| This amazing book tells not only the story of South Africa’s special forces, it has also been described as the most important and frank history of South Africa itself during the apartheid years. It is also the most illuminating book on special forces published anywhere. Not only does Stiff deal with military operations but he also explains the political dynamics that prompted them. | |
| It is wide ranging and covers the first
counter-insurgency operations in Namibia in 1966, a
commando raid on Dare-es-Salaam, the Fox Street Siege,
South Africa’s intervention into Angola in 1975 and
subsequent pull-out, the rise of insurgency in
Moçambique, South Africa’s reentry into Angola,
strikes against SWAPO bases in Zambia, the training and
assistance to UNITA, the fight against ZANLA and ZIPRA in
Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and how the Recces staffed
Rhodesia’s ‘D’ Squadron SAS, the fall of
Rhodesia, how the SAS and Selous Scouts were reformed as
Recce units in South Africa, the selection and training
of special forces, the raid against the ANC at Matola in
Moçambique, South African assistance to RENAMO and Recce
operations in Moçambique, Lesotho, Cabinda, Botswana and
Zambia. It also deals in detail with the final days of
apartheid South Africa and explains how close the country
was to a right-wing coup d’etat. It was a book that should not have been published. In 1986 Peter Stiff was invited by the Chief SADF to write a history of the Recces, but two years later when it was found that he had discovered far more about secret operations than intended, permission was withdrawn and he was threatened with prosecution under the Official Secrets Act. He had to wait until after the 1994 elections before he could again pick up his pen. The Silent War is the result, but it is well worth the long wait. |
  |
