PK van der Byl: An African Diplomat Review

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(More customer reviews)A balanced, insightful, honest and amusing insight into the life and times of the unique PK van der Byl. As ever, history and personalities are more complex and intriguing than the media portrays. Africans, white and black have benefited from the selfless dedication of people like PK van der Byl, the world needs more of their non-PC brass neck. I recommend reading the book....

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Historically relevant and important, with much previously unpublished political information, PK van de Byl's story is controversial, uncompromising and 'in-your-face', but also eminently readable, laced with anecdotes and humor. The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the white man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl; one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government led by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. By his very nature PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offense to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl but few will dispute he was an extremely colorful character with a devilish sense of humor. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. The human tragedy that has followed the removal from power of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian Front party will almost certainly force the reader to deal with some uncomfortable conclusions, of value to anyone sincere about grappling with the volatile and deeply troubling challenges that confront all Africans today.

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Recce: A Collector's Guide to the History of the South African Special Forces Review

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(More customer reviews)"Recce": A Collector's Guide to the History of the South African Special Forces is a superbly researched and presented close study of the South African Special Forces, who are primarily used in intelligence gathering but sometimes applied to offensive action. Roughly 2,500 color photographs illustrate this in-depth examination of these elite troops' selection and training processes, insignia/kit/equipment, awards, memorabilia, and a thorough history of their uses and actions. A foreword by the late Lt. General F. W. Loots rounds out this absolute "must-have" for any reader interested in learning more about this extraordinary military organization.


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This book has been some 15 years in the making and can claim, with some justification, to be the definitive publication on the 'Recces', unlikely to be topped for many, many years. The South African Special Forces have invariably been portrayed as a sinister force, used in covert operations locally and abroad but this is pure political expediency and media propaganda. The unit's operators are shy, humble soldiers, whose primary role is intelligence gathering, although they will take offensive action, ruthlessly, if necessary. Highly trained professionals in a class of their own, these elite troops have garnered for themselves an international reputation par excellence.

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