The Kevin Woods Story: In the Shadows of Mugabe's Gallows Review

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(More customer reviews)This account by Kevin Woods of his nearly 20 years as a political prisoner in Zimbabwe is one of the most poignant, honest, and stirring stories I've ever read. One does not have to know much about Zimbabwe, or the reasons behind Woods' double agent status, to gain immense inspiration from reading how this man managed to survive the overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and despair during his long incarceration and isolation from the world. That one important element, alone, of his story makes it worth the read! Kevin Woods is a wordsmith and has a unique ability to convey to the reader the range of emotions he experienced during those horrific years, interspersed with his very astute observations about his surroundings.
For those who want to fill in the blanks regarding the genocide in Matabeleland (in western Zimbabwe) in the early years of Mugabe's ongoing reign of terror, Kevin Woods provides real insight into that massacre. As an agent for South Africa during the 1980's, while simultaneously serving as a high-ranking agent in Mugabe's Central Intelligence Organization, Kevin was in a unique position to see two sides of the conflict up close and personal, all of which makes for some fascinating, yet sobering, reading.
There are also personal photos, newspaper accounts and documents, and a nice sampling of the author's beautiful color drawings that he sent as gifts in his letters to those around the world who corresponded with him during his imprisonment. Some sketches by renown artist Craig Bone are an added bonus in this book ... and there is so much more. I highly recommend the book!


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Kevin Woods was sentenced to death in Zimbabwe and later jailed for life by Robert Mugabe. For more than five years of his detention he was held in the shadow of Mugabe's gallows, cut off from the world, naked and in solitary confinement. He had been a senior member of Mugabe's dreaded Central Intelligence Organization, the CIO, and was jailed for committing politically motivated offenses, on behalf of the white South African government, against the ANC in Zimbabwe.From Mugabe's confidant to condemned prisoner, he recounts his life on the edge as a double agent. He explains the desolation of being abandoned by South Africa when he was compromised and he details his lone fight to maintain his humanity, self-dignity and sanity in a prison system that belongs to the Middle Ages.This book will inspire you to take an introspective look at your own life, your careers, your aspirations and ambitions. His story, unlike so many others, has a happy ending with him hugging his now-adult children and meeting former President Nelson Mandela being the highlights.

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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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