The Bush War In Rhodesia: The Extraordinary Combat Memoir of a Rhodesian Reconnaissance Specialist

Anton said: What a book A very interesting book on the Rhodesian bush war. The Extraordinary Combat Memoir of a Rhodesian Reconnaissance Specialist.
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I found it interesting that his mention of train derailment in an area of Mozambique can be supported with the modern advent of Earth Mapping software which allows anyone to look anywhere. Croukamp has so well described the location and surrounds of one the raids that one can look and see that the derailed train cars are in fact still present along the rail lines today.

Well written and informative, I would refer this book to anyone that wanted some insight to the fighting forces that took up the cause of trying to save Rhodesia. By Ferro on Jun 23, The author begins his account as a somewhat unlikable young man navigating the stuffy public school mentality that characterized the ex-colonial social structures of Rhodesia. Within the first 50 pages he has shot a likely innocent black fisherman, stolen food out of unattended houses, and congratulated himself on avoiding returning money he had owed.

Through love of combat and his country however, our troublemaker gradually matures into a humble and responsible leader, a great soldier who did his utmost to hold the line and defend his country, even while vaguely realizing the futility of it all. What I most like is his ability to evoke the atmosphere and adventure of the African bush, and his accounts are enlivened by his own actual photos from the time. He is also transparent on a personal level, and honest about who he was.

This provides an air of intimacy and an extra layer of interest that is often lacking in other first-hand accounts. An authentic and enjoyable read. By Kris Littledale on Feb 22, I've read a lot of books about Rhodesia's desperate struggle to keep their freedom. This is without a doubt one of the best.

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It's a shame that Croukamp and Reid-Daly had a falling out but I commend Croukamp for giving Reid-Daly the opportunity to respond to some of the parts where Croukamp dealt a bit harshly with him. The parts where Croukamp discusses "Operation Quartz"--the coup that wasn't, are tantalizing!!!! He provides a little more info on the subject than other books I've read but not a lot.

It's a subject that would make a great book in it's own right. I'm not as young as I used to be and I suspect I'll never find out who cancelled the operation or why but I surely would like to know.

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Was it the South Africans? Were the South Africans pressured into pulling their support? It's one of the great mysteries of the war and I wish I could find out what really happened! I hope you will write more.

Fortune on Jun 09, This is one of the best first-person accounts of the Rhodesian Bush War. He survived countess contacts, and amazing, a six day escape and evasion behind enemy lines in Mozambique after he was separated from his team. Well written and Mr. Croukamp's sense of humor comes through. A very impressive book about a very impressive man. By Cyril Gabriel on Apr 23, This book gives a very good account of a Non-Commissioned Officer's experiences. I wonder if many a British soldier had read it before deployment to Afghanistan - it wis a great pity if they did not.

Many a British soldier could have been enriched by these pages that describe soldiering under combat conditions. Currie on Oct 29, Awesome story from one of the world's truly 'hard men'. As with most soldiers' memoirs, it is sometimes quite casually written, but nobody can dispute Croukamp's skill as a storyteller. Gritty, real, and entertaining with just a touch of the romance that Africa has lost over the years. Go read it if you want to know more about this long little conflict.

By Andrew Barlow on Jun 05, In every organisation there are jealousies, envy, hate, comradeship, treachery and many other matters that seldom become known outside a small circle. This was the case even in the Rhodesian army. This book gives an excellent insight into the way that war was fought by the Rhodesian Light Infantry and the Selous Scouts. It lifts the veil of glamour with which that war is shrouded and gives a vey rue picture of what it actually was like. By Joe Moreno on Jul 06, A great, rollicking read.

The author is a likable, and engaging narrator. His being a up-front eyewitness to this little known conflict is invaluable. I highly recommend this book. By Anton Van Reenen on Jun 04, A very interesting book on the Rhodesian bush war. I loved this book and would love to look Dennis up to sign a copy for me. By Gary L Shaw on Sep 16, More than happy with my purchase; the book is fascinating. Arrived well packaged and earlier than promised.

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By Chris on May 03, The author is quite modest about his record - he was obviously a very brave and dedicated anti- guerrilla fighter and effective saboteur. Often crude , drunk ,and insubordinate , he would not have been a good fit in a conventional military unit. The book is quite interesting when he is in the bush , but much less so when he is in a school environment I am sorry he barely mentioned knowing Ian Smith when they moved to South africa. Add a Book Review. Home History Africa Zimbabwe.


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The Bush War In Rhodesia: Details Description Reviews Author: Click on this books subject categories to see related titles: Superb Narrative from a former Selous Scout. A Very Interesting Perspective. Only my friends call me "Crouks"! The truth from the foot soldiers point of view. People to model your self after. The author is a vibrant narrator of his personal experiences A gritty first-hand view of the war. Great book for those interested in the Rhodesian war. One of the best first hand accounts from a Rhodesian soldier. The Bush War in Rhodesia.

A Very Human and Engaging Memoir. Decent account of the war for the West in Rhodesia. This particular edition is in a Paperback format. It was published by Paladin Press and has a total of pages in the book. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. I decided to buy this book for my Kindle on a whim. Back in the 80's I used to peruse "Soldier of Fortune" magazine while in the supermarket. Also having read extensively about the American involvement in Vietnam this book intrigued me for a few reasons: Comparing the two conflicts, the tour s of an American infantryman would rarely go over a maximum of a couple of years.

What would it be like to fight a war for over 14 years? Even though both conflicts were technically 'lost', why did the Rhodesian Army seem so much more effective with less? How does a conflict that went on this long, and ultimately a country, end? What is that ending like? Croukamp's story answers these questions in a truly tell-all fashion. Croukamp fully admits in the beginning of the book that he is telling the story "warts and all". To the authors credit even the incriminating parts are told. His writing really imparts being in the bush: FN assault rifle in hand, tracking terrorist spoor, humidity, dangerous animals, etc.

The bravery of he and his fellow soldiers is amazing; a truly untold story in many ways. Soldiers like Croukamp lived for the next recce patrol, but more importantly the next terrorist contact. Some of my favorite parts of the story: His 7 day escape and evasion is written very well - the emotions were honest and raw. The train derailment that ultimately lead to many terrorists killed but unfortunately many of the civilian populace too.

The RLI training excercise that turned hot near the end of the book.

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HALO jumps with no oxygen bottles into the "black hole". Perhaps that is the most startling element in the book for me: Maybe this is the answer to my 1 question above in that he and his fellow soldiers were fighting for a homeland - their homeland. In the later stages of the book and the war Croukamp comments on how the members of the RLI seemed more ruthless than when he started in the mid sixties.

Obviously the average soldier felt threatened and desperate as things dragged on and on.

The Bush War In Rhodesia: The Extraordinary Combat Memoir of a Rhodesian Reconnaissance Specialist

Regarding the end of Rhodesia and his tenure in the army, he seems to have expected a military coup to occur. His description of the RLI members urinating on black civilians who were celebrating the new government paints a startling picture. Of course we know how things are in Zimbabwe today As other reviewers have said the writing could be better. For me it was how the narrative flowed more than anything.

There were times where I could not put the book down and others where I kind of forced my way through. However with all of the action it never seemed to drag badly. It was interesting how the author really tried to get other perspectives and include them in the book: The commander of the Selous Scouts is given a chance to respond to Croukamp's claims many times throughout the book. While this is a credit to the author in terms of honesty, it kind of got old and I found myself skipping them.

Croukamp being an amateur photographer showed a captured diary from one of the terrorist camps. He includes a translation in writing which I found fascinating. Overall this is a good book and has sparked my interest in the subject. I've read a lot of books about Rhodesia's desperate struggle to keep their freedom. This is without a doubt one of the best. It's a shame that Croukamp and Reid-Daly had a falling out but I commend Croukamp for giving Reid-Daly the opportunity to respond to some of the parts where Croukamp dealt a bit harshly with him. The parts where Croukamp discusses "Operation Quartz"--the coup that wasn't, are tantalizing!!!!

He provides a little more info on the subject than other books I've read but not a lot. Preview this item Preview this item. The bush war in Rhodesia: English View all editions and formats Summary:. Allow this favorite library to be seen by others Keep this favorite library private. Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item Dennis Croukamp Find more information about: Reviews User-contributed reviews Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Similar Items Related Subjects: Soldiers -- Zimbabwe -- Biography.

Guerrilla warfare -- Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe -- History -- Zimbabwe -- History -- Chimurenga War, -- Personal narratives. Linked Data More info about Linked Data. Rhodesian Light Infantry " ;.

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