It is difficult to find another soldier's story to equal Captain Darrell Watt's in terms of time spent on the field of battle and challenges faced. Even by the lofty standards of the SAS and Special Forces, one has to look far to find anyone who can match his record of resilience and valor in the face of such daunting odds and with resources so paltry. In the fight, he showed himself to be a military maestro. A bush-lore genius, blessed with uncanny instincts and an unbridled determination to close with the enemy, he had no peers as a combat-tracker (and there was plenty of competition). But the Rhodesian theater was a fluid and volatile one in which he performed in almost every imaginable fighting role. After 12 years in the cauldron of war, his cause slipped from beneath him, and Rhodesia gave way to Zimbabwe. When the guns went quiet, Watt had won all his battles but lost the war. In this fascinating biography, we learn that in his twilight years, he is now concerned with saving wildlife on a continent where they are in continued danger and devoting himself to both the fauna and African people he cares so deeply about. Read more

Gold is forged in fire.Men in the furnace of adversity… Step into the extraordinary life of Jake Harper-Ronald, a man whose childhood dream of becoming a soldier led him on an unparalleled journey.In 1966, he fulfilled his ambition as a conscript in the Royal Rhodesia Regiment, only to embark on a series of adventures that most soldiers can only imagine.From early days in the elite Parachute Regiment in the UK to his pivotal role as the official photographer during the infamous 'Bloody Sunday' in Northern Ireland, Jake's path was one of courage and resilience.He left an indelible mark on history, capturing iconic moments through his lens that still resonate today. Returning to Rhodesia in 1974, Jake's journey continued with the ultra-tough SAS and Selous Scouts.His daring cross-border raids and contributions as a professional soldier showcased his unwavering commitment.Despite facing the trials of combat, he persevered, transitioning to a top-secret Special Branch callsign and later joining Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation.Jake's remarkable story unfolded further as he operated as an intelligence agent for global powers such as South Africa, Britain, and the US.His path was not without challenges; accusations of treason led to his time in solitary confinement at Goromonzi Detention Centre.Undeterred, he emerged from adversity, and in 1989, MI6 enlisted his expertise to train and lead militias combating Renamo in Mozambique.His efforts were so impactful that his Special Forces unit was integrated into Mozambique's National Army.Witnessing the harrowing realities of Mozambique, Jake's journey came full circle as he returned to Zimbabwe and ventured into the private security sector and onto private military contracting in Iraq.Despite his health declining, his resolve remained unshaken until his passing in 2007 at age 59.Immerse yourself in an incredible narrative of bravery, sacrifice, and tenacity as 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' chronicles his awe-inspiring life. Read more

There is nothing that terrorized Russian and Chinese-backed guerillas fighting Rhodesia's bush war in the 1970s more than the famed Selous Scouts. The very name of the unit struck fear into the very heart and soul of even the most battle-hardened guerillas. Too afraid to even whisper the name amongst themselves, they referred to soldiers of the unit simply as Skuzapu, or pickpockets. It was not for nothing that history has recorded the Selous Scouts Regiment as being one of the deadliest and most effective killing machines in modern counter-insurgency warfare. The Selous Scouts comprised specially selected black and white soldiers of the Rhodesian army, supplemented with the inclusion of hardcore terrorists captured on the battlefield. Dressed and equipped as communist guerrillas and with faces and arms blackened, members of this elite Special Forces unit would slip silently into the shadows of the night to seek and destroy real terrorist gangs. It became a deadly game of hide-and-seek played out between gangs and counter-gangs in the harsh and unforgiving landscape of the African bush. So successful were the Selous Scouts at being able to locate and destroy terrorist in their lairs that by the mid-1970s, they had begun to dominate Rhodesia's battle space. Working in close conjunction with the elite airborne assault troops of the Rhodesian Light Infantry, the Selous Scouts accounted for an extraordinary high proportion of terrorist killed in Rhodesia's bush war. Not content with restricting themselves to hunting guerrillas inside Rhodesia, the Selous Scouts began conducting external vehicle-borne assaults against terrorist camps situated deep inside neighboring countries with devastating loss to the terrorists. Survival in this cauldron of battle was never guaranteed. In this special 'deluxe' edition of author Tim Bax's hugely acclaimed Three Sips of Gin, we follow Tim on his missions into the silence of the shadows. As his story unfolds, we begin to understand how he managed to survive and it is here you will find the significance of 'three sips of gin' revealed. Readers of the earlier edition of the book will not want to miss reading this 'deluxe' edition, which, for the first time, is illustrated with dozens of photographs of every facet of Tim's amazing journey, including stark, never before seen images of the war. Three Sips of Gin is not just a book about war. It is a remarkable book about a remarkable man’s life journey. Tim tells his story with the wit, candor and self-deprecating humor for which he has become so well known. His amazing journey is one, which few could ever have experienced. Read more

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A worthy heir to Isak Dinesen and Beryl Markham, Alexandra Fuller shares visceral memories of her childhood in Africa, and of her headstrong, unforgettable mother. “This is not a book you read just once, but a tale of terrible beauty to get lost in over and over.”—Newsweek “By turns mischievous and openhearted, earthy and soaring . . . hair-raising, horrific, and thrilling.”—The New Yorker Though it is a diary of an unruly life in an often inhospitable place, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is suffused with Fuller’s endearing ability to find laughter, even when there is little to celebrate. Fuller’s debut is unsentimental and unflinching but always captivating. In wry and sometimes hilarious prose, she stares down disaster and looks back with rage and love at the life of an extraordinary family in an extraordinary time. From 1972 to 1990, Alexandra Fuller—known to friends and family as Bobo—grew up on several farms in southern and central Africa. Her father joined up on the side of the white government in the Rhodesian civil war, and was often away fighting against the powerful black guerilla factions. Her mother, in turn, flung herself at their African life and its rugged farm work with the same passion and maniacal energy she brought to everything else. Though she loved her children, she was no hand-holder and had little tolerance for neediness. She nurtured her daughters in other ways: She taught them, by example, to be resilient and self-sufficient, to have strong wills and strong opinions, and to embrace life wholeheartedly, despite and because of difficult circumstances. And she instilled in Bobo, particularly, a love of reading and of storytelling that proved to be her salvation. Alexandra Fuller writes poignantly about a girl becoming a woman and a writer against a backdrop of unrest, not just in her country but in her home. But Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is more than a survivor’s story. It is the story of one woman’s unbreakable bond with a continent and the people who inhabit it, a portrait lovingly realized and deeply felt.Praise for Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight“Riveting . . . [full of] humor and compassion.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “The incredible story of an incredible childhood.”—The Providence Journal Read more

Zimbabwe is a country both blessed and cursed. Arriving to work at the British Embassy in Zimbabwe, Philip Barclay found a temperate paradise and a sophisticated and charming population. But during a three-year stay in what used to be Africa's finest country, he saw it ruined by violence and grotesque economic mismanagement. Philip Barclay was at the centre of the tumultuous events of 2008. Zimbabwe's people voted against Robert Mugabe, but their desire for change was denied as vicious squads of indoctrinated youths loyal to the ageing dictator launched a campaign of murder, rape, and destruction. In the wake of such terror, the country's economy and public services collapsed, leading to widespread poverty and epidemics of diseases that Zimbabwe had not seen in living memory. This electrifying account records the violent excesses of a hated clique prepared to do anything to cling to power. It asks why the world stood by and watched as Zimbabwe burned and questions whether power-sharing between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai offers the way forward which the country needs. An honest account of a diplomat's confrontation with a brutal dictatorship, Zimbabwe is also a personal story of the resilience - despite their daily experience of despair and death - of Zimbabwe's people. Read more

The Rhodesian War of 1965–80 is the battle for control of present day Zimbabwe. The former British colony of Southern Rhodesia rejected British moves towards majority rule and on 11 November 1965 the Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith announced his country's Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. That act sparked a series of violent encounters between the traditional colonial army and the African guerilla insurgents of the Patriotic Front. This book examines the successes and failures of the counter-insurgency campaign of Smith's security forces and the eventual bloody birth of a modern African nation. Read more

After his father's heart attack in 1984, Peter Godwin began a series of pilgrimages back to Zimbabwe, the land of his birth, from Manhattan, where he now lives. On these frequent visits to check on his elderly parents, he bore witness to Zimbabwe's dramatic spiral downwards into the jaws of violent chaos, presided over by an increasingly enraged dictator. And yet long after their comfortable lifestyle had been shattered and millions were fleeing, his parents refuse to leave, steadfast in their allegiance to the failed state that has been their adopted home for 50 years. Then Godwin discovered a shocking family secret that helped explain their loyalty. Africa was his father's sanctuary from another identity, another world. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun is a stirring memoir of the disintegration of a family set against the collapse of a country. But it is also a vivid portrait of the profound strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of love. Read more

On 11 November 1965, Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith unilaterally declared his country independent of Britain. International sanctions were immediately instituted against the minority white regime as Robert Mugabe's ZANLA and Joshua Nkomo's ZIPRA armies commenced their armed struggle, the Chimurenga, the war of liberation. As Communist-trained guerrillas flooded the country, the beleaguered Rhodesians, hard-pressed for manpower and military resources, were forced to devise new and innovative methods to combat the insurgency. Fire Force was their answer. Fire Force as a military concept dates from 1974 when the Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) acquired the French MG151 20mm cannon from the Portuguese. Visionary RhAF and Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) officers expanded on the idea of a 'vertical envelopment' of the enemy, with the 20mm cannon being the principal weapon of attack, mounted in an Alouette III K-Car ('Killer car'), supported by ground troops deployed from G-Cars (Alouette III troop-carrying gunships and latterly Bell 'Hueys') and parachuted from DC-3 Dakotas. In support would be a propeller-driven ground-attack aircraft armed with front guns, pods of napalm, white phosphorus rockets and a variety of Rhodesian-designed bombs; on call would be Canberra bombers, Hawker Hunter and Vampire jets. In spite of the overwhelming number of enemy pitted against them, Rhodesian Fire Forces accounted for thousands of enemy guerrillas, with a kill ratio exceeding 80:1. At the end of the war, ZANLA generals admitted their army could not have survived another year in the field-in no small part due to the ruthless efficiency of the Fire Forces, described by Charles D. Melson, the Chief Historian of the U.S. Marine Corps, as the ultimate "killing machine". Read more

Robert Mugabe came to power in Zimbabwe in 1980 after a long civil war in Rhodesia. The white minority government had become an international outcast in refusing to give in to the inevitability of black majority rule. Finally the defiant white prime minister Ian Smith was forced to step down and Mugabe was elected president. Initially he promised reconciliation between white and blacks, encouraged Zimbabwe's economic and social development, and was admired throughout the world as one of the leaders of the emerging nations and as a model for a transition from colonial leadership. But as Martin Meredith shows in this history of Mugabe's rule, Mugabe from the beginning was sacrificing his purported ideals—and Zimbabwe's potential—to the goal of extending and cementing his autocratic leadership. Over time, Mugabe has become ever more dictatorial, and seemingly less and less interested in the welfare of his people, treating Zimbabwe's wealth and resources as spoils of war for his inner circle. In recent years he has unleashed a reign of terror and corruption in his country. Like the Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia, Zimbabwe has been on a steady slide to disaster. Now for the first time the whole story is told in detail by an expert. It is a riveting and tragic political story, a morality tale, and an essential text for understanding today's Africa. Read more

This is the fascinating story about the people who built Great Zimbabwe, Nyanga, Dhlodhlo, Khami, Dzata and many other stone buildings in Southern Africa. This book sheds light on the contributions of the Bushmen, peoples of Asia, India, the Middle East, Europe and Africa on the stone building culture in this region. It goes into detail about the various peoples that came into Southern Africa and with an emphasis on stone building helps us to see not only who built Great Zimbabwe, but also some of the other stone structures that we see around us here in Southern Africa. Read more

For over one hundred and twenty-five years, the secreted Catalogue, listing Cecil Rhodes’ private library books at Groote Schuur in the Cape, has been viewed by but a privileged few. Cecil Rhodes’ Library offers the first complete evaluation of these texts and their significance for Rhodes’ life.Rarely visited in the last thirty years, hidden in plain sight, barely exposed in over fifty biographies, ignored by most critics, this literary trove offers revelatory insight into the mind of the late Victorian Age’s most prominent figure.Groote Schuur’s assemblage of 2,554 valuable texts include rare books on Africana, world history, biography, social science, literature, Federation, law, governance, geography, art, science, architecture, Classics (Ancient Greek, Latin, French), novella, and works of reference.The most notable private library holding in late 19th century Africa, this unique collection shaped Rhodes’ thoughts, ideas, acts, and decisions in southern-central Africa, and Zambesia, later shaping civilisation and literacy in that land.Rhodes is revealed as an adept bibliophile, connoisseur and itinerant nomadic who relied on literature and cartography for ideas and thoughts in speeches, as Cape Colony premier, 1890-96, and founder of Rhodesia., 1890-1902 when he died.These endeavours brought literature to Zambesia, then a literary desert devoid of alphabet, pen, writing, books or any library - from the times of the San, tens of thousands of years ago, to the mid-19th century when before, at first the Portuguese, then missionaries, hunters, explorers, and traders entered its Great Plateau from the mid-1850s.Cecil Rhodes’ Library is the first-ever expose of this unique intellectual trove that covers literature Cape to Cairo, and Classics from antiquity to then avant-garde works. Rhodes never crafted any autobiography but scripted a vast ‘grey’ literature and was an avid collector of rare cartography on Africa and the world. Read more

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The 1st Battalion, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, was one of the most innovative and successful counter-insurgency units in modern history. Formed as a commando battalion in 1964 after the dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the RLI was an all-white unit made up of South Africans and men from the UK, Europe and US. It was a key weapon in independent Rhodesia's struggle against the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army and Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army during the bloody Rhodesian Bush War. This comprehensive study explores the unit's dramatic history, revealing the RLI's fearsome airborne and combat capacity, which gave the unit, at times, near total tactical superiority against its opponents. Read more

“Fuller brings Africa to life, both its natural splendor and the harsher realities of day-to-day existence, and sheds light on her parents in all their humanness—not a glaring sort of light, but the soft equatorial kind she so beautifully describes in this memoir.” —BookpageA story of survival and war, love and madness, loyalty and forgiveness, Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness is an intimate exploration of Fuller’s parents, whom readers first met in Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, and of the price of being possessed by Africa’s uncompromising, fertile, death-dealing land. We follow Tim and Nicola Fuller hopscotching the continent, restlessly trying to establish a home. War, hardship, and tragedy follow the family even as Nicola fights to hold on to her children, her land, her sanity. But just when it seems that Nicola has been broken by the continent she loves, it is the African earth that revives and nurtures her. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness is Fuller at her very best.Alexandra Fuller is the author of several memoirs: Travel Light, Move Fast, Leaving Before the Rains Come and Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight.  Read more

Before there was Zimbabwe, there was Rhodesia, a British colony founded by the great capital imperialist Cecil John Rhodes, and administered by the British South Africa Company. Rhodesia was the last British territory in Africa, and the most difficult to divest. This is the story of a gifted land, bitterly contested as the final imperial chapter in Africa. Through war and peace, following the careers of some of the great African leaders of the modern age, this was the last, painful transition from colonial to liberated Africa.A story intricately told and meticulously researched. For all enthusiasts of African and British Imperial history, this book is a must read! Read more

If you want to discover the captivating history of ancient Africa and the Kingdom of Kush, then keep reading...Two captivating manuscripts in one book:Ancient Africa: A Captivating Guide to Ancient African Civilizations, Such as the Kingdom of Kush, the Land of Punt, Carthage, the Kingdom of Aksum, and the Mali Empire with its TimbuktuThe Kingdom of Kush: A Captivating Guide to an Ancient African Kingdom in Nubia That Once Ruled EgyptAfrica is the continent where the first humans were born. They explored the vast land and produced the first tools. And although we migrated from that continent, we never completely abandoned it. From the beginning of time, humans lived and worked in Africa, leaving evidence of their existence in the sands of the Sahara Desert and the valleys of the great rivers, such as the Nile and Niger. Some of the earliest great civilizations were born there, and they give us an insight into the smaller kingdoms of ancient Africa.Egypt is the main source of knowledge of many neighboring kingdoms that were just as rich and developed. Unfortunately, they were forgotten in time, as other civilizations and kingdoms replaced them as the continent’s power bases. Only recently are we rediscovering the might of the Kingdom of Aksum, the political prowess of Kush, and the richness of the mysterious Punt. The early medieval kingdoms of Ghana and Mali are still being researched due to their unique pre-Muslim culture and their own outlook on Islam.As the home of the many pharaohs, Queen Sheba, Hannibal Barca, and Mansa Musa, Africa deserves our full attention. It has stories to tell us and cultural riches to share with us. Africa is where paganism, Christianity, and Islam left their trails and created a cultural fusion that is unique to the continent. Some modern countries are popular tourist destinations, while others are war-torn lands still unable to industrialize. This polarity of Africa can be traced to ancient times, and the world-shaping events that occurred here need to be studied and understood.Some of the topics covered in part 1 of this book include:The Kingdom of KushThe Land of PuntCarthageThe Kingdom of AksumThe Ghana EmpireThe Mali EmpireAnd much, much more!Some of the topics covered in part 2 of this book include:Nubia and the Emergence of the Kingdom of KushFrom Alara to the Twenty-Fifth DynastyThe Rulers of the Twenty-Fifth DynastyRelations between Kush and Egypt ContinueKush between the 6th and 3rd CenturiesThe Meroitic DynastyThe Last Centuries of the Kingdom of KushThe Society of KushAnd much, much more!So if you want to learn more about ancient Africa and the Kingdom of Kush, scroll up and click the "add to cart" button! Read more

The vicious conflict (1964-79) that brought Robert Mugabe to power in Zimbabwe Expert coverage of the war, its historical context, and its aftermath Descriptions of guerrilla warfare, counterinsurgency operations, and actions by units like Grey's Scouts Amid the colonial upheaval of the 1960s, Britain urged its colony in Southern Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) to grant its black residents a greater role in governing the territory. The white-minority government refused and soon declared its independence, a move bitterly opposed by the black majority. The result was the Rhodesian Bush War, which pitted the government against black nationalist groups, one of which was led by Robert Mugabe. Marked by unspeakable atrocities, the war ended in favor of the nationalists. Read more

A collective memoir told by 18 young men who completed the gruelling 13 month Regular Rhodesian Army Officer Cadet Course INF/20(25) to be commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants into the Rhodesian Army at the height of the Rhodesian war against Robert Mugabe's ZANLA and Joshua Nkomo's ZIPRA forces. Read more

An illustrious African liberation fighter in the 1970s and, until his suspicious death in 2011, an important figure in Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU PF party in Zimbabwe, this first full-length biography of General Solomon Mujuru or Rex Nhongo throws much needed light onto the opaque elite politics of the 1970s liberation struggle, post-independence army and ZANU PF. Based on the unparalleled primary interviews with informants in the army, intelligence services, police and ZANU PF elites, Blessing-Miles Tendi examines Mujuru's moments of triumph and his shortcomings in equal measure. From his undistinguished youth and poor upbringing in colonial Rhodesia's Chikomba region, his rapid rise to power, and role as the first black commander of independent Zimbabwe's national army, this is an essential record of one of the most controversial figures within the history of African liberation politics. Read more

Gold is forged in fire. Men in the furnace of adversity…Step into the extraordinary life of Jake Harper-Ronald through the lens of history in this stunning pictorial version of Sunday Bloody Sunday.This richly illustrated work brings to life Jake's unparalleled journey from a young conscript in the Royal Rhodesia Regiment to a world-class soldier, war photographer, and intelligence agent. Each chapter is vividly captured through rare photographs, gripping action shots, and archival imagery that place you at the heart of Jake's incredible adventures.Experience history through his eyes:Early Days of Valor: From his time in the elite UK Parachute Regiment to his role as the official photographer on 'Bloody Sunday,' where his lens immortalized a day that shook the world.Frontlines of Conflict: Witness Jake’s harrowing missions with Rhodesia's SAS and Selous Scouts, where daring cross-border raids tested his resolve.Shadows of Intelligence: Explore his clandestine operations for global powers, from the streets of Zimbabwe to the battlefields of Mozambique, illustrated with exclusive behind-the-scenes photographs.A Soldier’s Legacy: Discover the stark realities of combat, imprisonment, and redemption, culminating in his efforts to train and lead militias in Mozambique's war-torn landscapes.This visual chronicle of Jake’s life weaves stunning images and insight, offering a profound tribute to a man forged in the crucible of conflict.A story of bravery, sacrifice, and resilience—told through unforgettable images.Take the journey. Sunday Bloody Sunday: The Pictorial Companion will leave you inspired and in awe of the indomitable spirit of a true soldier.Order your copy today!It is recommended you read the narrative book for the in-depth story of Jake's life. Read more