Strategic operations

AFRICA@WAR SERIES: VOLUME 6 CONGO UNRAVELLED: Military Operations from Independence to the Mercenary Revolt, 196068 Clearly and comprehensively explains the intrigues of the Congo wars Colonel Mike Hoare Post-independence events in the Republic of the Congo are a veritable Gordian knot. The ambitions of Congolese political leaders, Cold War rivalry, Pan-Africanism, Belgiums continued economic interests in the countrys mineral wealth, and the strategic perceptions of other southern African states all conspired to wrack Africas second largest country with uprisings, rebellions and military interventions for almost a decade. Congo Unravelled solves the intractable complexity of this violent period by dispassionately outlining the sequence of political and military events that took place in the troubled country. The reader is systematically taken through the first military attempts to stabilize the country after independence and the two distinguishing military campaigns of the decade - the United Nations military operations (Opration des Nations Unies au Congo, or ONUC) to end the secession of the Katanga Province, and the Dragon Operations led by Belgian paratroopers, supported by the US Air Force, launched to end the insurgency in the east of the country - are chronicled in detail. Finally, the mercenary revolt - an event that tainted the reputation of the modern mercenary in Africa - is described. Lesser known military events - Irish UN forces cut off from the outside world by Katangese gendarmes and mercenaries, and a combined military operation in which Belgian paratroopers were dropped from US Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and supported by a mercenary ground force to achieve humanitarian ends - go far toward resolving the enigma surrounding post-independence Congo. Paperback, 72 pages. Illustrated throughout, including 8-page colour section.

  The Bedford Triangle portrays the crucial part played by the British Special Operations Executive, the US Army Air Force and the American Office of Strategic Services in operations behind enemy lines in occupied Europe during the Second World War. Milton Ernest Hall, a country house in Bedfordshire used officially as the UK headquarters of the US Army Air Force Service Command, was located at the heart of a network of top secret Allied Radio and propaganda transmitting stations, political warfare units and undercover British and American formations dealing in espionage and subterfuge. Martin Bowman draws upon revealing first-hand accounts, together with official documentary evidence, to provide tantalising glimpses of cloak and dagger operations. The author's extensive research has revealed that Allied Secret Service organisations participated in even more unorthodox activities, such as clandestine propaganda and political warfare. He also reveals the truth about what really happened to legendary band leader Glenn Miller.    

From Cabinda in Angola to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania 4 Reconnaissance Regiment conducted numerous clandestine seaborne raids during the Border War. They attacked strategic targets such as oil facilities, transport infrastructure and even Russian ships. All the while 4 Recces existence and capability was largely kept secret, even within the South African Defence Force. With unparalleled access to previously top secret documents, 50 operations undertaken by 4 Recce, other Special Forces units and the South African Navy are described. The daunting Operation Kerslig (1981), in which an operator died in a raid on a Luanda oil refinery and others were injured, is retold in spine-tingling detail. The book reveals the versatility and effectiveness of this elite unit and also tells of both the successes and failures of its actions. Sometimes missions go wrong, as in Operation Argon (1985) when Captain Wynand Du Toit was captured. This fascinating work will enthrall anyone with an interest in Special Forces operations. Iron Fist from the Sea takes you right to the raging surf, to the adrenalin and fear that is seaborne raiding. Revised 2018 edition, paperback, 408 pages DIE TITEL IS OOK IN AFRIKAANS BESKIKBAAR - KLIEK HIER:

2004. Soft cover. 287 pages. Very good condition. Under 1k g. Compiled from interviews, diaries, letters and contemporaneous first-person accounts - many never before published - this oral history follows the adventures of the courageous men and women who volunteered for service with Britain's Special Operations Executives and the United States' Office of Strategic Services. They parachuted behind enemy lines, often alone, with orders to cause mayhem. Arrest almost always resulted in torture and emprisonment; sometimes in execution. In occupied France, equipped with false identities, they played a deadly game of cat and mouse with the Gestapo; in the Balkans they discovered that the fiery politics of the region were as dangerous as the enemy; in the Burmese jungle they led native marauders in surprise attacks against the Japanese. Supported by a team of back-room boffins who dreamed up ingenious devices like exploding rats and invisible ink, the special agents of World War Two really were a breed apart. This is their extraordinary story, in their own words.  

Shrouded in secrecy due to the covert nature of their work, the legendary  Recces have fascinated South Africans for years. Now one of these elite soldiers has written a tell-all book about the extraordinary missions he embarked on and the nail-biting action he experienced in the Border War. Shortly after passing the infamously gruelling Special Forces selection course in the early 1980's, Koos Stadler joined the so-called Small Teams group at 5 Reconnaissance Regiment. This subunit was made up of two-man teams and was responsible for numerous secret and highly dangerous missions deep behind enemy lines. With only one team member, Stadler was sent to blow up railway lines and enemy fighter jets in the south of Angola. As he crawled into and out of enemy-infested territory, he stared death in the face many times. A gripping firsthand account that reveals the near superhuman physical and psychological powers these  Special Forces operators have to display. Softcover, 336 pages. Available in Afrikaans. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Koos Stadler is a professional soldier and former Recce who has been awarded, among others, the Honoris Crux for bravery. As a member of the Special Forces' specialist reconnaissance unit, or Small Teams, he was involved in numerous strategic operations behind enemy lines for five years of the Border War.  

Shrouded in secrecy due to the covert nature of their work, the legendary  Recces have fascinated South Africans for years. Now one of these elite soldiers has written a tell-all book about the extraordinary missions he embarked on and the nail-biting action he experienced in the Border War. Shortly after passing the infamously gruelling Special Forces selection course in the early 1980's, Koos Stadler joined the so-called Small Teams group at 5 Reconnaissance Regiment. This subunit was made up of two-man teams and was responsible for numerous secret and highly dangerous missions deep behind enemy lines. With only one team member, Stadler was sent to blow up railway lines and enemy fighter jets in the south of Angola. As he crawled into and out of enemy-infested territory, he stared death in the face many times. A gripping firsthand account that reveals the near superhuman physical and psychological powers these  Special Forces operators have to display. Sagteband, 336 bladsye. Also available in English ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Koos Stadler is a professional soldier and former Recce who has been awarded, among others, the Honoris Crux for bravery. As a member of the Special Forces' specialist reconnaissance unit, or Small Teams, he was involved in numerous strategic operations behind enemy lines for five years of the Border War.   

Subtitle: Military Operations from Independence to the Mercenary Revolt Series: Africa@War Volume 6 Author: Andrew Hudson Publisher: Helion and Company / 30 Degrees South Publishers () ISBN-13: Condition: Very Good. Binding: Softcover Pages: 64 Dimensions: 29.5 x 20.9 x 0.5 cm +++ by Andrew Hudson +++ Post-independence events in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are a veritable Gordian knot. The ambitions of Congolese political leaders, Cold War rivalry, Pan-Africanism, Belgium's continued economic interests in the country's mineral wealth, and the strategic perceptions of other southern African states all conspired to wrack Africa's second largest country with uprisings, rebellions and military interventions for almost a decade. Congo Unravelled solves the intractable complexity of this violent period by dispassionately outlining the sequence of political and military events that took place in the troubled country. The reader is systematically taken through the first military attempts to stabilize the country after independence and the two distinguishing military campaigns of the decade - the United Nations military operations (Organisation des Nations Unies au Congo, or ONUC) to end the secession of the Katanga Province, and the Dragon Operations led by Belgian paratroopers, supported by the US Air Force, launched to end the insurgency in the east of the country - are chronicled in detail. Finally, the mercenary revolt - an event that tainted the reputation of the modern mercenary in Africa - is described.   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.

Shaking Hands with Billy is a book that goes behind the scenes into the top secret world of the South African security force community during the build-up to the country's first democratic elections in 1994. The book reads at three different levels, because that moment in time is embedded in a set of regional dynamics, by which the author  is profoundly affected, but has no direct control. This means that the book is about the integrity of a human being living in times of great uncertainty when the questioning of orders is being dealt with by a secret death squad authorised under Project Barnacle to eliminate own forces using only his deeply anchored moral compass as his guide. Shaking Hands with Billy is thus the story of a man accepting full responsibility for his actions as a soldier turned peace-maker, while justifying those actions to the people he cares the most for his two children and immediate family. The book is written in a deeply personal way, as a father explaining to his two children, both now adult, why he was not always there while they were growing up, in a land divided, surrounded by secrecy. The foreword is by James Workman and the prologue is by the author. Paperback, 556 pages.   ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Anthony Turton served in 2 Light Horse Regiment, 81 Armoured Brigade, and was recruited into a special operations unit that was created to avenge the Pretoria car bombing. He then served in the Chief Directorate Covert Operations of NIS and later became a founding member of the South African Secret Service. Anthony is currently a trained scientist specializing in water resource management as a strategic issue with a robust publication record. He's also a professional speaker, consultant, writer and poet

Ukraine, 20 UAH, 70th anniversary liberation from Fascist 2014 2 Oz Silver coin Edition Technical Specs Presentation Country:   Ukraine Metal Purity:    Silver 0.999 Box:   Yes Year of Issue:   2014 Weight:   62,2 CoA:   Yes Face Value:   20 hryvnias Dimensions:   50     Quality:   Proof     Mintage:   2000   New coin with capsule, CoA and box The coin is dedicated to the liberation of Ukraine where heavy fighting took place between the USSR and Nazi Germany and its allies. Ukraine was hit badly during the war, which resulted in cities and villages being destroyed, left the economy in a shambles, and cost the lives of millions. Military operations lasted 40 months in Ukraine. Consisting of 11 strategic and 23 army group operations, the battle of Ukraine ended on October 28, 1944, when Ukraine was completely cleared of Hitler`s forces. ____________________________________________________  Feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

1990, first edition. Hard cover with dust cover; 368 pages. Very good condition. The dust cover has minor wear and tear. Under 1kg. In August 1987 South Africa sent a force into south-eastern Angola in support of Unita. When the last South African soldier crossed the Kavango to return to South West Africa on 1 September 1988, this force had irrevocably changed the strategic situation in the region. Chapters on Operations Moduler, Hooper and Packer.  

 The role of the Bomber - Ronald W. Clark - 1977 - 160pp, some colour photographs, many black & white photographs - Hard cover with dust cover in good, clean and tight condition. A description of the strategic and tactical operations of the bomber from the days of ballooning to the present. 

  The Final South African Phase.   In August 1987 South Africa sent a force into south-eastern Angola in support of Unita. When the last South African soldier crossed the Kavango to return to South West Africa on 1 September 1988, this force had irrevocably changed the strategic situation in the region. True first edition hardcover with dust jacket published by Ashanti, 1990.  Includes chapters on Operations Moduler, Hooper and Packer.  366 pages, many black and white pictures and maps. Excellent condition; jacket covered with plastic film and stuck to boards. Tracked postage is R50.00.

A4 size hardcover with dust jacket in good reading condition, though ex-library. 208 pages. R55 postage in SA. This work tells the story of the strategic Allied air offensive against Germany. With the aid of an analytical narrative text, diagrams and color artwork, the campaign is analyzed from the viewpoint of the RAF, the USAAF, and the Luftwaffe, with in-depth assessment of daylight and nocturnal operations, aircraft, weapons, radar, and ground defense. Also includes many accounts from fighter aces and bomber crews who took part.

  The Final South African Phase.   In August 1987 South Africa sent a force into south-eastern Angola in support of Unita. When the last South African soldier crossed the Kavango to return to South West Africa on 1 September 1988, this force had irrevocably changed the strategic situation in the region. True first edition hardcover with dust jacket published by Ashanti, 1990.  Includes chapters on Operations Moduler, Hooper and Packer.  366 pages, many black and white pictures and maps. Good sound condition; jacket stained and has wear, as pictured. Tracked postage is R55.00.

A4 size hardcover with dust jacket in good reading condition, though ex-library. 208 pages. R60 postage in SA. This work tells the story of the strategic Allied air offensive against Germany. With the aid of an analytical narrative text, diagrams and color artwork, the campaign is analyzed from the viewpoint of the RAF, the USAAF, and the Luftwaffe, with in-depth assessment of daylight and nocturnal operations, aircraft, weapons, radar, and ground defense. Also includes many accounts from fighter aces and bomber crews who took part.

1990, first edition. Hard cover with dust cover; 368 pages. Very good condition. The dust cover has minor wear. Under 1kg. In August 1987 South Africa sent a force into south-eastern Angola in support of Unita. When the last South African soldier crossed the Kavango to return to South West Africa on 1 September 1988, this force had irrevocably changed the strategic situation in the region. Chapters on Operations Moduler, Hooper and Packer.