Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
Thorough, but could have been better written, 11 Oct 2002
This is an excellent chronology of the history of the South African Special Forces. Having grown up in South Africa during a significant portion of the period covered by the book, I found it absolutely fascinating to get an in-depth view at events that's almost passed by unnoticed in my mind at the time. The interviews of high ranking officials, and quotes from senior government representatives (including prime ministers/predisents) provide a superb contrast of views on the activities of the government and military in what can only be described as an exceptionally chrged time in South Africa's history. One major disappointment however is the poor quality of the writing (some parts are better than others). I seriously doubt that the text was proof read at all. (the 2002 edition may be better, mine is a 2000 edition). The other slight disappointment is the provision of maps at the appropriate points in the text. I found myself flicking back 200 pages to orientate myself geographically. These factors knock it down to a 3 star rather than 4 star read. If you have any interest in South African history however, especially the latter half of the 20th century, this is an essential read.
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A wonderful read, 29 April 2008
This book is the first in a trilogy by Peter Stiff of which 'Warfar by Other Means' and 'The Covert War' form the other pieces. Silent War presents the best and the only full length account of the South African Recces. The story begins with South Africa's support for the Nigerian breakaway state of Biafra. It then moves forward to support for the Barotse in their struggle for an independent state in Barotseland in 1971. The decision to form a special forces unit within the South African Defense Forces materialized between these operations. Jan Breytenbach was chosen as the man to formulate this unit and its creation was the brainchild of then Minister of Defense PW Botha.
The true power of this book results not merely from its ability to tell the story of military operations but to make these stories interesting to the lay reader and to present the conflicts in their context. Stiff goes beyond the history of the Recces to present short histories of the wars in Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique as well as giving the full picture of South Africa's politics. When discussing the decision to intervene in both Angola and Mozambique he provides a history not only of FRELIMO and the MPLA but he discusses the local situations and gives startling pictures of the fate of the bushmen and Portuguese colons and other minority groups who were deeply affected by independence. In addition he presents the full picture of the tribal support for various groups and politicians in each country, expertly explaining the differences between UNITA and the FNLA and other, now forgotten, guerilla groups.
Beyond the context Mr. Stiff deftly describes the foreign policy of South Africa during the period, concentrating on such towering figures as John Vorster, both the Bothas and De Klerk. Many of South Africa's generals make appearances throughout including General Loots and Magnus Malan.
The brilliance of the book is in its organization, presenting each operation by itself within the context of operations in a given country, chronologically and thematically organizing the immense amount of material so that it makes clear and easy reading. With large amounts of dialogue and scenes described as if the reader is sitting there listening to the story first hand the book reads like a novel with the caveat that it is all true tales of daring and heroism.
The book's theme is not merely combat but also about the people involved and the training methods used. The story of raids on Cobinda, Gaborone, Tanzania and Harare are all fascinating and detailed as are the unique black and white and color photographs included. Maps and diagrams help the reader navigate the sometimes hard to recall place names and descriptions.
Stiff describes the end of Apartheid in South Africa and the 1994 elections and his final chapter discusses assaults on white farmers, the gunfight in Bophuthatswana, the formation of the AWB. Stiff refers to the appointment of Ronnie Kasrils as Deputy Minister of Defense in 1994 as a positive act describing Kasrils as "a soldier at heart." Some may have qualms with this description but with this exception the book is one of the most important to describe the history of South Africa in the second half of the 20th century. A well written, masterful account that will not be surpassed because the author took such painstaking time in interviewing his sources and presenting a balanced story.
Seth J. Frantzman
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