general books
Military History
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Baines (G.) & Vale (P.) eds.
BEYOND THE BORDER WAR,
new perspectives on southern Africa's late-Cold War conflicts
342 pp., illus., paperback,
Pretoria,
2008.
R288
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"This volume offers new perspectives on the Border War through the paradigms of diplomatic and military history, cultural and literary studies, as well as victimology".
Contributions include "The Cold War and South Africa: repetitions and revisions on a prolegomenon" by Peter Vale,
"The Construction and Subversion of Gender Stereotypes in Popular Cultural Representations of the Border War" by Michael Drewett,
"Writing from Within: representations of the Border War in South African literature" by Henriette Roos,
"Remaking Our Histories: the liberation war in post-colonial Namibian writings" by Keike Becker,
"'Oh Shucks, Here Comes UNTAG!': peace-keeping as adventure in Namibia" by Robert Gordon, and
"South Africa's Role in Namibia/Angola: the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Account" by Christopher Saunders.
Gary Baines is an Associate Professor in the History Department and Peter Vale is the first Nelson Mandela Chair of Politics, both at Rhodes University.
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Bopela (T.) & Luthuli (D.)
UMKHONTO WE SISWE,
fighting for a divided people
272 pp., ,
Johannesburg,
2005.
R195
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Thula Bopela and Daluxolo Luthuli left South Africa to join Umkhonto we Siswe (MK), the armed wing of the ANC, in Tanzania in the early 1960s. After receiving military training in the Soviet Union and fighting alongside Joshua Nkomo's ZIPRA in Rhodesia, they were both captured. Thula Bopela was tried for terrorism in Rhodesia and spent thirteen years in prison. After his release he became a successful business man, and is now a senior official in South Africa's Ministry of Defence. Daluxolo Luthuli was handed over to South Africa where he was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Robben Island. After his release in 1979 he switched his support to the IFP and became a senior war lord fighting against the UDF. In 1993, using Thula Bopela as a go-between to make contact with the ANC, he defected back to the ANC and negotiated the withdrawal of his hit squads from the ANC/IFP struggle. He is now a lieutenant-colonel in the SANDF.
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Brien (M.)
AN UNEASY ANGER,
de la Rey and the Foster Gang
230 pp., map, b/w & colour illus.,,
Cape Town,
2009.
R170
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The story of the life and times of the Boer general and statesman, Koos de la Rey, and the rise and fall of the gangster William Foster.
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Cocks (C.)
OUT OF ACTION,
278 pp., maps, b/w & colour illus., hardback, d.w.,
Revised Edition, Johannesburg,
(1999) 2008.
R270
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The reworked and updated edition of "Survival Course", the sequel to "Fireforce - one man's war in the Rhodesian Light Infantry". Chris Cocks recounts his final 16 months of combat in the Rhodesian bush war and his adjustment to life as a civilian in Zimbabwe.
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Coetzee (P.)
SPECIAL FORCES "JAM STEALER",
the memoirs of a specialist who served in Special Forces and the Defence Force of South Africa
448 pp., maps, illus., paperback,
Revised Edition, No Place,
(2008) 2009.
R176
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The autobiography of Peet Coetzee, who specialised in air photo interpretation in the South African Air Force. He held the rank of Warrant Officer First Class from 1978 until his retirement in 1996. In 1979 he was seconded to Special Forces Intelligence Section and served with the elite fighting force, "The Recces".
