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Africa @ War #4
Selous Scouts: Rhodesian Counter-Insurgency Specialists
"Its members consisted of some of the finest guerrilla-fighting men in the western world, unconventional in many ways, disregardful of parade-ground discipline, unorthodox in their dress, yet a force so tightly knit in the face of danger that those who knew anything about them could only marvel" - The Citizen.
Formed in 1973 by the legendary Lieutenant-Colonel Ron Reid-Daly at the behest of Rhodesian military supremo General Peter Walls, the Selous Scouts were to write their name into the annals of military history as one of the finest counterinsurgency units of all time, through their innovative pseudo-guerrilla tactics, brilliant reconnaissance operations into Zambia and Botswana and daring flying-column raids into Mozambique.
Feared and hated by the liberation movements ZIPRA and ZANLA, the Scouts wreaked untold havoc and destruction on their Soviet- and Chinese-backed enemies, accounting for 68% of guerrilla casualties within Rhodesia alone during the bitter bush war of the 1970s. Uniquely ahead of its time, the regimen - a brotherhood of men that traversed cultural and racial barriers; their Shona motto was 'Pamwe Chete' (together only) - was to produce the type of soldier that earned for the unit one Grand Cross of Valour, nine Silver Crosses and 22 Bronze Crosses of Rhodesia.
Formed in 1973 by the legendary Lieutenant-Colonel Ron Reid-Daly at the behest of Rhodesian military supremo General Peter Walls, the Selous Scouts were to write their name into the annals of military history as one of the finest counterinsurgency units of all time, through their innovative pseudo-guerrilla tactics, brilliant reconnaissance operations into Zambia and Botswana and daring flying-column raids into Mozambique.
Feared and hated by the liberation movements ZIPRA and ZANLA, the Scouts wreaked untold havoc and destruction on their Soviet- and Chinese-backed enemies, accounting for 68% of guerrilla casualties within Rhodesia alone during the bitter bush war of the 1970s. Uniquely ahead of its time, the regimen - a brotherhood of men that traversed cultural and racial barriers; their Shona motto was 'Pamwe Chete' (together only) - was to produce the type of soldier that earned for the unit one Grand Cross of Valour, nine Silver Crosses and 22 Bronze Crosses of Rhodesia.
80 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2011
58 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 7, 2014
As someone who has been privileged enough to own Assignment Selous Scouts, Pamwe Chete, Bush War in Rhodesia, Three Sips of Gin, et al. I think that this book fills a critical need to an objective, overarching look at the Scouts.
The book begins with a brief overview of the war, which while succinct, definitely invites the reader to read a work like J.K. Cilliers' Counterinsurgency in Rhodesia if they are not already familiar with the conflict. From there it moves on to the formation, internal, external, reconnaissance, and intelligence operations of the unit during its short history.
The book is written with talent and honesty. It provides an engaging and intriguing introduction into special operations forces at work in Rhodesia and does not overwhelm them with the intricacies and jargon of the conflict or the unit.In this sense the Africa @ War series meets and exceeds Osprey books both in pictures and information. This is particularly of note to those with an interest in African conflicts, which have been denied the slavish attention given to other conflicts. Furthermore, if you cannot pay the exorbinant amounts commanded for a copy of Pamwe Chete, you'll be happy to know that most (but not quite all) of the photos of that book have been reproduced here.
My complaints are primarily for those who are like myself. This book draws heavily from information contained in Assignment Selous Scouts and Pamwe Chete and despite being new does not add much to their accounts. While both of the prior were more personalized accounts I was hoping for a little more information of the nitty-gritty of the unit and their operational practices.
While I did not personally garner a lot of new information from the book, it serves as a compact, easy to read refresher for when my memory fails me. For those without the means, time and/or interest to pursue the topic through these other books, or for those looking to get their feet wet on the topic, I would give this book an unqualified 5 stars.
The book begins with a brief overview of the war, which while succinct, definitely invites the reader to read a work like J.K. Cilliers' Counterinsurgency in Rhodesia if they are not already familiar with the conflict. From there it moves on to the formation, internal, external, reconnaissance, and intelligence operations of the unit during its short history.
The book is written with talent and honesty. It provides an engaging and intriguing introduction into special operations forces at work in Rhodesia and does not overwhelm them with the intricacies and jargon of the conflict or the unit.In this sense the Africa @ War series meets and exceeds Osprey books both in pictures and information. This is particularly of note to those with an interest in African conflicts, which have been denied the slavish attention given to other conflicts. Furthermore, if you cannot pay the exorbinant amounts commanded for a copy of Pamwe Chete, you'll be happy to know that most (but not quite all) of the photos of that book have been reproduced here.
My complaints are primarily for those who are like myself. This book draws heavily from information contained in Assignment Selous Scouts and Pamwe Chete and despite being new does not add much to their accounts. While both of the prior were more personalized accounts I was hoping for a little more information of the nitty-gritty of the unit and their operational practices.
While I did not personally garner a lot of new information from the book, it serves as a compact, easy to read refresher for when my memory fails me. For those without the means, time and/or interest to pursue the topic through these other books, or for those looking to get their feet wet on the topic, I would give this book an unqualified 5 stars.
September 11, 2012
The Bush War in Rhodesia was a very interesting event in our modern history. I've enjoyed digging into the wealth of information written about this star crossed country and have learned much from my studies. Here are a few generalities that I've come away with.
1) The British colonial system did as much or more damage exiting countries as they did entering them.
2) The power of the Left in international relations is scary.
3) Once your country has been isolated as a pariah, you might as well just give it up. You cannot win.
4) America treats it's friends worse than it's enemies.
1) The British colonial system did as much or more damage exiting countries as they did entering them.
2) The power of the Left in international relations is scary.
3) Once your country has been isolated as a pariah, you might as well just give it up. You cannot win.
4) America treats it's friends worse than it's enemies.
July 18, 2019
Selous Scouts were a very unique regiment formed in troubled times for Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). In the mid-60's state of Rhodesia was constant low-intensity conflict. Ruled by white minority it was seen as impostor/occupier state (very similar to the way South Africa was seen by the local population and the world) and many a liberation group (all called fronts and all trained by Eastern Bloc in neighboring African coutnries) was trying to push the Rhodesian ruling body (together with all whites) out of the country.
I will not go into political details because in conflict zones - more precisely contested zones where Cold War caused utter mayhem and quasi-humanitarian struggles and political story spins caused sometimes more damage than conflict itself - like Rhodesia it is not that clear what political situation was at the time. What is clear is that because of white ruling council fears of losing influence to black majority population caused Rhodesia to secede from Commonwealth. This brought the ire of the British that had profound effect on the the way drama in this land-locked African country ended.
Author gives rather objective view of the society - was there racial segregation and mistreatment in Rhodesia? Most definitely there was. Problem was that government did not manage to discern between guerillas and locals and this just caused further division and proved to be a critical point in entire war.
Formed with the role to win over hearts and minds of the local populace and help fight the insurrection from within Rhodesia's borders Sealous Scouts did great.
But did they truly work in wining-hearts-and-minds? They surely managed to incorporate former guerillas and work with them against their former outfits, care for their families (and thus win over their allegiance) - but as far as I can see in the book in overall Rhodesian government failed in task of uniting all of the populace. I did not see any attempts at betterment of life conditions for local populace (like it was case in always mentioned Malaya) - local black population was constantly treated as if they were handicapped and could not achieve much (again in stark contrast to Malaya where British worked with local Malayan government and considered them equals when it comes to rule of the law and government). Also police/local civil authority did not operate in the troubled areas. Although under control of Special Branch Selous Scouts were military unit in everything but perhaps organization chart lists. You cannot achieve nothing in civil society with use of military except occupation and resentment.
Author constantly mentions that Selous Scouts were unique in that they after some time became aware of martial prowess of the local population while rest of the army just did not want anything to do with them considering them sub-par on many levels. Even C squad SAS never recruited anyone from the local population becuse of the constant fear of whites-against-the-blacks, which again comes down to the question of trust. This constant segregation and lack of trust only caused constant militarization of white populace (as an only mean of minority to control majority) and further estrangement between whites and black population.
Executing so called pseudo operations (masquerading as guerillas, infiltrating their bases and then calling in armed strikes) was regiment's bread-and-butter and very soon they had guerillas on the run and becoming more and more paranoid and untrustworthy to everyone including their own people.
With retreat of Portuguese from Zambia and Mozambique besides internal fighting (within Rhodesia) Selous Scouts found themselves executing assaults on Mozambique and Zambia based guerilla camps. Soon they started participating in shady covert ops as secret agents and deep penetration reconnaissance teams wreaking havoc on foreign country infrastructure (bridges, electricity power lines etc). All of these controversial actions painted Selous Scouts in very unfavorable light - so much so that even Rhodesia's secret service stopped sharing information with them.
Add to all of this pressure on the Rhodesia from the outside - press, governments all presenting Rhodesia as oppressive country to the extreme - very soon people who fought for Rhodesia started to lose their compass because entire political structure they gave their lives to endure was eroding. Soon they started weird and completely insane operations (like assaults to smear the revolutionary movements prior to official elections after the peace agreement, assassination attempts at Mugabe etc) that just further estranged the Rhodesia's white populace from the world and were completely counterproductive.
As author states what exactly was the role of UK and South Africa is not clear but it seems that Rhodesia was deemed lost for all means and purposes and the world wanted just to end it because that was the political climate at the time. And then Mugabe came and .... well I think that everyone is aware of the things he did to his people (and to remaining white population) in following 37 years. Truly sad thing.
Selous Scouts were a proud, professional and highly effective regiment, very capable and surely set the standard for counter-insurgency type of operations. But as it is always case - when political leadership and will is not present, military tends to veer off and cause more problems then it solves them.
Excellent book on a very professional elite military outfit whose accomplishments and break-troughs in fields of counter-insurgency still echo in our own times.
Recommended to all fans of military history and elite units.
I will not go into political details because in conflict zones - more precisely contested zones where Cold War caused utter mayhem and quasi-humanitarian struggles and political story spins caused sometimes more damage than conflict itself - like Rhodesia it is not that clear what political situation was at the time. What is clear is that because of white ruling council fears of losing influence to black majority population caused Rhodesia to secede from Commonwealth. This brought the ire of the British that had profound effect on the the way drama in this land-locked African country ended.
Author gives rather objective view of the society - was there racial segregation and mistreatment in Rhodesia? Most definitely there was. Problem was that government did not manage to discern between guerillas and locals and this just caused further division and proved to be a critical point in entire war.
Formed with the role to win over hearts and minds of the local populace and help fight the insurrection from within Rhodesia's borders Sealous Scouts did great.
But did they truly work in wining-hearts-and-minds? They surely managed to incorporate former guerillas and work with them against their former outfits, care for their families (and thus win over their allegiance) - but as far as I can see in the book in overall Rhodesian government failed in task of uniting all of the populace. I did not see any attempts at betterment of life conditions for local populace (like it was case in always mentioned Malaya) - local black population was constantly treated as if they were handicapped and could not achieve much (again in stark contrast to Malaya where British worked with local Malayan government and considered them equals when it comes to rule of the law and government). Also police/local civil authority did not operate in the troubled areas. Although under control of Special Branch Selous Scouts were military unit in everything but perhaps organization chart lists. You cannot achieve nothing in civil society with use of military except occupation and resentment.
Author constantly mentions that Selous Scouts were unique in that they after some time became aware of martial prowess of the local population while rest of the army just did not want anything to do with them considering them sub-par on many levels. Even C squad SAS never recruited anyone from the local population becuse of the constant fear of whites-against-the-blacks, which again comes down to the question of trust. This constant segregation and lack of trust only caused constant militarization of white populace (as an only mean of minority to control majority) and further estrangement between whites and black population.
Executing so called pseudo operations (masquerading as guerillas, infiltrating their bases and then calling in armed strikes) was regiment's bread-and-butter and very soon they had guerillas on the run and becoming more and more paranoid and untrustworthy to everyone including their own people.
With retreat of Portuguese from Zambia and Mozambique besides internal fighting (within Rhodesia) Selous Scouts found themselves executing assaults on Mozambique and Zambia based guerilla camps. Soon they started participating in shady covert ops as secret agents and deep penetration reconnaissance teams wreaking havoc on foreign country infrastructure (bridges, electricity power lines etc). All of these controversial actions painted Selous Scouts in very unfavorable light - so much so that even Rhodesia's secret service stopped sharing information with them.
Add to all of this pressure on the Rhodesia from the outside - press, governments all presenting Rhodesia as oppressive country to the extreme - very soon people who fought for Rhodesia started to lose their compass because entire political structure they gave their lives to endure was eroding. Soon they started weird and completely insane operations (like assaults to smear the revolutionary movements prior to official elections after the peace agreement, assassination attempts at Mugabe etc) that just further estranged the Rhodesia's white populace from the world and were completely counterproductive.
As author states what exactly was the role of UK and South Africa is not clear but it seems that Rhodesia was deemed lost for all means and purposes and the world wanted just to end it because that was the political climate at the time. And then Mugabe came and .... well I think that everyone is aware of the things he did to his people (and to remaining white population) in following 37 years. Truly sad thing.
Selous Scouts were a proud, professional and highly effective regiment, very capable and surely set the standard for counter-insurgency type of operations. But as it is always case - when political leadership and will is not present, military tends to veer off and cause more problems then it solves them.
Excellent book on a very professional elite military outfit whose accomplishments and break-troughs in fields of counter-insurgency still echo in our own times.
Recommended to all fans of military history and elite units.
April 16, 2015
I saw this book on an Amazon war book special a couple of years ago. Though I had some knowledge about Rhodesia and the various African wars of the 1960s and 1970s, I had never studied them in-depth. I decided it was time to get educated on the subject.
I read the first quarter of this book shortly after I first got it, probably in late 2013. For one reason or another, I put it aside until this past month when I dug in for real.
SUMMARY
The author describes some background material regarding British colonialism in Africa, and the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) that founded Rhodesia as a nation (though unrecognized by any other world power) in 1965.
As rebel movements spring up to overthrow the minority white rule, the Selous Scouts are founded as an elite counter-terrorist and reconnaissance force. Their command structure, equipment, selection processes, training, some of the personnel, and some of their exploits are described. The unit disintegrates following the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979 that ushers in the end of Rhodesia and the founding of the current nation of Zimbabwe.
OVERALL: 3.25 out of 5
I had no idea what the African wars were like, particularly for a nation like Rhodesia. I think it’s also natural to feel somewhat torn over the entire conflict; the Rhodesian government was certainly guilty of many offenses among the civil rights of the black population, but it was a people fighting against a perceived threat that has been proven by the last thirty-five years. Robert Mugabe has been the ruler of Zimbabwe in that entire time, and he is frequently considered one of the worst tyrants, worldwide, of the 20th and 21st centuries. Yet, it can also be argued that if the authorities of Rhodesia had not made the choices they did, Mugabe may have never come to power in the first place.
The author does a fair job of keeping his presentation neutral, but there are some big exceptions. I think he betrays a strong bias toward Rhodesia at a few points (he refers to the “seeping rot of black nationalism” at one point, and “paying lip service to yet another frustrating bout of misdirected international diplomacy” in another).
Mr. Baxter is a native of Kenya and has spent a great deal of time in Zimbabwe where he lived and studied under the horrible, corrupted rule of President Mugabe. He has seen the affects firsthand, and he does not dismiss the morally questionable acts some of the Selous Scouts participated in.
On a personal note, I met a man a few years ago in a parking lot and we just started talking. He was a black from Zimbabwe, and holds a managerial position (he makes a lot more money than I do). He was not bashful about his love for America, and did not refrain from telling me how horrible his country was, and how President Mugabe has run it into the ground. Political incorrect though it may be, the white minority government of Rhodesia was a far safer and more prosperous organization, even for the black majority who had fewer rights, than modern-day Zimbabwe.
Joshua Nkomo, who was one of the guerilla leaders during the war (and targeted for assassination by the Selous Scouts at one point), later said the following regarding President Mugabe’s rule: “nothing in my life had prepared me for persecution at the hands of a government led by black Africans.”
It should be remembered that the man who said this had lived under (and fought against) the white-ruled Rhodesia. In this light, I think it’s important to remember that the Selous Scouts (and the Rhodesian military as a whole) were fighting against this very threat... though it’s likely that the modern situation is a direct result of the choices that the Rhodesian government made. It truly is a situation where there are no winners, except for the current dictator of Zimbabwe and his favored followers.
RATINGS BY CATEGORY
CHARACTERS: 2 out of 5
This book is a work of nonfiction. “Characters” describes how well the author portrays the real people involved in the described events.
It is obvious that some of the soldiers in the Selous Scouts were extraordinary human beings, and included Rhodesian patriots, “turned” guerillas fighting their former comrades, and foreign mercenaries. Unfortunately, hardly anyone is described very well. The commanding officer receives a fair amount of the pages, but many of the actual operators are mentioned once or twice and disappear from the narrative. The author spends a fair amount of time, in particular, introducing a South African mercenary named Chris Schulenburg. Though described as nothing less than superhuman, his ultimate fate is never explored (apparently he is still alive).
PACE: 3 out of 5
The first quarter of the book was somewhat boring for me. There’s a lot of background material, though not all of it is vital to understanding the conflict in Rhodesia. After this it picks up, and several operations are described for the reader. I wish the author had spent more time on some of them, and dug deeper into the minds of the soldiers participating in them.
STORY: 5 out of 5
The conflict in Rhodesia is the stuff legends, nightmares, and epics are based upon. It is difficult to clearly separate “good guys” and “bad guys”; on one hand you have a renegade government with institutionalized racism, but their enemies are communist-backed guerilla groups that routinely massacre civilians and resort to the most barbaric methods possible in the course of the war.
It was a melting pot of people, tactics, and equipment. The Vietnam War was over (for the United States) by the time the Rhodesian war was in full swing, and was generally uninvolved with the breakaway British colony. Mercenaries and soldiers of fortune from around the world flocked to the area, to fight on one side or the other, and the conflict was not entirely unique (Portugal fought their own war somewhat concurrently in Mozambique, and Belgium had lost their African possessions in central Africa earlier in the century), though the nature of Rhodesia is unlike anything I’ve ever heard about (to say their backs were to a wall would be an understatement).
There is a great deal of fear among the Rhodesians. They had seen black majority rule result in chaos and misery in the Congo, but they were completely isolated as a result of their restricted government model as well as the method by which they broke away from Britain. Equipment was often old and adapted to the unique conditions of the area, while their enemies were equipped with Russian and Chinese equipment, and also benefited from UN and Red Cross support.
The author touches on some of the major controversies, including alleged war crimes committed by the Selous Scouts (though not the Rhodesian military in general), how some of their anti-terrorist operations are considered terrorist in nature, and the ivory poaching that they were accused of. Except for the last item, most of these issues are only mentioned briefly before the blame for most atrocities are put on the ZANLA and ZIRPA guerillas. I don’t doubt that this was often the case (there is a lot of evidence for it, though most nations turned a blind eye to guerilla war crimes at the time), but a more balanced and clear picture of events would have been better.
DIALOGUE: NR out of 5
As a work of nonfiction, this category is not rated.
STYLE/TECHNICAL: 3 out of 5
The book is well written, with most of the “action” being clear and easy-to-understand. Things are approached in a manner that is too detached though, and the reader only feels the “heat of the moment” once or twice, despite the innumerable dangerous missions and the generally exotic locale that the Selous Scouts operated in.
In general, I wish the writer had made things more exciting, provided more development (for the reader) the personalities of the people involved, and included more interviews, particular in regards to the training, the atmosphere at the time (a nation under siege with no allies), and their operations.
There are numerous pictures that help fill in the blanks for the reader, and maybe provide some recognition to some of the brave souls who fought in the conflict. Of particular note are the numerous black Selous Scouts who were decorated for valor, but frequently murdered after the government collapsed.
I read the first quarter of this book shortly after I first got it, probably in late 2013. For one reason or another, I put it aside until this past month when I dug in for real.
SUMMARY
The author describes some background material regarding British colonialism in Africa, and the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) that founded Rhodesia as a nation (though unrecognized by any other world power) in 1965.
As rebel movements spring up to overthrow the minority white rule, the Selous Scouts are founded as an elite counter-terrorist and reconnaissance force. Their command structure, equipment, selection processes, training, some of the personnel, and some of their exploits are described. The unit disintegrates following the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979 that ushers in the end of Rhodesia and the founding of the current nation of Zimbabwe.
OVERALL: 3.25 out of 5
I had no idea what the African wars were like, particularly for a nation like Rhodesia. I think it’s also natural to feel somewhat torn over the entire conflict; the Rhodesian government was certainly guilty of many offenses among the civil rights of the black population, but it was a people fighting against a perceived threat that has been proven by the last thirty-five years. Robert Mugabe has been the ruler of Zimbabwe in that entire time, and he is frequently considered one of the worst tyrants, worldwide, of the 20th and 21st centuries. Yet, it can also be argued that if the authorities of Rhodesia had not made the choices they did, Mugabe may have never come to power in the first place.
The author does a fair job of keeping his presentation neutral, but there are some big exceptions. I think he betrays a strong bias toward Rhodesia at a few points (he refers to the “seeping rot of black nationalism” at one point, and “paying lip service to yet another frustrating bout of misdirected international diplomacy” in another).
Mr. Baxter is a native of Kenya and has spent a great deal of time in Zimbabwe where he lived and studied under the horrible, corrupted rule of President Mugabe. He has seen the affects firsthand, and he does not dismiss the morally questionable acts some of the Selous Scouts participated in.
On a personal note, I met a man a few years ago in a parking lot and we just started talking. He was a black from Zimbabwe, and holds a managerial position (he makes a lot more money than I do). He was not bashful about his love for America, and did not refrain from telling me how horrible his country was, and how President Mugabe has run it into the ground. Political incorrect though it may be, the white minority government of Rhodesia was a far safer and more prosperous organization, even for the black majority who had fewer rights, than modern-day Zimbabwe.
Joshua Nkomo, who was one of the guerilla leaders during the war (and targeted for assassination by the Selous Scouts at one point), later said the following regarding President Mugabe’s rule: “nothing in my life had prepared me for persecution at the hands of a government led by black Africans.”
It should be remembered that the man who said this had lived under (and fought against) the white-ruled Rhodesia. In this light, I think it’s important to remember that the Selous Scouts (and the Rhodesian military as a whole) were fighting against this very threat... though it’s likely that the modern situation is a direct result of the choices that the Rhodesian government made. It truly is a situation where there are no winners, except for the current dictator of Zimbabwe and his favored followers.
RATINGS BY CATEGORY
CHARACTERS: 2 out of 5
This book is a work of nonfiction. “Characters” describes how well the author portrays the real people involved in the described events.
It is obvious that some of the soldiers in the Selous Scouts were extraordinary human beings, and included Rhodesian patriots, “turned” guerillas fighting their former comrades, and foreign mercenaries. Unfortunately, hardly anyone is described very well. The commanding officer receives a fair amount of the pages, but many of the actual operators are mentioned once or twice and disappear from the narrative. The author spends a fair amount of time, in particular, introducing a South African mercenary named Chris Schulenburg. Though described as nothing less than superhuman, his ultimate fate is never explored (apparently he is still alive).
PACE: 3 out of 5
The first quarter of the book was somewhat boring for me. There’s a lot of background material, though not all of it is vital to understanding the conflict in Rhodesia. After this it picks up, and several operations are described for the reader. I wish the author had spent more time on some of them, and dug deeper into the minds of the soldiers participating in them.
STORY: 5 out of 5
The conflict in Rhodesia is the stuff legends, nightmares, and epics are based upon. It is difficult to clearly separate “good guys” and “bad guys”; on one hand you have a renegade government with institutionalized racism, but their enemies are communist-backed guerilla groups that routinely massacre civilians and resort to the most barbaric methods possible in the course of the war.
It was a melting pot of people, tactics, and equipment. The Vietnam War was over (for the United States) by the time the Rhodesian war was in full swing, and was generally uninvolved with the breakaway British colony. Mercenaries and soldiers of fortune from around the world flocked to the area, to fight on one side or the other, and the conflict was not entirely unique (Portugal fought their own war somewhat concurrently in Mozambique, and Belgium had lost their African possessions in central Africa earlier in the century), though the nature of Rhodesia is unlike anything I’ve ever heard about (to say their backs were to a wall would be an understatement).
There is a great deal of fear among the Rhodesians. They had seen black majority rule result in chaos and misery in the Congo, but they were completely isolated as a result of their restricted government model as well as the method by which they broke away from Britain. Equipment was often old and adapted to the unique conditions of the area, while their enemies were equipped with Russian and Chinese equipment, and also benefited from UN and Red Cross support.
The author touches on some of the major controversies, including alleged war crimes committed by the Selous Scouts (though not the Rhodesian military in general), how some of their anti-terrorist operations are considered terrorist in nature, and the ivory poaching that they were accused of. Except for the last item, most of these issues are only mentioned briefly before the blame for most atrocities are put on the ZANLA and ZIRPA guerillas. I don’t doubt that this was often the case (there is a lot of evidence for it, though most nations turned a blind eye to guerilla war crimes at the time), but a more balanced and clear picture of events would have been better.
DIALOGUE: NR out of 5
As a work of nonfiction, this category is not rated.
STYLE/TECHNICAL: 3 out of 5
The book is well written, with most of the “action” being clear and easy-to-understand. Things are approached in a manner that is too detached though, and the reader only feels the “heat of the moment” once or twice, despite the innumerable dangerous missions and the generally exotic locale that the Selous Scouts operated in.
In general, I wish the writer had made things more exciting, provided more development (for the reader) the personalities of the people involved, and included more interviews, particular in regards to the training, the atmosphere at the time (a nation under siege with no allies), and their operations.
There are numerous pictures that help fill in the blanks for the reader, and maybe provide some recognition to some of the brave souls who fought in the conflict. Of particular note are the numerous black Selous Scouts who were decorated for valor, but frequently murdered after the government collapsed.
September 8, 2024
Selous Scouts: Rhodesian Counter-Insurgency Specialists (Africa@War) é um livro excepcional que fornece uma visão detalhada e cativante de uma das unidades de forças especiais de elite da história, da qual eu nunca tinha ouvido falar muito.
1. Abrangente e detalhado:
O livro oferece uma análise aprofundada dos Selous Scouts, cobrindo sua formação, treinamento, operações e impacto. Ele fornece uma compreensão completa de suas táticas, estratégias e os desafios únicos que eles enfrentaram. O nível de detalhes é impressionante, tornando-o uma leitura obrigatória para entusiastas da história militar.
2. Envolvente e bem escrito:
A narrativa é envolvente e bem ritmada, tornando-a fácil de seguir até mesmo para leitores que podem não estar familiarizados com o jargão militar. O estilo de escrita do autor mantém você fisgado do início ao fim, misturando informações factuais com uma narrativa envolvente.
3. Rico em relatos pessoais:
O que diferencia este livro são os relatos pessoais e anedotas de ex-Selous Scouts. Essas histórias em primeira mão dão vida à história, fornecendo uma perspectiva humana sobre as experiências, desafios e bravura desses soldados. Elas acrescentam uma camada de profundidade e autenticidade que é comovente e esclarecedora.
4. Análise perspicaz:
O livro vai além de apenas relatar eventos; ele oferece uma análise perspicaz das estratégias dos Selous Scouts e sua eficácia em operações de contra-insurgência. Ele também explora o contexto político e social mais amplo da Guerra Civil da Rodésia, fornecendo uma compreensão completa do período.
5. Ilustrações e mapas de alta qualidade:
A inclusão de ilustrações, fotografias e mapas de alta qualidade aprimora a experiência de leitura. Eles fornecem contexto visual e ajudam os leitores a entender melhor os aspectos geográficos e operacionais das missões dos Selous Scouts.
6. Educacional e informativo:
Seja você um estudante de história militar, um profissional na área ou simplesmente alguém interessado em aprender sobre unidades militares de elite, este livro é incrivelmente educativo. Ele lança luz sobre os métodos inovadores e muitas vezes controversos usados pelos Selous Scouts, tornando-o um recurso valioso para qualquer pessoa interessada em contra-insurgência e operações especiais.
No geral, Selous Scouts: Rhodesian Counter-Insurgency Specialists (Africa@War) é um livro meticulosamente pesquisado e brilhantemente escrito que oferece uma visão fascinante de uma das unidades de forças especiais mais eficazes e enigmáticas da história. Altamente recomendado para qualquer pessoa interessada em história militar, operações especiais e a Guerra Civil da Rodésia.
PS: Resumo impressionante do que deve ser um relato detalhado emocionante das operações das forças especiais de 1975-1980 na Rodésia. Ótimas ilustrações e fotos.
No final das contas, um triste fim de um regimento heróico que lutou de corpo e alma por seu país. Ele ilustra a triste realidade de que há homens bons que fazem coisas ruins para pessoas más apenas para serem decepcionados por homens que escolhem jamais fazer nada de bom para esses mesmos homens bons.
Eu realmente quero ler mais sobre as missões específicas mencionadas.
1. Abrangente e detalhado:
O livro oferece uma análise aprofundada dos Selous Scouts, cobrindo sua formação, treinamento, operações e impacto. Ele fornece uma compreensão completa de suas táticas, estratégias e os desafios únicos que eles enfrentaram. O nível de detalhes é impressionante, tornando-o uma leitura obrigatória para entusiastas da história militar.
2. Envolvente e bem escrito:
A narrativa é envolvente e bem ritmada, tornando-a fácil de seguir até mesmo para leitores que podem não estar familiarizados com o jargão militar. O estilo de escrita do autor mantém você fisgado do início ao fim, misturando informações factuais com uma narrativa envolvente.
3. Rico em relatos pessoais:
O que diferencia este livro são os relatos pessoais e anedotas de ex-Selous Scouts. Essas histórias em primeira mão dão vida à história, fornecendo uma perspectiva humana sobre as experiências, desafios e bravura desses soldados. Elas acrescentam uma camada de profundidade e autenticidade que é comovente e esclarecedora.
4. Análise perspicaz:
O livro vai além de apenas relatar eventos; ele oferece uma análise perspicaz das estratégias dos Selous Scouts e sua eficácia em operações de contra-insurgência. Ele também explora o contexto político e social mais amplo da Guerra Civil da Rodésia, fornecendo uma compreensão completa do período.
5. Ilustrações e mapas de alta qualidade:
A inclusão de ilustrações, fotografias e mapas de alta qualidade aprimora a experiência de leitura. Eles fornecem contexto visual e ajudam os leitores a entender melhor os aspectos geográficos e operacionais das missões dos Selous Scouts.
6. Educacional e informativo:
Seja você um estudante de história militar, um profissional na área ou simplesmente alguém interessado em aprender sobre unidades militares de elite, este livro é incrivelmente educativo. Ele lança luz sobre os métodos inovadores e muitas vezes controversos usados pelos Selous Scouts, tornando-o um recurso valioso para qualquer pessoa interessada em contra-insurgência e operações especiais.
No geral, Selous Scouts: Rhodesian Counter-Insurgency Specialists (Africa@War) é um livro meticulosamente pesquisado e brilhantemente escrito que oferece uma visão fascinante de uma das unidades de forças especiais mais eficazes e enigmáticas da história. Altamente recomendado para qualquer pessoa interessada em história militar, operações especiais e a Guerra Civil da Rodésia.
PS: Resumo impressionante do que deve ser um relato detalhado emocionante das operações das forças especiais de 1975-1980 na Rodésia. Ótimas ilustrações e fotos.
No final das contas, um triste fim de um regimento heróico que lutou de corpo e alma por seu país. Ele ilustra a triste realidade de que há homens bons que fazem coisas ruins para pessoas más apenas para serem decepcionados por homens que escolhem jamais fazer nada de bom para esses mesmos homens bons.
Eu realmente quero ler mais sobre as missões específicas mencionadas.
March 18, 2021
Excellent bird's-eye view of the unit. Provides, not only operational details, but historical, geographical and political context. Interesting to know, the portuguese Flechas were a main inspiration for its inception.
February 8, 2022
Quick overview/summary of the events in Rhodesia from 1974 to 1980. Brief and superficial, but it gives just a taste of interesting events. If you like it, other books have much more detail. It was enough for me, but interesting.
December 29, 2013
Selous Scouts by Peter Baxter is one of the best books I've read on this storied regiment. It details the formation of this highly specialized team of counter-insurgency specialists who were extremely successful in beating the insurgents (terrorists or freedom fighters - your choice) at their own game.
The skills developed and implemented by the Selous Scouts practically guaranteed that its opponents would go to extraordinary lengths to denigrate the courage and effectiveness of this unique fighting force.
The skills developed and implemented by the Selous Scouts practically guaranteed that its opponents would go to extraordinary lengths to denigrate the courage and effectiveness of this unique fighting force.
February 3, 2016
Fascinating story ...
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