what it takes and in November 2009 in Afghanistan, under intense pressure, he saved the lives of his comrades with the longest confirmed sniper kill - 2,475 meters. In this unflinching autobiography, Craig catapults us into the heat of the action as he describes his active service in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, and gives heart-stopping accounts of his sniper ops as he fought for his life on the rooftops of Basra and the barren hills of Helmand province. Craig was blown up by an IED in Afghanistan and left battling severe PTSD. After his identity was revealed in the press he also had to cope with Al Qaeda threats against him and his family. For Craig, the price of heroism has been devastatingly high.

In 1945, as the Allied forces approached the German border having fought so bravely following the successful Normandy landings, it was decided that an elite unit was needed to work alongside the frontline soldiers as they headed east: they were called Target-Force. Until now their story has never appeared in any histories of the period. Through extensive archival work and after interviewing many of the soldiers who tell their story here for the first time, historian Sean Longden can finally reveal the previously unknown story of the men who were sent into Germany to seize and secure highly developed Nazi military technology, key factories and scientists.T-Force was born out of the chaos of war torn Europe in 1945, and it is no wonder the story reads like a spy thriller: the unit was top secret and originated from a plan belonging to the Naval intelligence officer, Ian Fleming, later the creator of James Bond. The unit was selected from the remnants of the infantry after Normandy and included drivers, sappers, bomb disposal experts, commandos and teams of expert scientists, specialists and engineers. What they discovered would not only shock the allied army but also play a huge role in the opening years of the Cold War. Between March and summer 1945, the unit was constantly at work seizing targets in towns such as Bremen, Celle, Hamburg and Hanover, where they uncovered a secret laboratory hidden beneath a straw covered floor of a barn, vast blast furnaces in Ruhr Valley steel works that were dismantled and shipped back to England, and a fully functioning aircraft factory operating in two miles of underground tunnels. They went in search of codebooks that could decrypt the enemys signals; new technology such as jet propelled engines, and mini submarines. They also hunted down the men behind these extraordinary feats: nearly 1,000 top scientists, some smuggled out of the Soviet Zone in unmarked lorries, including Werner Von Braun, the brains behind the V1 and V2 rockets who was to become a key figure in the American space race, Otto Hahn, Germanys foremost expert in nuclear fission and Helmut Walther, the man who inspired Ian Flemings Moonraker.Sean Longdens riveting history will change the story of how the second World War was won and how the first battles of the Cold War were fought; it reads like the finest espionage thriller of the era.

From Mushroom Valley to Delville Wood, South African Forces in World War One researched and excellently written by Tim Couzens. When war struck in 1914, it struck not just in Europe, but everywhere across the globe, including South Africa, whose troops saw action in five theatres. They fought one another on home soil, during a rebellion fuelled by old resentments; they fought the Germans in the deserts of South West Africa and the jungles of East Africa (now Namibia and Tanzania); they fought in Egypt; and they fought, and died in their thousands, on the Western Front. Tim Couzens’ The Great Silence tells the story of South Africa’s Great War, meticulously bringing the details of the different campaigns to light, with a dedicated chapter on each major theatre of action, from Sandfontein to Delville Wood, plus a special chapter on the contribution of black South African troops to the Allies’ ultimate victory. Fully illustrated with over 150 photographs, maps and graphics, and with eight special insets on some of the more extraordinary characters in the war – such as Jackie the baboon, who was wounded by shrapnel in Flanders and returned to South Africa a hero – The Great Silence takes us into the dark heart of the Great War itself. Softcover in good condition.266 pages. Illustrated. Tracked postage is R50.00.

This title is available on demand: expected date of dispatch will be 4-7 working days once ordered) In January , after the Republic of Liberia had been racked by fourteen years of brutal civil conflict, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf-Africa's "Iron Lady" - was sworn in as president, an event that marked a tremendous turning point in the history of the West African nation. In this stirring memoir, Sirleaf shares the inside story of her rise to power, including her early childhood; her experiences with abuse, imprisonment, and exile; and her fight for democracy and social justice. This compelling tale of survival reveals Sirleaf's determination to succeed in multiple worlds: from her studies in the United States to her work as an international bank executive to her election campaigning in some of Liberia's most desperate and war-torn villages and neighborhoods. It is also the story of an outspoken political and social reformer who, despite danger, fought the oppression of dictators and championed change. By sharing her story, Sirleaf encourages women everywhere to pursue leadership roles at the highest levels of power, and gives us all hope that, with perseverance, we can change the world.

2014. Soft cover, 264 pages. Very good condition. Tightly bound. Under 1kg.  This is the little known story of  Singapore's Outram Road Gaol   and the POWs who endured it. Deprivation here was so extreme that there really was a fate worse than death. Powerful and shocking, Stubborn Buggers tells of twelve Australian POWs who fought and survived the battle for Malaya, then captivity and slave labour, followed by the unimaginable hardships of Outram Road Gaol. It is a story of how they dealt with the brutality of the Japanese military police, the feared Kempeitai. And it is the story of how they found a way to go on living even when facing a future of no hope and slow death. But Stubborn Buggers is about more than suffering and brutality. It is also a tale of grit, determination and larrikin humour. It is very much about the triumph of the human spirit.   

ONE MAN NELSON MANDELA Synopsis: One Man...One Nation...One Country Nelson Mandela is a shining example of what one man can do to change the world. Born into an oppressive regime, he fought to overcome prejudice and hate to unify a nation. Mandela was jailed for much of his life because of his beliefs, but he accepted his fate with dignity; he was prepared to die for his cause. Nelson Mandela’s dedication resulted in his inauguration as the first black President of South Africa; his award of the Nobel Peace Prize and ultimately, his role in overthrowing the Apartheid regime. Our programme will detail the life of Nelson Mandela. We will look at the events that surrounded Mandela’s arrest; the campaigns to release him; his time as President of South Africa and also the charitable work he has done. The tone of this programme will be uplifting and elegant. We will acknowledge the atrocities of human rights violation that Mandela fought to end; we will celebrate his beliefs and passion, and we will pay tribute to a man who offered his life to improve the lives of others. Nelson Mandela is a hero of our time, and the courage he showed ensures his story is forever told, and forever revered.   Starring: Nelson Mandela Together With Friends   Category: Documentary   Age Restriction: PG V

This item is sold brand new. It is ordered on demand from our supplier and is usually dispatched within 8 - 13 working days This is an in-depth look at the history and legacy of HMCS "Oakville," a Canadian World War II corvette that fought in the Battle of the Atlantic, and was one of the few corvettes to sink a U-boat. From its creation through its christening off the shores of its namesake town, its exploits at sea, the famous encounter with "U94," and the ship's lackluster end, "Oakville's" is a story that showcases not only our nation s proud naval heritage, but also the importance of remembrance. "Oakville's Flower" sets the scene of naval war in the Atlantic the battles between convoys, stealthy U-boats, and the lowly corvettes that formed the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy. We follow"Oakville," one of those corvettes, through its rise and fall as a Canadian naval legend, to its revival in the town of Oakville, championed by the local Sea Cadet Corps that shares its name and safeguards its legacy." Features Summary This is an in-depth look at the history and legacy of HMCS "Oakville," a Canadian World War II corvette that fought in the Battle of the Atlantic, and was one of the few corvettes to sink a U-boat... Author Sean E. Livingston Publisher Dundurn Group Release date Pages 168 ISBN ISBN

This item is sold brand new. It is ordered on demand from our supplier and is usually dispatched within 7 - 11 working days On capture, British officers and men were routinely told by the Germans 'For you the war is over'. Nothing could be further from the truth. British Prisoners of War merely exchanged one barbed-wire battleground for another. In the camps the war was eternal. There was the war against the German military, fought with everything from taunting humour to outright sabotage, with a literal spanner put in the works of the factories and salt mines prisoners were forced to slave in. British PoWs also fought a valiant war against the conditions in which they were mired. They battled starvation, disease, Prussian cruelties, boredom, and their own inner demons. And, of course, they escaped. Then escaped again. No less than 29 officers at Holzminden camp in burrowed their way out via a tunnel (dug with a chisel and trowel) in the Great Escape of the Great War. It was war with heart-breaking consequences: more than PoWs died, many of them murdered, to be buried in shallow unmarked graves. Using contemporary records - from prisoners' diaries to letters home to poetry - John Lewis-Stempel reveals the death, life and, above all, the glory of Britain's warriors behind the wire. For it was in the PoW camps, far from the blasted trenches, that the true spirit of the Tommy was exemplified. Features Summary The War Behind the Wire is the new book by the acclaimed author of Six Weeks which depicted the extraordinary story of British junior officers in the First World War in such harrowing detail... Author John Lewis-Stempel Publisher Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd) Release date Pages 288 ISBN ISBN

Subtitle: The Durham Light Infantry Borneo   Author: Mike Kelly  Publisher: Broadcast Book () Edition: First Edition ISBN-10: ISBN-13: Condition: Very Good Binding: Softcover Pages: 139 Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.5 x 1 cm +++ by Mike Kelly +++ From to Britain and her allies fought a 'secret' war against Indonesia in Borneo. The war was so controversial that knowledge of it was kept from parliament at the time. It was a conflict that in many ways foreshadowed Vietnam: politically, strategically and in its use of toxic defoliants. The Last Conflict tells the story of the part played by the Durham Light Infantry in the final months of the Borneo campaign, which was the last ever fought by that great regiment. It is also the gripping personal memoir of the author, Mike Kelly.   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.

The sixteen-year-long war in Mozambique between the Frelimo government and Renamo rebels remains one of the most overlooked and misunderstood of the conflicts that raged across Africa during the height of the Cold War. While usually viewed as mere sideshow to more high-profile wars in Angola, Rhodesia and within apartheid South Africa itself, it nonetheless is noteworthy in its complexity, duration and destructiveness. Before it was all over in 1992 at least one million Mozambicans would be dead, millions more homeless and the country lying in ruins. Ultimately Frelimo would get its victory not on the battlefield but rather at the polling booth in 1994. Based on more than a decade of meticulous research, a review of thousands of pages of military records and documents, and dozens of in-depth interviews with political leaders, diplomats, generals, and soldiers and sailors, this book tells the story of the war from the perspective of those who fought it and lived it. It follows Renamo's growth from its Rhodesian roots in 1977 as a weapon against Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwean nationalist guerrillas operating from Mozambique through South African patronage in the early 1980s to Renamo's evolution as a self-sufficient nationalist insurgency. In tracing the ebb and flow of the conflict from the rugged mountains and Savannah forests of central Mozambique across the hot, humid Zambezi River valley and down to the very outskirts of the Mozambican capital in the far south, it examines the operational strategy of Frelimo and Renamo commanders in the field, the battles they fought and the lives of their troops. In doing so it highlights personal struggles, each side's successes and failures, and the missed opportunities to decisively turn the tide of war. Accordingly, this book provides the first real comprehensive military history of a war too long neglected and under appreciated in the chronicles of modern African history. PAPERBACK: 288 PAGES WITH 60 B/W ILLUSTRATIONS & 10 MAPS

On the battlefields of World War II, the men of the African-American 761st Tank Battalion under General Patton broke through enemy lines with the same courage with which they broke down the racist limitations set upon them by others -- proving themselves as tough, reliable, and determined to fight as any tank unit in combat. Beginning in November 1944, they engaged the enemy for 183 straight days, spearheading many of Patton's offensives at the Battle of the Bulge and in six European countries. No other unit fought for so long and so hard without respite. The 761st defeated more than 6,000 enemy soldiers, captured thirty towns, liberated Jews from concentration camps -- and made history as the first African-American armored unit to enter the war. This is the true story of the Black Panthers, who proudly lived up to their motto (Come Out Fighting) and paved the way for African-Americans in the U.S. military -- while battling against the skepticism and racism of the very people they fought for.

2005 first edition paperback with 272 pages in very neat condition. R65 postage in SA. This landmark book is the first memoir written by men who actually fought as guerrillas with any of the liberation forces of countries in Southern Africa. The authors joined the liberation struggle as young men in the early 1960s when they left South Africa to join the ranks of MK ('Umkhonto we Sizwe') in Tanzania. After receiving military training in the Soviet Union they fought alongside Joshua Nkomo's ZIPRA in Rhodesia. The book follows the fortunes of the two young freedom fighters through years of bush warfare/capture/imprisonment/political opposition through to the 1994 election in South Africa that was won by the ANC. "This is our story. We will tell it the way it was, and not as we wish it had happened. It's not only our history, it is also the history of a people - the black people of Africa.