{"product_id":"a-handful-of-hard-men-the-sas-and-the-battle-for-rhodesia-1612003451","title":"A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1612003451\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wessels, Hannes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e New\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the Wests great transition into the post-Colonial age, the country of Rhodesia refused to succumb quietly, and throughout the 1970s fought back almost alone against Communist-supported elements that it did not believe would deliver proper governance.During this long war many heroes emerged, but none more skillful and courageous than Captain Darrell Watt of the Rhodesian SAS, who placed himself at the tip of the spear in the deadly battle to resist the forces of Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo.It is difficult to find another soldiers story to equal Watts 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; as an airborne shock-trooper leading camp attacks, long range reconnaissance operator, covert urban operator, sniper, saboteur, seek-and-strike expert, and in the final stages as a key figure in mobilizing an allied army in neighboring Mozambique.After 12 years in the cauldron of war his cause slipped from beneath him, however, and Rhodesia gave way to Zimbabwe. When the guns went quiet Watt had won all his battles but lost the war. In this fascinating work we learn that in his twilight years he is now concerned with saving wildlife on a continent where they are in continued danger, devoting himself to both the fauna and African people he has cared so deeply about.Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAuthors NoteA Brief History of RhodesiaCHAPTER 1Rebellion  Darrell Watt  The wind of change 19CHAPTER 2Formation of the SAS  Harold Wilson and the Soviets  The first farm attack  Recruit Watt Robinson on SAS selectionCHAPTER 3First blood  The two-toed tribe  Watts first action  Operation Cauldron  Hadebe  Into Mozambique Into Zambia  Smith settles  Mbuya NehandaCHAPTER 4The end of the beginning  Hawkesworth  Macombe  Andy Chait  Rhodesians on top  Coup in Portugal Détente  Herbert ChitepoCHAPTER 5The Victoria Falls débcle  Exodus from the SAS  Machipanda  Life on the front  A Kiwi entry The Winged StaggerCHAPTER 6Mozambique declares war  Enter Henry Kissinger Water warriorsCHAPTER 7Rude awakenings  Renamo is born  The south-east heats up  Shooting the messenger  Operation Mardon  Carter wins, Rhodesia loses  Frustration Mine everything  Walking on waterCHAPTER 8Going for broke  Do or die  The attack  Watt shotCHAPTER 9The madness continues  Watt to Botswana  Domestic problems  Camp on the Zambezi  Internal settlement  Renamo rises  Murder most foul  Back to Tembué  The stay-behind partyCHAPTER 10Monkey business  Tiny Rowland  Viscount Hunyani  The deafening silenceCHAPTER 11Chris Dixon  Para attack  AmbushCHAPTER 12Privateers  Richard Stannard  Innocents die  Lights outCHAPTER 13Another Viscount downed  Watt finds the killers  Stannard back to Chimoio  Recce on a ZIPRA camp  Bishop Muzorewa wins powerCHAPTER 14Combat tracking at speed  More farmers murdered  The Iron Lady folds  Scheepers back in the frayCHAPTER 15Chopper down  Yankee Section  Operation Bumper  Monte Xiluvo  The Russians are comingCHAPTER 16A leader dies  Life with Luke  A mystery death at Lancaster HouseCHAPTER 17Bust the bridges  A big surprise  Time to say goodbyeCHAPTER 18Ceasefire  More attempts to kill Mugabe  Walls folds  The order that never came  A farewell to armsAppendix A The Unilateral Declaration of IndependenceAppendix B SAS Roll of HonourEndnotesBibliography\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mia Karts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51895929602336,"sku":"NEW1612003451","price":28.26,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0980\/7426\/3840\/files\/71rqCjnBSAL.jpg?v=1782042598","url":"https:\/\/miakarts.com\/products\/a-handful-of-hard-men-the-sas-and-the-battle-for-rhodesia-1612003451","provider":"Miakarts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}