Jim Hooper > Quotes

“So, how are things down there?”—already knowing the answers they wanted to hear, smug or annoyed when what I gave them fit or didn’t fit the neat compartments they’d built to receive them. Both sides as convinced as if they’d been there, both sides equally unknowing. But experts; they knew, they had read it all, according to whichever gospel they chose to believe. They didn’t have a clue.”
― Jim Hooper, Koevoet!: Experiencing South Africa's Deadly Bush War

“What they could tell from an imprint I could barely see was astonishing. “This one old man—short steps,” they’d say, touching the ground with a walking stick; or “This is woman carrying baby;” or “This one Swapo—man with gun walks proud. You see?” “Ah, yes, mm-hmm,” I nodded, seeing nothing I could remotely identify as a footprint.”
― Jim Hooper, Koevoet!

“I climbed over the machine gun and into the Casspir. Clearing my throat respectfully, I mentioned these minor points to Brand, wondering what the plan was if the bad guys slipped on down tonight and laid into us with some serious pyrotechnics. A few mortars. Maybe an RPG or two. Not that I was worried or anything like that. No, just curious. Besides, I was sure he already had everything worked out: some brilliant piece of police work which would handle any eventuality. He slapped at a mosquito. “Fuck ‘em,” he said through a yawn, “they can’t hit shit anyway.”
― Jim Hooper, Koevoet!