Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35604 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 284 pages

Synopsis
A very different tongue-in-cheek personal account about a forgotten war. Between 1964 and 1980 Rhodesian men from all walks of life left their families and jobs to fight for their country. They were farmers, bankers, railwaymen, shopkeepers, miners and even Members of Parliament, who every six weeks, changed their soft civilian life for battle dress, rifles and grenades. These are their stories. It's not really about war heroes. It's more about bluestone charged, but still lustful troops coping with fighting terrorists, boredom, longing, fear and death. All this set against the background of Africa's sweltering heat, annoying insects, dangerous animals and venomous snakes. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. The reader will meet a long suffering prisoner-of-war, infantry soldiers, helicopter gunship pilots, tribesmen, pompous army officers, mercenaries and even a duck. Some of the personal incidents will have you laughing and crying at the same time. No matter how you view the Rhodesian Bush War, you will enjoy the humour and at times satire and even sadness of this true account of how men coped with the horrors and hardships of war.

Customer Reviews

WONDERFUL MEMORIES
As an ex-Rhodeian territorial soldier, I consider 'James and the Duck' by Faan Martin, a wonderful collection of everyday experiences I personally can relate to.
In the past I have read many books written about Rhodesia, usually by apologists, and to be quite honest they have without exception, all been a load of sickening rubbish. James and the Duck however, is the best read I have had for a long time.

James and the Duck: Tales of the Rhodesian Bush War
Summary: Very informative & Personal account of at times, surreal war time experiences.

Reviewer: Reader from Glasgow, Scotland.

This is a collection of short stories which I found very informative about a war that I knew very little about before reading the book. Told from the Author's own real-life experiences, there is no skimping on the reality, but his humour is evident throughout. There is a great mixture of funny, sad and shocking in here - I would thoroughly recommend it!

Excellent
Having served as a regular soldier in Rhodesia this book brought back many vivid memories. Both laughter and sadness as well as "Bloed, snot en traane". I would recommend people read this with eyes wide open and see it for what it is, one mans account of his time in what was a wonderful country.