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The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War: Decision at Cuito Cuanavale and the Battle for Angola, 1987–1988
A fascinating chronicle of the Cold War battle where US and Soviet weapons, as well as Cuban and South African troops, took part in the Angolan Civil War. In the late 1980s, as America prepared to claim its victory in the Cold War over the Soviet Union, a bloody war still raged in Southern Africa, where proxy forces from both sides vied for control of Angola. The socialist Angolan government, stocked with Soviet weapons, had only to wipe out the resistance group UNITA, secretly supplied by the United States, in order to claim sovereignty. But as Angolan forces gained the upper hand, apartheid-era South Africa stepped in to protect its own interests. The white army crossing the border prompted the Angolans to call on their own foreign reinforcements—the army of Communist Cuba. Thus began the epic Battle of Cuito an odd match-up of South African Boers against Castro’s armed forces. While South Africa was subject to an arms boycott since 1977, the Cuban and Angolan troops had the latest Soviet weapons. But UNITA had its secret US supply line, and the South Africans knew how to fight. As a case study of ferocious fighting between East and West, The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War unveils a remarkable episode in the endgame of the Cold War—one that is largely unknown to the American public.
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2013
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About the author
Peter Polack
5 books1 followerPeter Polack was born in Jamaica in 1958 where he attended various schools including Jamaica College until 1972 when he went to Denstone College boarding school in England. He is a proud graduate of the University of the West Indies and Norman Manley Law School. Whilst at UWI he was co-founder of the Amnesty International campus group and a member of the Union of Democratic Students. A criminal lawyer in the Cayman Islands since 1983,he resides there with his wife and two daughters. He was a former rapporteur of the International Bar Association, Co-Founder and first Treasurer Caymanian Bar Association. His only hobby but not a current interest is combat pistol shooting. In July 2005 he organized a Cuba relief shipment after Hurricane Dennis from generous donors of the Cayman Islands.His research led to first international release of a list of Cuban casualties of the Angola War published in the Miami Herald 20 February 2010.Inspired by the book and experiences with youthful offenders the exhibit of his first work as an artist entitled The Confinement Assemblage was displayed at the Cayman Islands National Gallery in May 2013.The exhibit is now on permanent display at HM Prison Northward in the Cayman Islands.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 18, 2019
A good book, providing an in-depth account of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, the 1987-1988 military campaign of the Cuban and Angolan Armies against the South African Defense Force and their UNITA allies, one of the largest and most intense conflicts in the long Angolan Civil War. The author, journalist Peter Polack, assumes a high level of understanding by the reader of the larger picture of the Angolan Civil War, so I found myself having to reach out to other references much more often than in other books. But, that aside, this is a great account of one the largest military campaigns of the late 20th Century. The numbers involved, both in manpower and modern military equipment, are stunning, especially given the very remote nature of Cuito, at the far Southeast corner of Angola. The main thesis, that this battle’s scale and nature classify it as a major operation within the Cold War, is well argued. The author did very in-depth research and sought out many contemporary accounts; difficult given the nature of the conflict in Angola (a bloody civil war), the silence of the major government’s participation (both South Africa and Cuba were/are very reticent on their participation), and the lack of empathy toward the conflict (apartheid South Africa was not the West’s standard bearer for an anti-Communist campaign). The methods by which both militaries adapted to the difficulties of the conflict and used innovation to overcome tactical deficiencies are well covered. Also well documented is the close seam between conventional and asymmetric methods conflict which prevailed in the latter stages of the Civil War, both sides’ well-equipped conventional forces fought with variations of insurgent tactics. A good book for those wanting to know more about the tactical details of post-independence internecine conflicts in late 20th century Africa.
January 24, 2014
In The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War, Peter Polack offers the military aficionado a short examination of the Cuito Cuanavale campaign between the FAPLA/Soviets/Cubans and the UNITA/South African factions during the Angolan civil war. Polock provides an overview of the campaign, but concentrates on the confrontation between the South African Defense Force and the Cuban Army "volunteers" at Cuito Cuanavale siege.
Polack opens with short, detailed overview of the opening fight to set the stage. He then introduces the various factions, providing units, commanders, etc. and what role each played in the battle and beyond. The latter half of this short book covers the Soviet led FAPLA attack that failed disastrously, the UNITA/ South African advance that led to the Cuban sealift for the defense of Cuito Cuanavale with its bridges and strategic location. The siege is covered in a single chapter that discusses some of the tactics along with any losses from the South Africans or Cubans as they occurred. The results of the campaign are summarized along with a list of casualties (dead, wounded or prisoners).
Overall, The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War started out quite interesting, but went downhill due to many extraneous details that could have been covered in footnotes and/or appendixes rather than in chapters interrupting the flow of the campaign. It does cover all aspects of the campaign and is one of the few titles on this topic, so it receives tentative approval.
Polack opens with short, detailed overview of the opening fight to set the stage. He then introduces the various factions, providing units, commanders, etc. and what role each played in the battle and beyond. The latter half of this short book covers the Soviet led FAPLA attack that failed disastrously, the UNITA/ South African advance that led to the Cuban sealift for the defense of Cuito Cuanavale with its bridges and strategic location. The siege is covered in a single chapter that discusses some of the tactics along with any losses from the South Africans or Cubans as they occurred. The results of the campaign are summarized along with a list of casualties (dead, wounded or prisoners).
Overall, The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War started out quite interesting, but went downhill due to many extraneous details that could have been covered in footnotes and/or appendixes rather than in chapters interrupting the flow of the campaign. It does cover all aspects of the campaign and is one of the few titles on this topic, so it receives tentative approval.
January 2, 2014
Pretty good run down of this little known battle that took place in the waning days of the Cold War. It was a massive fight that pitted Angolans and their Cuban and Soviet allies versus South African Defense Force (SADF) and the Angolan rebels UNITA. To this day those involved cannot agree on who won or what it meant. The Cubans and Angolans (FAPLA) consider it the Stalingrad of Southern Africa whereas SADF vets argue that that their vastly outgunned and outmanned force mauled their foes.
Polack does a good job stringing together 1st and 2nd hand sources to stitch together a narrative of what happened on both sides. Truth be told the SADF probably cost their enemies 10-15x the damage they suffered, but in the end the Cubans were able to halt what was shaping up to be a mortal blow and route of the Soviet advised and led Angolan forces. It also really drove home the South African leadership that their international pariah status was making their fight in Southwest Africa (Namibia and Angola) untenable. They were simply outgunned and could not match the resources that were being fielded against them. Air superiority was a serious issue with the SAAF far out matched by the Cubans radar.
Book is a bit rough. It reads like a self-published work with some nreal need of editing. The author also makes heavy use of lists of forces and men to pad the shit out of the book. Reading this only took like 2 hours once I skipped the lists.
Polack does a good job stringing together 1st and 2nd hand sources to stitch together a narrative of what happened on both sides. Truth be told the SADF probably cost their enemies 10-15x the damage they suffered, but in the end the Cubans were able to halt what was shaping up to be a mortal blow and route of the Soviet advised and led Angolan forces. It also really drove home the South African leadership that their international pariah status was making their fight in Southwest Africa (Namibia and Angola) untenable. They were simply outgunned and could not match the resources that were being fielded against them. Air superiority was a serious issue with the SAAF far out matched by the Cubans radar.
Book is a bit rough. It reads like a self-published work with some nreal need of editing. The author also makes heavy use of lists of forces and men to pad the shit out of the book. Reading this only took like 2 hours once I skipped the lists.
March 28, 2024
While containing a great deal of interesting background material, this book really doesn't put the battle of Cuito Cuanavale into any great context, either in terms of the South African campaign to keep its African adversaries at bay or the wider ebb and flow of proxy warfare between Moscow and Washington. While the author seems to have had good intentions, one can only recommend this book if nothing better is available.
Originally written: August 22, 2014.
Originally written: August 22, 2014.
July 29, 2025
The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was fought between South African/UNITA and Cuban/FAPLA troops in Angola over a seven month period from August 1987 to March 1988. This was a wide-ranging battle fought over nine-thousand square miles of southern Angola, making it the second largest battle on the African continent after El Alamein. First published in 2013 and now reproduced as a paperback by Casemate, Peter Polack’s The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War tells the gripping story of an intense battle in a crucial phase of the Angolan Civil War.
Polack outlines the background of the conflict, which erupted from Angola’s independence from Portugal in 1975. The main parties that fought for control were the communist backed MPLA, the US backed UNITA, Cuba, and South Africa. The civil war culminated in the two-part Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. The MPLA’s armed wing was FAPLA, originally led by Soviet advisors who planned the ill-fated attack across the Lomba river. That led to a disastrous retreat followed by a stout defence of Cuito Cuanavale, aided by Cuban forces, against a South African advance. Polack considers the Cuban and South African forces that fought in Angola, including Cuba’s dominance in air power and South African improvisation and innovation. After a brief summary of the Soviet advisors in Angola, Pollack turns to the Angolan FAPLA and UNITA forces and their development. A longer aside follows on the career of General Ben Ben of UNITA before Polack enters the narrative.
In Spring 1987, FAPLA initiated a build-up of forces around Cuito Cuanavale. That is where Polack begins his story. An initial advance of FAPLA, dogged by problems but partially successful, crossed the Lomba river then ran into a South African and UNITA buzzsaw of infantry and artillery fire. In the intense fighting that followed hundreds of FAPLA were killed and wounded. Polack interrupts his narrative with a brief biography of South African Commandant Robbie Hartslief, but he is soon back into the action with the retreating FAPLA pursued by the South Africans. Both sides then settled in for the siege of the town of Cuito Cuanavale. Polack makes it clear that the Soviet advisors to FAPLA had proved disappointing. It would be left to the Cubans to bail them out, which they did through advice, training, effective command, and forces on the ground. Polack provides a blow by blow account of the siege, including chapters on the air war, casualties, and prisoners of war. In December 1988, a ceasefire was signed, which brought about the withdrawal of Cuban and South African forces. But the repercussions continue with Polack highlighting the ongoing process of clearing landmines. Various lists of officers and men involved in the fighting closes out Polack’s book.
Polack has written a book packed with information about a conflict still too few know about. He also captures the spectrum of experience from the top commanders to the soldiers in the field, some of whom paid too high a price for poor decision making by those commanders. There are places where Polack disrupts the flow with digressions that could have been footnoted, and the ratio of narrative to information could have been better weighted, but once Polack gets into the narrative, his descriptions of ground combat are often harrowing, and he provides the reader with a sense of being there; for example, trapped in a South African armoured vehicle with a T-55’s turret slowly turning, or in an FAPLA trench as the artillery rained down, or just being in the sensory-depriving heat of Angola with potential death all around. Some of his selected quotes from the combatants are as authentic as any you will read in military history. Despite the asides and diversions, this book was well worth Casemate’s effort in bringing Angola to a wider readership.
Polack outlines the background of the conflict, which erupted from Angola’s independence from Portugal in 1975. The main parties that fought for control were the communist backed MPLA, the US backed UNITA, Cuba, and South Africa. The civil war culminated in the two-part Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. The MPLA’s armed wing was FAPLA, originally led by Soviet advisors who planned the ill-fated attack across the Lomba river. That led to a disastrous retreat followed by a stout defence of Cuito Cuanavale, aided by Cuban forces, against a South African advance. Polack considers the Cuban and South African forces that fought in Angola, including Cuba’s dominance in air power and South African improvisation and innovation. After a brief summary of the Soviet advisors in Angola, Pollack turns to the Angolan FAPLA and UNITA forces and their development. A longer aside follows on the career of General Ben Ben of UNITA before Polack enters the narrative.
In Spring 1987, FAPLA initiated a build-up of forces around Cuito Cuanavale. That is where Polack begins his story. An initial advance of FAPLA, dogged by problems but partially successful, crossed the Lomba river then ran into a South African and UNITA buzzsaw of infantry and artillery fire. In the intense fighting that followed hundreds of FAPLA were killed and wounded. Polack interrupts his narrative with a brief biography of South African Commandant Robbie Hartslief, but he is soon back into the action with the retreating FAPLA pursued by the South Africans. Both sides then settled in for the siege of the town of Cuito Cuanavale. Polack makes it clear that the Soviet advisors to FAPLA had proved disappointing. It would be left to the Cubans to bail them out, which they did through advice, training, effective command, and forces on the ground. Polack provides a blow by blow account of the siege, including chapters on the air war, casualties, and prisoners of war. In December 1988, a ceasefire was signed, which brought about the withdrawal of Cuban and South African forces. But the repercussions continue with Polack highlighting the ongoing process of clearing landmines. Various lists of officers and men involved in the fighting closes out Polack’s book.
Polack has written a book packed with information about a conflict still too few know about. He also captures the spectrum of experience from the top commanders to the soldiers in the field, some of whom paid too high a price for poor decision making by those commanders. There are places where Polack disrupts the flow with digressions that could have been footnoted, and the ratio of narrative to information could have been better weighted, but once Polack gets into the narrative, his descriptions of ground combat are often harrowing, and he provides the reader with a sense of being there; for example, trapped in a South African armoured vehicle with a T-55’s turret slowly turning, or in an FAPLA trench as the artillery rained down, or just being in the sensory-depriving heat of Angola with potential death all around. Some of his selected quotes from the combatants are as authentic as any you will read in military history. Despite the asides and diversions, this book was well worth Casemate’s effort in bringing Angola to a wider readership.
September 3, 2024
The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union has largely been misnamed. For during the years from 1946 to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, there were major wars pitting the allies of one side against the allies of the other. The United States fought two major wars, in Korea and Vietnam, where American forces fought against proxies of the Soviet Union. Millions of people were killed in both wars and the United States suffered significant numbers of combat deaths and wounded.
Yet, there is truly a battle between proxies of both sides that can be definitively said to be the last major battle of the Cold War. It took place in Angola, a nation recently receiving independence from Portugal and split into two factions and rival territories. There was the communist MPLA and the anti-communist UNITA. They fought for some time and with help from the Soviet Union and Cuba, MPLA emerged as the de facto government of Angola.
At the time, the apartheid acting South Africa was engaged in a military occupation of Namibia to the south of Angola and had fears that a communist takeover of Angola would spread to Namibia and eventually into South Africa itself. Therefore, the decision was made by the government of South Africa to send military forces to Angola in support of UNITA. This prompted the Cubans to send large combat forces into Angola, leading to a direct conflict between the two forces. The major point of conflict was the lengthy battle known as “Battle of Cuito Cuanavale,” that took place in 1988. In that battle, Cuban and South African forces engaged each other directly. It was the largest land battle on the African continent since the battle of El Alamein in the Second World War.
This book is the story of this truly forgotten battle that had major consequences for the region and the world. Although the civil war continued on and off for over ten years, like most proxy wars, there was no such thing as a total victory of one side over the other. There was a negotiated agreement of withdrawal of the Cuban and South African forces, as both sides understood the level of stakes in the direct conflict.
The explanation of the battle is very detailed in the descriptions of the action, down to lists of specific combatants and their fates. The efficiency of the weapons used, the number of troops engaged by the players and the conditions where the battle took place are all covered.
A major battle that has somehow become little more than an asterisk in most accounts of the Cold War, the battle of Cuito Cuanavale should be studied in great detail. For while it did not end the civil war in Angola, within two years the Soviet Union dissolved, and South Africa ended the military occupation of Namibia. Furthermore, in less than six years, apartheid ended in South Africa. Therefore, it truly was the peak of communist power as a major player in southern Africa and led to major international changes.
Yet, there is truly a battle between proxies of both sides that can be definitively said to be the last major battle of the Cold War. It took place in Angola, a nation recently receiving independence from Portugal and split into two factions and rival territories. There was the communist MPLA and the anti-communist UNITA. They fought for some time and with help from the Soviet Union and Cuba, MPLA emerged as the de facto government of Angola.
At the time, the apartheid acting South Africa was engaged in a military occupation of Namibia to the south of Angola and had fears that a communist takeover of Angola would spread to Namibia and eventually into South Africa itself. Therefore, the decision was made by the government of South Africa to send military forces to Angola in support of UNITA. This prompted the Cubans to send large combat forces into Angola, leading to a direct conflict between the two forces. The major point of conflict was the lengthy battle known as “Battle of Cuito Cuanavale,” that took place in 1988. In that battle, Cuban and South African forces engaged each other directly. It was the largest land battle on the African continent since the battle of El Alamein in the Second World War.
This book is the story of this truly forgotten battle that had major consequences for the region and the world. Although the civil war continued on and off for over ten years, like most proxy wars, there was no such thing as a total victory of one side over the other. There was a negotiated agreement of withdrawal of the Cuban and South African forces, as both sides understood the level of stakes in the direct conflict.
The explanation of the battle is very detailed in the descriptions of the action, down to lists of specific combatants and their fates. The efficiency of the weapons used, the number of troops engaged by the players and the conditions where the battle took place are all covered.
A major battle that has somehow become little more than an asterisk in most accounts of the Cold War, the battle of Cuito Cuanavale should be studied in great detail. For while it did not end the civil war in Angola, within two years the Soviet Union dissolved, and South Africa ended the military occupation of Namibia. Furthermore, in less than six years, apartheid ended in South Africa. Therefore, it truly was the peak of communist power as a major player in southern Africa and led to major international changes.
December 2, 2025
Interesting and informative read
As an ex-permanent force member of the SADF, the unbiased information conveyed in the account of the protracted battle is enlightening in its truth.
War is a horrible thing inflicted on innocents by greater powers, who possess no mercy in their sadistic, cold hearts. The hunger for power by men who live in their safe countries, who thirst for power over others, oil, and weapons is insatiable. The poor will always suffer in Africa.
At the end of the war, and when apartheid ended in 1994, the white men who caused it all were pardoned. The ANC took over and were even more corrupt, leaving the poor as disenfranchised as before. They are still in power.
As an ex-permanent force member of the SADF, the unbiased information conveyed in the account of the protracted battle is enlightening in its truth.
War is a horrible thing inflicted on innocents by greater powers, who possess no mercy in their sadistic, cold hearts. The hunger for power by men who live in their safe countries, who thirst for power over others, oil, and weapons is insatiable. The poor will always suffer in Africa.
At the end of the war, and when apartheid ended in 1994, the white men who caused it all were pardoned. The ANC took over and were even more corrupt, leaving the poor as disenfranchised as before. They are still in power.
March 27, 2023
A fascinating story about a lesser known battle that drew in many foreign
elements. Lots of tank battles, mines, planes and essentially all aspects of
warfare from that period except naval. Writing is generally good, but I didn't
like some aspects of how the book was organized, plus it suffered from lots
of editing errors (grammar, lack of capital letters, repeated or omitted words, etc.).
Were it not for these problems I would rate it higher.
elements. Lots of tank battles, mines, planes and essentially all aspects of
warfare from that period except naval. Writing is generally good, but I didn't
like some aspects of how the book was organized, plus it suffered from lots
of editing errors (grammar, lack of capital letters, repeated or omitted words, etc.).
Were it not for these problems I would rate it higher.
July 9, 2019
Tons of Facts and figures
I enjoyed reading the history of this conflict. I only gave the book three stars because the story was tough to follow when it was intermixed with battlefield statistics. I would have rather had the author put the body counts for each side in separate appendicitis.
I enjoyed reading the history of this conflict. I only gave the book three stars because the story was tough to follow when it was intermixed with battlefield statistics. I would have rather had the author put the body counts for each side in separate appendicitis.
July 14, 2025
This is a really frustrating book to read for a number of reasons- on a topic I really want to explore further. I wrote my History Thesis (Undergrad - Not like I have some advanced degree) on the ANC vs Apartheid South African struggle, and this is a parallel war that impacted all of Southern Africa. Peter Polack, a legal scholar from the Caymans and dabbler in history writes this as a history of a famous battle. Communist leaning Angolan Government troops with Cuban and Soviet support taking on Jonas Savimbi's UNITA, an anti-communist Insurgency supported by the CIA indirectly and South Africa directly. The "Battle" is Cuito Cuanavale, a confrontation that started in 1987- petered out in 1988, and led eventually to the end of the war. With the overall Cold War coming in 1989- it is easy to see this might have been contributory.
I am taking a whole point off for the TOTAL lack of maps in this book. Totally impossible to understand this conflict AT ALL without seeing the impact bush, veldt, jungle and rivers play on this battlefield. There is one map- a photo of a map - just not enough to help explain combat very much effected by the stress points forced at river crossings or extant/destroyed bridges. When this lack of terrain information is allied with the author's desire to spew information onto the page- whether it fits the overall arc or not- it can get maddening. Polack loves to give way more information than needed on characters as they appear in the narrative- to the point that non-sequitur additions actually confuse the story- and the timeline. I hung with it because the subject is so engaging, but stronger editing was clearly called for. I think some readers, especially those new to Cold War conflicts might get very confused as to what happened. It's a bummer- we do need more scholarship on the brushfire proxy wars of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
There are some adult themes and a few descriptions of close combat/casualties, so this is for the Junior Reader over 13/14 years - perhaps with some adult guidance with the odd pacing. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is an interesting book- with the above caveats. The Gamer gets a few interesting tactical situations that could be turned into scenarios- perhaps for Peter Pig's AK47 Cold War Africa ruleset- but will DEFINITELY need to find maps for that. The Modeler and game alike will appreciate the many cool b/w shots from the front- but will need colour sources to add. The Military Enthusiast will appreciate this book as one interesting resource, but will probably need to add a few more- I found some Youtube interviews that really helped my overall understanding of this conflict. An interesting addition to the South African Wars shelf- but one that does not totally satisfy.
I am taking a whole point off for the TOTAL lack of maps in this book. Totally impossible to understand this conflict AT ALL without seeing the impact bush, veldt, jungle and rivers play on this battlefield. There is one map- a photo of a map - just not enough to help explain combat very much effected by the stress points forced at river crossings or extant/destroyed bridges. When this lack of terrain information is allied with the author's desire to spew information onto the page- whether it fits the overall arc or not- it can get maddening. Polack loves to give way more information than needed on characters as they appear in the narrative- to the point that non-sequitur additions actually confuse the story- and the timeline. I hung with it because the subject is so engaging, but stronger editing was clearly called for. I think some readers, especially those new to Cold War conflicts might get very confused as to what happened. It's a bummer- we do need more scholarship on the brushfire proxy wars of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
There are some adult themes and a few descriptions of close combat/casualties, so this is for the Junior Reader over 13/14 years - perhaps with some adult guidance with the odd pacing. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is an interesting book- with the above caveats. The Gamer gets a few interesting tactical situations that could be turned into scenarios- perhaps for Peter Pig's AK47 Cold War Africa ruleset- but will DEFINITELY need to find maps for that. The Modeler and game alike will appreciate the many cool b/w shots from the front- but will need colour sources to add. The Military Enthusiast will appreciate this book as one interesting resource, but will probably need to add a few more- I found some Youtube interviews that really helped my overall understanding of this conflict. An interesting addition to the South African Wars shelf- but one that does not totally satisfy.
May 1, 2019
If you read this, go into it knowing the author is not a historian, but a lawyer who turned a mere interest in the Angolan Civil War into a book.
Most of the information is interesting, but was presented poorly. The author jumps around chronologically and sometimes adds things that have nothing to do with the battle or campaign the book is about. An example is when he spends a paragraph describing the death of a soldier in a parachute accident. There were no combat jumps in this conflict, not were none ever planned. The only reason it was mentioned was because the solider was being transferred to fight in Angola.
Most of the information is interesting, but was presented poorly. The author jumps around chronologically and sometimes adds things that have nothing to do with the battle or campaign the book is about. An example is when he spends a paragraph describing the death of a soldier in a parachute accident. There were no combat jumps in this conflict, not were none ever planned. The only reason it was mentioned was because the solider was being transferred to fight in Angola.
January 16, 2023
This book seems not to have been edited at all. A competent, knowledgable editor may have been able to turn it into some thing interesting. But as is, the book is it consists of a welter of facts, very badly organised, heavily weighted to the apartheid state's version of the conflict, filled a great number of factual errors, and a number of illustrations that do not show what they purport to show.
The strategic background to this crucial battle is completely fudged, no maps are provided to help those who do not have a detailed knowledge of the geography of southern Angola.
The strategic background to this crucial battle is completely fudged, no maps are provided to help those who do not have a detailed knowledge of the geography of southern Angola.
September 1, 2015
I read this book because it was the only book at a public library about the subject. Polack describes the South African campaign in Angola with short summaries but is chronologically erratic. The book also offers interesting but unnecessary casualty lists which take up much of the space of the text. There are also no descriptions of the FAPLA & UNITA fighting qualities. The book has less than 188 pages and is an incomplete summary of the Angola campaign.
April 18, 2014
The premise was great--get a look inside a proxy US/USSR battle. The execution was spotty. There were lots of lists of casualties. Lots of abstract background (Savimbi, apparently, was a jackass). Relatively little concrete storytelling. Still worth reading for military history buffs disappointed that WW3 never happened.
April 23, 2015
First 3/4 of the book kind of slow.
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