Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #286068 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

Customer Reviews

No Way Out?
This is the updated 2007 edition of the 1982 book. Despite its title this book is concerned not just with the various military actions but with the political and economic history. The coverage is admirably wide, so it is not just the elite fire teams or Selous Scouts that get a mention but also, for example, the more mundane police units. Similarly the guerrillas are covered in detail especially interesting being the stages when a conventional invasion of Rhodesia seemed possible and very large forces built up outside Rhodesia.

The theme of the book seems to be that the Smith Government lacked anything with which to encourage the black population to its side. The French in Algeria paid lip service to "One France" and used the blue kepis to spread some benefits to the muslim population. But in Rhodesia the whole point of the RF government was to retain white control; and they lacked the vision (a vision few minorities in power have) to give a little in order to keep some of the pie. For such an inflexible group Rhodesians proved skilled masters at getting round the rather half-hearted limits the outside world placed on them, and the book deals in detail with the importance of the view from Pretoria in determining the fate of Salisbury/Harare. A well rounded account.

Forgotten war
Interesting in part but many inaccuracies involving details of units and modus operandi. Tends to deride the hard work that the forces tried to achieve, I dont know why the authors remained in country if they loathed it so much.