The untold story of Rhodesian special forces and their defense of British Colonies in Africa during the Cold War, told by a soldier who was there. In Secret SAS Missions in Africa, a former senior member of the little-known C (Rhodesia) Squadron of Britain’s Special Air Service recounts their military operations in Africa during the Cold War. The Squadron was involved in almost continuous anti-communist operations over the period 1968 to 1980. In the unstable final stages of British colonial rule, the Squadron was constantly on the move. African nationalist movements, backed by Russia and China, posed a constant and deadly threat to colonial regimes. Small detachments of the SAS, with highly developed bush warfare skills, proved devastatingly effective at countering rebel factions in Kenya, Mozambique, Rhodesia, and elsewhere on the continent.

A historical overview of the operations undertaken by the Rhodesian Special Air Service in the second half of the twentieth century. This gripping action-packed book is the eagerly awaited sequel to the best-selling Secret SAS Missions in Africa. C Squadron SAS, comprising dedicated battle-hardened veterans, operated against ruthless terrorist groups, trained and equipped by the Chinese and Russians between 1968 and 1980. The author, who rose to be the Squadron Second-in-Command, is superbly qualified to tell the inside story of their daring and deadly operations undertaken regardless of international borders in former Southern Rhodesia, Zambia, Angola and Mozambique. These include actively supporting Renamo, who were bitterly opposed to the Marxist/Leninist Frelimo regime in Mozambique. Operation DINGO, the Squadron’s largest mission, destroyed a large ZANU training base and almost tipped the balance of power against Mugabe. We learn the story behind the shooting down of two civilian aircraft in what is now Zimbabwe and the special force follow-up to exact revenge. Also described are anti-poaching operations against breakaway groups intent on trading ivory and rhino horns. With its fast pace, colorful characters and behind-the-lines operations, SAS Action in Africa is a superb and thrilling read.

The author of the bestselling Secret SAS Missions in Africa and its sequel, SAS Action in Africa,continues the fight againstcommunist terrorist groups. Drawing on first-hand experiences, Michael Graham describes operations against communist-backed terrorists in Angola and Mozambique, aiding the Portuguese and Renamo against the MPLA and Frelimo respectively. Back in Southern Rhodesia SAS General Peter Walls, realizing the danger that Mugabe and ZANU represented, appealed directly to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This correspondence, published here for the first time, changed nothing and years of corruption and genocide followed. Although C Squadron was disbanded in 1980 many members joined the South African special forces. Operations undertaken included unsuccessful and costly destabilization attempts against Mugabe and missions into Mozambique including the assassination of Samora Machel. By 1986 deteriorating relationships with the South African authorities resulted in the break-up of the SAS teams who dispersed worldwide. Had Mike Graham not written his three action-packed books, C Squadron SAS’s superb fighting record might never have been revealed. For those who are fascinated by special forces soldiering his accounts are “must reads.” “Takes us into the African bush to fight communist terrorists during the late 1960s and 1970s. His stories are sometimes hair-raising, sometimes amusing, but always interesting and worth reading.” —Beating Tsundoku “This account of SAS actions in Africa as part of the Cold War is lively interesting, nicely written and feels authentic. The photographs are particularly interesting in support of the text. A fascinating read.” —Firetrench

A gripping firsthand account of life and combat operations in the elite South African Special Forces, known as Recces, by a veteran Recce officer. The South African Special Forces are one of the most effective—and mysterious—military units in the world. Working in secret on covert operations, the legendary Recces have long fascinated, but little is known about how they operate. Now Koos Stadler, a career officer in the South African Special Forces, shares a revealing chronicle of his life and his experiences in the Border War. Shortly after passing the grueling Special Forces selection course in the early 1980s, Koos Stadler joined the so-called Small Teams group at 5 Reconnaissance Regiment. This sub-unit was made up of two-man teams and was responsible for many secret missions behind enemy lines. Sent to blow up railway lines and enemy fighter jets in south Angola, Stadler and his partner stared death in the face many times.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The incredible untold story of World War II’s greatest secret fighting force, as told by the modern master of wartime intrigue—now a limited series on Epix! “Reads like a mashup of The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape, with a sprinkling of Ocean’s 11 thrown in for good measure.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • “Rogue Heroes is a ripping good read.”—Washington Post (10 Best Books of the Year) Britain’s Special Air Service—or SAS—was the brainchild of David Stirling, a young aristocrat whose aimlessness belied a remarkable strategic mind. Where most of his colleagues looked at a World War II battlefield map and saw a protracted struggle, Stirling saw an opportunity: given a small number of elite men, he could parachute behind Nazi lines and sabotage their airplanes and supplies. Defying his superiors’ conventional wisdom, Stirling assembled a revolutionary fighting force that would upend not just the balance of the war, but the nature of combat itself. Bringing his keen eye for detail to a riveting wartime narrative, Ben Macintyre uses his unprecedented access to the SAS archives to shine a light on a legendary unit long shrouded in secrecy.