'Mad Mike' Hoare: Legendary Leader of the Wild Geese: A Biography

by Chris Hoare

‘Mad Mike’ Hoare became a legend as the leader of the ‘Wild Geese’ mercenary soldiers in the Congo, and notorious following his failed coup d’état in the Seychelles. He fought in the British Army during World War II and in the years after the war he became an adventurer, riding a motorbike from Cape to Cairo, searching for the Lost City of the Kalahari, and becoming the first to run safaris in the Kalahari desert and Okavango delta. As a ‘wind of change’ blew over Africa, Mike became a mercenary leader in Katanga in 1961. In 1964/5 Mike, now linked to the CIA, led South African mercenaries against communist rebels in the Congo. He and his men rescued hundreds of missionaries from barbarity. Mike ‘licks’ Che Guevara and becomes ‘the most famous mercenary leader in the world’ as he crushed the Simba rebel revolt. He went on to work in Rhodesia, Biafra, Cambodia, Angola and Mozambique. In 1977 he was technical advisor to the film The Wild Geese, shot in South Africa; Richard Burton played the Hoare character. In 1981, Mike and his Frothblowers hijacked an Air India Boeing 707 when his coup attempt in the Seychelles goes awry, they are tried in the Supreme Court in Pietermaritzburg and Mike served 33 months in jail before being pardoned. After twenty years living in France he moved to South Africa, where he continues to live an active life in his nineties.

Genres: Biography

368 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2020

Reviews

[Chuckdee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read, then re-read this book in the six days above...the movie is one of my favorites (an aside,31 years ago I remember practicing PLFs and thinking “just like The Wild Geese!”)

Thanks to the author for documenting the life of ghis amazing man...and thanks for publish it now and not 30 years ago (had that been the case, my life could have been very, very different!

We need more ‘Mad Mikes’ in the world...

[Dan William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author loves his overrated warrior dad.....