The African Mercenary

Casca #12

by Barry Sadler

Time travel.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Military Fiction, Africa

218 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

American author, musician and former green beret.

To the general public he is most known for the hit single "Ballad of the green berets"

After his musical career he decided to write a series of novels centered around the character "Casca Rufio Longinius" Who is cursed for piercing Jesus on the crucifix with a spear and is forced to forever remain a soldier until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

In the mid 1980s Sadler moved to Guatemala City where he was shot in the head one night in a taxi. He spent 7 months in a coma and died more than a year later.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Casca: The African Mercenary" by Barry Sadler is a thrilling addition to the long-running Casca series. In this 12th book, Casca emerges in our modern world as "Casey Romain," a wealthy businessman with a hidden past. When he learns of the atrocities being committed by Matthew Dzhombe, the crazed dictator of Kimshaka, Romain decides to take action.

The book is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers engaged. Sadler's writing is vivid and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the African landscape and the brutal violence that takes place there. The characters are well-developed and interesting, with Romain/Casca being a particularly compelling protagonist.

One of the strengths of the book is its exploration of the moral complexities of war and violence. Romain/Casca is a man who has seen and done terrible things in his long life, and he struggles with the weight of his past actions. He is a man of honor and integrity, but he is also a killer who knows how to get the job done. As he assembles his team of mercenaries to take down Dzhombe, he must grapple with the ethical implications of his actions and the toll they will take on his soul.

The action scenes in the book are expertly crafted, with Sadler's military background shining through in the attention to detail and realism. The battles are intense and visceral, with plenty of explosions, gunfire, and hand-to-hand combat. The book is not for the faint of heart, as it contains graphic violence and descriptions of torture and brutality.

One of the weaker aspects of the book is its predictability. The plot follows a familiar formula, with Romain/Casca assembling his team of mercenaries, training them, and then launching a daring attack on Dzhombe's stronghold. While the execution of the plot is well-done, there are few surprises or unexpected twists to keep readers on their toes.

Overall, "Casca: The African Mercenary" is a solid addition to the Casca series. Fans of military thrillers and action movies will find plenty to enjoy here, with its high-stakes action, complex characters, and moral dilemmas. While it may not break new ground in terms of plot or structure, it is a well-crafted and entertaining read that will leave readers eager for more.

[Joseph Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, I thought that this story was going to go into deep fantasy because the first bad guy in the story was named Dzhombe, and he was depicted as being chosen by his gods and immortal. I thought after this character's death, he was somehow going to revive, like a zombie! Why not? Casca has some sort of immortality, so why not someone else?
I enjoyed the story even though my prediction was incorrect. A new antagonist arrives, and Casca has to save as many as he can, sacrifice himself, and still survive in the end. Unfortunately, some of the beloved characters that we have enjoyed in the series meet their ends.
Casca has to rely on his ability to miraculously recover from injury only a couple of times, but he relies on his skills as a warrior much more. In fact, he takes on more of a planning and leadership role than that of a grunt in this mercenary tale.

[John Cheeseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Casca adventure and this one would actually make a good film although at times it feels like "The Wild Geese" or "Straw Dogs" so maybe it ripped them off or the other way round. There was plenty of realistic action as always and a pretty decent story although its a shame they used a fictitious country as one of the things i most like about Casca stories is learning about history and cultures.

[Troy Mawle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, not too bad at all. Lots of realistic military stuff, all taking place in a turbulent time for emerging African countries throwing off the foreign influence. That's the last one of these I have🙁,
I'd like to read more of them. 3.25/5.

[John Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadler's version of a Wilbur Smith novel, mostly ignores the supernatural elements of Casca's story this time out. Enjoyable men's adventure trash.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last couple of books have had really good stories. Several of the middle books were very repetitive so happy the author turned it around and these last few have had good and different stories.

[Carlos Paz · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

Another great book. Love this series. A must read truly awesome everyone should read i cant say enough good things about

[Corey Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite but still a fun story.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So you just a soldier doing your job. You shove a spear tip into the side of this supposed messiah, except he is the real thing. He curses you to wander the earth till his return. Not bad right, immortality and all. Oh but he also curses you to be a soldier forever at war, never to know peace. This is the story of Casca the Roman legionnaire that stabbed Christ. Forever wandering the earth fighting one war after another. Great adventure series. Very recommended

[Jack Sakalauskas · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Casca is a mercenary. Even an immortal has bills to pay. Better written in the first few chapters, but then it went downhill. This book had less drinking and carousing and more of an actual story which I enjoyed.

[Enrique A Velasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read

Once again Mr Sadler spins his story to the great enjoyment of the reader. Cascading keeps on going strong through trials and sorrows Until They Meet Again

[Brentman99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a departure from previous Casca books, in that it brought back characters used in a previous book. One of my favourite characters, Gus, played a good role, though he met his end saving Casca. That seems to be a common theme - people that don’t seem to know that Casca can’t die in turn end up dying “saving” his life. Quite ironic in its own way.

I have to say that when someone wants Casca dead, and that seems to happen a lot, they are willing to go to extraordinary lengths, but all inevitably fail. It was also interesting and fitting that Casca is the one Dzhombe picks to help him end his godly life.

Overall, the story moves well, even if the very end was a bit anti-climatic given the length of the chase. I’m interested to see what happens when Casca picks up the thread after this one. Worth the time spent reading.