Layout Table~~~~11674~11674~~

Autobigraphies~Rhodesia / Zimbabwe~~~11674~11675~Autobigraphies~

A Baboon Pinched My Potty - Paul Reason~A small boy steps out of a mud hut a short distance from the Victoria Falls in Africa. He is thousands of miles away from leafy England where he was born. That boy is me. There are flying boats and steam locomotives, one of the drivers of which has a pet baboon that blows the train’s whistle. Join me, as I learn about the strange superstitions and customs of the tribal people – where witchdoctors prescribe magic potions and young girls are sold into marriage. Danger is never far away. A man is chased on his bicycle by a charging elephant and a couple have to escape from an angry hippopotamus. Share my memories of life and friends, my joys and sorrows and the unforeseen events that would later change my life.
Vanguard Press Oct 2007. ISBN 9781843863779, Paperback 211 pages.~~A Baboon Pinched My Potty|ISBN 9781843863779|~11674~11609~~

A Lifetime of Struggle - Edgar Tekere~Controversial Zimbabwean politician Edgar "Two Boy" Tekere, a former secretary-general of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party and President Robert Mugabe's former right-hand man has written his long-awaited autobiography. For writing a book highly critical of Mugabe, Tekere himself has now been expelled from the ruling party and the book banned from state-owned bookshops.~Sapes Books, Harare
ISBN-13 9781779051462
Softback
197 pages

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Extract from IMPR.NET websiteBy Josphat Nyenyai (pseudonym) , 26/02/07

Veteran nationalist Edgar Tekere has broken one of the most sacred conventions of African liberation doctrine by publishing a book which openly questions the official story of how Robert Mugabe rose to lead his country's main guerrilla movement before becoming independent Zimbabwe's first black prime minister and then state president.

Tekere's newly published autobiography, A Life Time of Struggle, puts Mugabe at the outer periphery, rather than the centre, of the liberation struggle waged by black nationalists in the 1970s to end white minority rule.

Mugabe is cast by Tekere - former secretary-general of Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU PF party - as a reluctant leader of the independence struggle who was thrust into the top position merely by accident of history.

Tekere's revisionism has caused uproar within ZANU PF. There are cries for Tekere's dismissal from the party and a leading Harare bookstore wholly owned by the government has refused to stock his book, which has become an instant bestseller.

At the 1964 launch conference in Gweru - in the central part of the country - of the then Zimbabwe African National Union, ZANU, the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole was elected president. A distinguished Catholic schoolteacher, Leopold Takawira, was elected vice president. The ZANU executive was quickly arrested and imprisoned for the next ten years, but one member, Herbert Chitepo, managed to flee abroad, becoming the leader-in-exile of the movement.

A second-tier leader, Secretary-General Mugabe, and a third-tier leader, Deputy Secretary for Youth Tekere, then aged just 27, were also imprisoned.

Mugabe became leader only by default, argues Tekere, after Takawira died in prison; Chitepo was assassinated in Zambia (after internal struggles within exiled ZANU factions turned bloody); and Sithole was toppled from the leadership while still in prison.

Although official accounts of the nationalist struggle make Mugabe its kingpin, Tekere writes that during the difficult formative years in the late 1950s of the black nationalist resistance, Mugabe was teaching outside the country in Ghana. When the precursor of ZANU, the National Democratic Party, was launched in 1960 Mugabe still had not returned home.

When Mugabe did return, he was told that despite his considerable academic achievements it would be difficult to incorporate him into the top leadership because he was single.

To overcome the problem, the ZANU leadership arranged a marriage for him with a woman named Abigail Kurangwa, who, says Tekere, "agreed to marry Mugabe, and eventually fell in love with him. Mugabe appeared to reciprocate, and his family liked Abigail".

The fact that Mugabe had agreed to an arranged marriage showed what Tekere argues was a clear trait - deference to his leaders and what the author also argues was a lack of personal vision.

In 1961, when other leaders of the short-lived National Democratic Party rejected Joshua Nkomo as leader, because of his love of luxury living, and tabled a motion to get rid of him, the motion "was countered by none other than Mugabe."

Tekere writes that Mugabe was even reluctant to agree to the sacking of Sithole by ZANU leaders while still imprisoned in Kwekwe Prison. He abstained from the vote.

Tekere says even Mugabe's historic decision to flee across the border with Tekere into Mozambique - after their release from imprisonment in 1975 - was not voluntary one on Mugabe's part. Tekere's flight with Mugabe followed the assassination of Chitepo: ZANU had to move its external bases from President Kenneth Kaunda's Zambia which had arrested the entire external ZANU leadership in the aftermath of the killing.

But who was to take over the leadership in Mozambique?

Tekere writes, "I had always been committed to the armed struggle, and, moreover, as the leader of the youth I was the obvious choice. But I was a junior member in terms of the party structures, so there was need for a very senior Party cadre to accompany me.

"Ndabaningi Sithole had been sacked, Leopold Takawira the vice president had died in detention and the secretary general was Robert Mugabe. Thus it was that Mugabe went with me into exile. It was made clear that he was not going as president of the party, but he had the authority to speak on behalf of ZANU."

But when Mugabe then agreed that ZANU should be absorbed into Bishop Abel Muzorewa's short-lived United African National Council, Tekere writes, "My first disagreement with Mugabe took place then [on their clandestine journey from Rhodesia to Mozambique]. We were discussing what we would do when we met the other [exiled ZANU] recruits, and Mugabe was adamant that we should tell them that we were in the UANC [United African National Council], according to the Lusaka Accords [an agreement designed to unify all the Zimbabwean movements and factions].

"This made me extremely angry, and I said: 'What a treacherous mind you have! We are here by decision of ZANU. I am not part of the UANC. You are a betrayer. I am going to report back to those who sent us here about your betrayal.'

"After that I made sure that he did not meet any recruits when I was not there too, in case he began to talk about the UANC."

The theme of Mugabe as a betrayer of the armed struggle runs throughout the book. After the Chimoio Massacre of November 1977, in which more than one thousand people were killed in a Rhodesian Armed Forces raid on a ZANU camp in Mozambique, Tekere gave a report on the killings to Mugabe, who was in Maputo, Mozambique's capital by the Indian Ocean. Tekere writes, "Two thirds of our dead were women. He [Mugabe] said to me, 'You know what, I'm beginning to wonder whether this is worthwhile, with all these people dying.' But I replied that we must go on to the end. His remark aroused in me a mixture of anger and disgust."

This was the time when Mozambique President Samora Machel is reported to have said of Mugabe, "I respect Mugabe, but he does not measure up to this scale of military operation and planning. He does not belong as a soldier."

When Tekere later told the ZANU commander Josiah Tongogara - later to die in Mozambique in a car crash and be replaced by Mugabe loyalist Rex Nhongo - about this and not to trust Mugabe with details of their discussions, Tekere says Tongogara told him, "Now you have heard it for yourself! You are the one who brought a sell-out here! Look how many of the people have been killed! I told you not to bring him here, but you only believe what I said now because Machel told you!"

Tekere writes, "Some time later, I brought the subject up again with Tongogara: 'Are you saying I brought a sell-out?' This time the two of us analysed the situation and realised that we were both equally apprehensive that Mugabe might let us down. After this we began to isolate out dependable commanders, and tried to discover how many of us were still committed to the war. But this filled us with sadness."

Machel put Mugabe "virtually under house arrest" in the aftermath of the Chimoio massacre. "Security at the house [where Mugabe was kept] was uncomfortably tight", Tekere writes. The house arrest was ostensibly for Mugabe's safety, but the fact that Machel never discussed it with him personally suggests there was another reason.

Tekere says Mugabe did not share his enthusiasm for committing to war. While Tekere went straight into military training on arrival in Mozambique, Mugabe showed no interest and never became a fighter. Explaining to Mugabe why it was necessary for him to learn how to use a gun, Tekere recounted to Zimbabwe's future head of state how King Hussein of Jordan had had to kill five ambushers after his guard and driver had been killed. "I then taught him to handle weapons and to keep them always within reach," said Tekere. "Yes, up to that time, he had not learnt how to use a weapon.

"There are other examples of his lack of appetite for war. Mugabe was the Commander-In-Chief of the Zanla [the acronym of ZANU's guerrilla army] forces, yet he had no uniform. This became obvious to us when the time came to inspect graves, following the Chimoio attack. Here he was, surrounded by the rest of us dressed in our military attire, wearing a suit. It was most incongruous.

"He was really a civilian bureaucrat. He would sit in his office, waiting to receive military briefings from me, and never took the initiative himself unless pushed. He did not know how to salute. I always remember Ndabaningi Sithole's words during the detention years. He said: 'You want Mugabe to be your leader? Mugabe is a good civil administrator.'"

Tekere writes that Mugabe was eventually chosen as ZANU's leader-in-exile because he was a middleman between competing factions, not because he showed leadership qualities.

At a function in Harare to launch the book, Tekere said Mugabe now regarded himself as a king who had single-handedly delivered the country from white rule - although the truth was that he had had to be persuaded to join the nationalist cause wholeheartedly. "I am more ZANU PF than Mugabe," said Tekere. "I have heard ….predictions that 2007 would be a better year for this country. No, it cannot be. It is going to be worse as long as we continue with the slogan 'Pamberi navaMugabe' [Long Live Mugabe]. Mugabe has become a liability to the people of Zimbabwe."

In the book, Tekere concludes, "Robert Mugabe is right at the centre of the nation's problems; in my view 90 % of the blame should go to him, and 10 % to those who have uncritically huddled over him over the years."

ZANU PF has gone into overdrive trying to discredit Tekere's book, which, although highly self-centred, gives new and interesting insights into the personality of Mugabe and the role he played in the armed struggle. Although it fails to provide any new insights into the deaths of Chitepo and Tongogara, the book will inevitably open up a new debate about the man who has been Zimbabwe's only leader since independence from Britain in 1980.

Of the demands being made for his expulsion from ZANU PF, Tekere has replied, "If they do, that will further show that there is no democracy and freedom of speech in ZANU PF. The book contains my personal opinions about the war. So why will I be punished for my opinions?"~A Lifetime of Struggle|ISBN-13 9781779051462|~11674~11804~~

A Long Way Home - Grace Fulton~Grace Fulton's interesting tale of her life in Rhodesia covers her parents arrival from Scotland in 1897, family, marriage, sports, business, and political upheaval, until she left Zimbabwe in 1997.
Trafford 2008. ISBN 1-4251-4843-3. Paperback 142 pages.~Trafford 2008
ISBN 1-4251-4843-3
Paperback
142 pages

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Grace Fulton has written a very interesting story about her life in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) Her mother was born in Australia, and after a brief return to Scotland, her family left for Africa in search of gold. They then traveled by ox-wagon through rugged territory up to Bulawayo, where the family settled.

Grace's early life was traumatic with her father committing suicide whilst suffering from black water fever. Her mother, Maggie, left with very little money and six children for which to care had no option but to put them in an orphanage.

Fortunately life improved when her mother remarried and they all moved to a ranch.

Grace was sent to a good school in Bulawayo, and later met and married William Fulton, a great sportsman who won 2 bronze medals in the Empire Games for boxing. They had three children, all of whom had great sporting ability.

World War II saw Willie serving in Egypt, and then guarding the oil fields in Iraq. When Willy was de-mobbed, he started a successful sporting goods business. Grace and Willy met and hosted many sportspeople from all over the world, being involved in training and many sporting events, including at Kutama Mission where Robert Mugabe was educated.

Willie was awarded the M.B.E. by Queen Elizabeth for his service to sport, and voted a Zimbabwe sportsman of the century in 1999-2000.

Grace's story of her life during the various political changes in Zimbabwe, make for interesting reading. She now lives in Houston, Texas.

~A Long Way Home|ISBN 1425148433|~11674~11827~~

A Walk Against The Stream - AJ Ballinger~A Walk Against The Stream is a true story that revolves around a young man called up to do his National Service in war torn Rhodesia in the late 1970's. His army posting is to one of the country's premier tourist resorts and it is there that he falls in love with a young croupier from a nearby Casino. The story centres on their relationship and the challenges they face as the war rages around them and the village they live in. It is a passionate embrace of a first love and a lost love. Of wasted youth and blood spilled on the dry African soil. A fascinating insight into the life of two young people brought together by love and war in a truly magnificent Continent.
ISBN 1-4251-0503-3, Paperback 471 pages.~Trafford Publishing, 2007
ISBN 1-4251-0503-3
Paperback
471 pages

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The Book
A Walk Against The Stream is a true story that revolves around a young man called up to do his National Service in war torn Rhodesia in the late 1970's. His army posting is to one of the country's premier tourist resorts and it is there that he falls in love with a young croupier from a nearby Casino.

The story centres on their relationship and the challenges they face as the war rages around them and the village they live in. It is a passionate embrace of a first love and a lost love. Of wasted youth and blood spilled on the dry African soil.

A fascinating insight into the life of two young people brought together by love and war in a truly magnificent Continent.


The Author
The Author was born in Rhodesia, as it was known before its rebirth to Zimbabwe in April 1980. Brought up in a modest home in Salisbury, the Author attended nearby Churchill High School where he graduated in 1972.

Preferring travel to further studies, the Author worked his way around parts of the world until he returned to Rhodesia in 1976.

By this time war had engulfed his country of birth and the Author found himself drafted into the Army to fight terrorists bent on its destruction. This he did for four years, serving in various Army and Police units until the arrival of majority rule under Robert Mugabe in April 1980.

The Author left Zimbabwe in 1980 and live in South Africa for five years before returning to Zimbabwe in early 1986 to start a Construction company with his brother.

In 2000 President Mugabe "redistributed" farms belonging to the white community in Zimbabwe and this led to a rapid implosion of the economy. The Author was forced to liquidate his business in 2002 and now lives in the United Kingdom with his wife and two children.

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Extracted from the book........

FOREWORD

This is a true story, based on my personal experiences in the Rhodesian Army. All of the characters, places and events are real, although one or two scenes are narrated in the third person to allow continuity.

I do not claim to have achieved anything spectacular during my experiences in the Rhodesian bush war but I continue to have a deep love for that country and felt I should put my story forward, to complement the tapestry of other fine works on this subject.

Whether you see one corpse or a hundred, you are forever changed and the innocent youth that you once were is gone for good.

So, this is a story of lost youth, lost love and the loss of a country loved more deeply than the other two.

APOLOGY
The original manuscript for this book was written in 1980 and it included more fiction than fact. When I decided to re-write it in 2006, I set about making it a factual book about my personal experiences in the Rhodesian Army at Victoria Falls, Rhodesia. Half way through the revision, I realised the book should be a story for all the men who served with me, particularly as so many contributed photographs. Indeed, the photographs I have included tell a wider story outside the scope of this book and are a tribute in themselves to the men I served with. The final draft, therefore, is somewhat of a hybrid of the two aims and I apologise if some of the men who served with me feel I have not done justice to them. I also apologise if time and a fading memory has led to any error on my part.~A Walk Against The Stream|ISBN 1425105033|~11674~11333~~

Against the Grain - Geoffery Nyarota~Geoff Nyarota was the editor of the Daily News, Zimbabwes only independent newspaper, for four years. In this time, he chronicled the decline of the country under Robert Mugabes Zanu-PF-controlled regime, and was subjected to extreme harassment by the state. As a young man, Nyarota fervently believed that his children would know the freedom of democracy that he himself had been denied under colonial rule. But after the war of liberation and Mugabes accession to power in 1980, Nyarota discovered that the returned war heroes were more interested in enriching themselves than in uplifting the people.
Zebra Press, 2006. ISBN 1770071121. Paperback 352 pages.~~Against the Grain|ISBN 1770071121|~11674~11805~~

Blood Sweat and Lions - David Lemon~By the author of Never Quite a Soldier: A Rhodesian Policeman's War 1971-1982 - also available on this website. (under Rhodesia - Military History)
Adventure, pain, fear - and moments of pure magic: these are the ingredients of David Lemon's latest story about Africa. In October 2006, overweight, unfit and by his own admission far too old (actually 61!), he set out to walk 1200 kilometres through the wild Zambezi Valley, from Kariba Heights to Binga, ignoring dire warnings about the dangers of such a venture. Exciting, poignant and fast paced, his story will bring hope and encouragement to anyone with adventure in their soul. Lemon has few equals when it comes to writing about life in the African bush.
ISBN-13 978-1906210663. Feb 2008. Paperback 280 pages.~~Blood Sweat and Lions|ISBN-13 9781906210663|~11674~11803~~

Cooksie's Cake - Jane Flowers~A girl child grew up in Africa. A white child, who had never known any other life than one of political turmoil and war. Rhodesia, later to become Zimbabwe, is set in the vast and beautiful wilderness of Central Africa. This is her story. Simple, charming,full of a childish wonder at nature's bounty.
Lulu 2008. Hardcover 307 pages.~~Cooksie%27s Cake|8961|~11674~11688~~

Crime Scientist - J Thompson~An account of murder, arson, forgery, embezzlement, theft, fraud and smuggling. Dr John Thompson became the first Director of the British South Africa Police Forensic Science Laboratory in Salisbury, Rhodesia in 1963, a position he held until retiring in 1977. In this compelling memoir of his years as the Director, Dr John Thompson spares us no bizarre and grisly detail. During the course of a distinguished career he dealt with some 12000 cases, ranging from sophisticated fraud to ritual murder. His forensic skills were instrumental in uncovering the truth and here he shows us how the killer is trapped by the evidence of a microscopical hair and the witch-doctor's magic is exposed by modern toxicology. Dr Thompson's story is an extraordinary account of science ansd superstition in tribal Africa as seen through the eyes of an expert - the crime scientist.
ISBN 0 86920 237 5, Books of Zimbabwe Publishing, 1980, H/B~~Crime Scientist|C ISBN 0869202375|~11674~1455~Crime Scientist - J Thompson~

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood - Alexandra Fuller~Alexandra Fuller was the daughter of white settlers in 1970s war-torn Rhodesia. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is a memoir of that time, when a schoolgirl was as likely to carry a shotgun as a satchel. Fuller tells a story of civil war; of a quixotic battle against nature and loss; and of her family's unbreakable bond with a continent which came to define, shape, scar and heal them. In wry and sometimes hilarious prose, she looks back with rage and love at an extraordinary family and an extraordinary time.
310pp, Illustrated with b/w pics.
ISBN 0330490192 Paperback,
ISBN 0330490230 Hardback~Picador 2002. 310pp, Illustrated with b/w pics.

ISBN 0330490192 Paperback,
ISBN 0330490230 Hardback

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Alexandra Fuller was the daughter of white settlers in 1970s war-torn Rhodesia. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is a memoir of that time, when a schoolgirl was as likely to carry a shotgun as a satchel. Fuller tells a story of civil war; of a quixotic battle against nature and loss; and of her family's unbreakable bond with a continent which came to define, shape, scar and heal them. In wry and sometimes hilarious prose, she looks back with rage and love at an extraordinary family and an extraordinary time.

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'Like Frank McCourt, Fuller writes with devastating humour and directness about desperate circumstances . . . tender, remarkable'
Daily Telegraph

A book that deserves to be read for generations'
Guardian

`Perceptive, generous, political, tragic, funny, stamped through with a passionate love for Africa . . . [Fuller] has a faultless hotline to her six-year-old self'
Independent

`This enchanting book is destined to become a classic of Africa and of childhood'
Sunday Times

`Wonderful book . . . a vibrantly personal account of growing up in a family every bit as exotic as the continent which seduced it ... the Fuller family itself [is] delivered to the reader with a mixture of toughness and heart which renders its characters unforgettable'
Scotsman

`Her prose is fierce, unsentimental, sometimes puzzled, and disconcertingly honest . . , it is Fuller's clear vision, even of the most unpalatable facts, that gives her book its strength. Ft deserves to find a place alongside Olive Schreiner, Karen Blixen and Doris Lessing'
Sunday Telegraph

`Alexandra Fuller emerged from a deeply bigoted background as a funny and brilliant writer. With good grace, and even more good sense, she has reconsidered her childhood values. Her book is humorous and even-handed; it displays a wealth of understanding and sympathy for both sides of one of [Africa's] most bitter conflicts'
Times Literary Supplement

`Fuller's prose can be mannered, self-consciously `fresh' ... she has a sharp ear for comedy'
Scotland on Sunday

`Fuller has placed on record a neglected corner of social history and written a book that deserves to be read for generations'
Guardian

`While this is a thrilling adventure story, it is [Alexandra Fuller's] sensitivity to racial issues that marks out this book as a striking original'
The Times

`Through all the vicissitudes and excitements Fuller has preserved intact the vivid perceptions formed in her childhood, and relayed them here beautifully'
Financial Times

`Fuller writes poignantly and with a good deal of humour' Irish Independent `[Fuller] looks truth in the eye, writes it down and adds a twist of humour or irony'
New Statesman ~Don%27t Let%27s Go to the Dogs Tonight (P/B)|ISBN 0330490192|Don%27t Let%27s Go to the Dogs Tonight (H/B)|ISBN 0330490230|~11674~4647~Don%27t Let%27s Go to the Dogs Tonight%3A An African Childhood - Alexandra Fuller~

Lost in Africa - Stu Taylor~‘Lost in Africa’ is a colloquialism from the Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI), meaning ‘a state of bewilderment or cluelessness’, which Stu Taylor uses to describe his disjointed life. The parallels are clear as Taylor’s life in many ways mirrors the white Diaspora of central-southern Africa, particularly from Zimbabwe, and the subsequent fallout they have endured after the demise of colonialism and rise of brutal tyranny. Born in South Africa and raised in Southern Rhodesia to nomadic parents, Taylor’s early years were unsettled as he was shuffled from school to school during the 1950s. Describing himself as marginally above “really thick”, he signed on in 1967 with the RLI and served with that crack airborne unit for thirteen years, always at the forefront of hostilities during the bitter Rhodesian bush war.In 1980 he demobbed and slid into Civvy Street, at times an easy, and at times, a difficult transition, as he tried to find his place in the newly independent Zimbabwe. Again, in the late 1990s, he found himself on the ‘front line’—this time in the security business, desperately facing off against Mugabe’s ‘war veterans’ in their notorious land-grab campaign of farm invasions.Ultimately homeless, stateless and jobless, Taylor never gives up. This is his remarkable story.
ISBN-13 9781920143169. Paperback 216 pages.~~Lost in Africa|ISBN-13 9781920143169|~11674~11583~~

Honk if You Love Geese and Other Hunting Stories - Jim Woods~A memoir of the author's world hunting experiences. Approximately half the book deals with hunting in southern Africa - Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Honk if you love Geese and Other Hunting Stories is an affirmation of sport hunting. The author, Jim Woods, has hunted much of the world and gathered experiences that usually are available only to a small number of hunters. He has hunted in Canada, Spain, Honduras, and of course, Africa.
These exotic locales, and a large part of the United States as well, are the settings for this collection of the author's personal stories of hunting waterfowl, upland birds, small game, large game, and dangerous game. Honk if you love Geese stands out among other books on hunting because it utilizes a common perspective, wherein all the stories relate the hunting experiences of the same person, the author.
ISBN 141373541X 208 pages (October 30, 2004)~~Honk if You Love Geese|ISBN 141373541X|~11674~10995~Honk if You Love Geese and Other Hunting Stories - Jim Woods~

It Came Like a Thief in the Night - Martin Cragg~Born in Kenya at the time it was still a crown colony of Britain his book charts the life of a young man caught up in the brutal Rhodesian bush war in the 1970's and onward to his diagnosis with an incurable progressive neurological illness, Parkinson's Disease, and his life thereafter.
2007. Softback, 500 pages.~~It Came Like a Thief in the Night - Martin Cragg|8945|~11674~11660~~

Jambanja - Eric Harrison~A memoir and personal account of a Zimbabwean farmer and the Land Invasions. This humorous and devastatingly poignant novel is a fact based story of a white African's agonizing battle to save his home, farm and family from brutal and intimidating terror attacks. A Major Work, exploring the collective character of a rebellious Nation torn apart by racism and rationalization and offering an exciting insight into relationships between good governance and State sponsored thuggery and terrorism. The reader is taken into the story with such gut-wrenching reality, that putting down the book, is like fighting your way out of a vivid dream.
Eric Harrison 2007, Softback 216 pages.~Eric Richard Harrison / Lulu, 2007
Softback, 216 pages.

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He didn't say a word as Whitehat stepped forward. "We are the new owners of Maioio Farm." He said menacingly, as he pointed to the other three. "You have got 24 hours to get off ... now move it!"

Harry, a white Zimbabwean farmer, has fought to create a life out from under the shadow of war. From meagre beginnings he carves a successful citrus farm from the "dirt" of a newly-built settlement, only to have it ripped away in a series of vicious and shocking attacks. His family, friends and faith are sorely tested as he struggles to fight back "by the book."

Eric Harrison was inspired to write Jambanja after realising how uninformed those outside Zimbabwe are about the intimidation policies implemented by the government of Zimbabwe in the name of Land Redistribution.

A true Zimbabwean, born in the heart of the country, the author grew up amongst many challenges. He lived and worked with the local population, developing enduring friendships, and learning and respecting their customs and cultures... He grew up immersed in the Rhodesian political arena in a tumultuous era in that country's history. He had been a soldier in the Rhodesian forces, and ended the war as a Pilot in the Police Reserve Air-Wing. Eric Harrison has farmed in Zimbabwe for over 30 years.

Forced by "Jambanja" to leave their farm in South Eastern Zimbabwe, Eric and his wife Joan now live in Harare. They continue to fight for the restitution of their rights, dignity and self respect and those of the hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans of all races who have lost everything.

The purpose of documenting this heart-searing reality is to give them all a voice....


Extracted from the book ....

PREFACE

Much has been written about the legalities of who owned the land shortly after the arrival of the first colonials. The commercial farmer in Zimbabwe, today finds himself in a situation very similar to that of countries like America and Australia, where settlers found that the local population lived a simple and. arguably happy life, oblivious to the ways of the "first world. '

It was natural then that when the colonials did arrive., they brought with them new ideas that did not exist before and hence, development took place at a remark-able rate. In every successfully developed country., land tenure is in place to enable the title owner to use his property as collateral. Without this, loans that enable the. fanner to develop his investment would not be made available.

In the year 2000, at a stroke of a pen, the President of Zimbabwe changed the Constitution, declaring, "the people of Zimbabwe have been unjustifiably dispossessed of their land.". In other words, that the land had been stolen and everything that had gone into developing the land - the years of work, sacrifice and involvement - counted for nothing, Shortly afterwards, he unleashed the war veterans onto commercial farms, unconstitutionally and illegally, forcing the farmers off the land.

This is a true story and like all stories. the storyteller is a part of it too. It is my story. my life but I have told it from the outside. It is a complex and difficult situation in Zimbabwe and I had to take a step back from the intensity of it all to give you, the fullest and fairest picture that I could, so you could make, up your own mind about the justice or injustices done in the name of 'land redistribution'.

There were over 4.500 commercial farmers, their workers plus families at the start of the land invasions.

4,500 stories - this is just one of them.

Eric "Harry" Harrison~Jambanja|8875|~11674~11839~zimbabwe farm invasions, zimbabwe State sponsored thuggery terrorism~

Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa - Peter Godwin~Growing up in Rhodesia in the 1960s, Peter Godwin inhabited a magical and frightening world of leopard-hunting, lepers, witch doctors, snakes and forest fires. But as an adolescent, a conscripted boy-soldier caught in the middle of a vicious civil war, and then as an adult who returned to Zimbabwe as a journalist to cover the bloody transition to majority black rule, he discovered a land stalked by death and danger.
This book gives a true insight into what it was like to grow up in africa as a 'Mukiwa' - white man. It also shows the events leading to the current situation in Zimbabwe. It is brutal in some aspects but is well balanced with nice touches of family life and some good stories about Black and White relationships. If you are Zimbabwean, white or black, or if you want to know more about what it's like to be a Zimbo, this book is a must!
ISBN 0330339842, Paperback, 432 pages.~~Mukiwa|ISBN 0330339842|~11674~11026~Mukiwa%3A A White Boy in Africa - Peter Godwin~

Nickel Cross - Preller Geldenhuys~By author of Rhodesian Air Force Operations: With Air Strike Log
A lesson in War, and life, results in "to the Victor, the spoils". In other words, the Government in power writes its own so-called 'history'. Where this is lacking, especially in Africa, country name changes occur, followed by the hijacking of City, town and even street names. So, before long, places and names like Rhodesia and even Pretoria will fade into the past (dare I say history?). My factstory biography thus covers the past 100 years as a true Geldenhuys heritage - - from the Anglo-Boer war days of my grandfather Jannie (Oudad), my father Preller's East African Campaign during World War II - in forgotten Abyssinia and Eritrea I hasten to add, my own family and friends' Rhodesian War experiences, and my twilight years after a very rewarding second career with Masonite.
ISBN 978-1-9201-6977-0, 2007. Softback, 334 pages.~~Nickel Cross|ISBN 9781920169770|~11674~11679~~

Out of Action - Chris Cocks~The sequel to the best-selling Fireforce - One Man's War in the Rhodesian Light Infantry (Listed under 'Rhodesia - Military History').
It is an intensely personal journey of the story of a young man, brutalized by war, who seeks escape and in the process causes immeasurable pain and suffering to himself and to those around him. The book spans the period between 1979 and 1995, in Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe. Set in two parts, the first covers the last 15 months of the bush war during whilst serving in the Rhodesian PATU (Police Anti Terrorist Unit). The second part covers the author clumsy attempts to deal with civilian life in the newly independent, black African state.
(Originally published as Survival Course, this is a hard-cover, reworked version, with new photos, maps etc.)
ISBN 978-1-920143-20-6, March 2008. Hardback, 312 pp incl. 32pp colour photo section
Few (+/-10) advance copies expected towards mid May, with main shipment expected mid-June.
NOTE - see 'Special Offers' section at bottom of this page~30 Degrees South Publishing
ISBN 978-1-920143-20-6
March 2008
Hardback with dustjacket
234 x153mm
312 pp incl. 32pp colour photo section

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Originally published as Survival Course in 1999, now long out of print, Out of Action is a reworked and updated edition, the sequel to the best-selling Fireforce-one man's war in the Rhodesian Light Infantry. The book is divided into two distinct parts:

Part 1, 'War', chronicles Chris Cocks's final 16 months of combat in the Rhodesian bush war, as a stick leader in PATU, the Police Ant-Terrorist Unit. It is a time of unbelievable cruelty as the part-time white reservists battle overwhelming odds, without air support and … without a future, as Mugabe's ZANLA guerrillas swamp the country in the build-up to independence in 1980.

Part 2, 'Peace', recounts the author's painful adjustment to life as a civilian-a fifteen-year odyssey in the embryonic state of Zimbabwe. It is an intensely personal journey in which the author pulls no punches as he describes his clumsy attempts to come to terms with a) the new dispensation of black Africa and b) himself. It is a cri de couer, the story of a young man, brutalized by war, who seeks escape in alcohol and drugs, and who, in the process, causes immeasurable pain and suffering to those around him. These too are the casualties of war.

Ultimately, though, it is a story of hope, of a man's triumph over his own demons.

The Author
Chris Cocks lives in Johannesburg. He is a partner in the recently established South African publishing house, 30° South Publishers. He is the author of Fireforce (now in its fourth edition); Survival Course; a novel, Cyclone Blues; and is the editor and compiler of The Saints-The Rhodesian Light Infantry. He is currently writing the biography of his childhood, of growing up in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and the subsequent adjustment to life in the rebel colony of Rhodesia.~Out of Action|ISBN 9781920143206|~11674~11844~Survival Course, Chris Cocks, Fireforce~

Over My Shoulder - G V Rogers~Following an early childhood in Cape Town, struggling with school and receiving beatings at the hands of an authoritarian father, Guy Rogers developed the courage and strength of character that would serve him well throughout his varied and colourful career. Recounting here his time in the army, life working in the mines and for the police force in Rhodesia, the effects of apartheid upon his life are seen vividly alongside personal experiences of love and tragedy.In this charming account we encounter leading political figures, witness Royal visits and see the carefree innocence of youth survive even the worst political unrest. Re-examining his highs and lows with honesty, this is the story of one man as he looks back, over his shoulder, at his life.
Athena Press 2008. 140 pages~~Over My Shoulder - G V Rogers|9026|~11674~11901~~

Paget's Progress: A tale of high adventure and low salaries - Dick Paget~Paget's Progress is the true story of a man emerging from humble beginnings to a life packed with adventure and variety in Africa. Dick's varied career has included being an Rhodesian Army Medic; founding and then managing a rehabilitation centre for army casualties (Tsanga Lodge - Inganga); Outward Bound outdoor adventure centres and managing a security firm in Malawi. His story is told with humour, excitement and pathos; making it a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable read.
ISBN-13 9781434305329. AuthorHouse, 2007. Softback, 516 pages
Note - see title Tsanga: Place of Reeds, Place of Healing - Heather Powell listed under 'General'~AuthorHouse, 2007
ISBN-13 9781434305329
Softback, 516 pages

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Paget's Progress is the true story of a man emerging from humble beginnings to a life packed with adventure and variety in Africa. Dick's varied career has included being an army Medic; running a rehabilitation centre for army casualties (Tsanga Lodge); outward bound centres and managing a security firm in Malawi. His story is told with humour, excitement and pathos; making it a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Despite his humble upbringing Dick discovered that he had an uncanny ability to influence people and events; a natural gift that escapes his comprehension to this day. However it is a factor that becomes increasingly more apparent as his life unfolds.

Dick's story weaves through his childhood during the Second World War, his education, friendships, sporting activities and conscription into the RAF; each anecdote unfolding in a self deprecating style. After being accepted by the Rhodesian Army Medical Corps, Dick travelled to Africa.

From here on Dick treats the reader to a non-stop series of events that encompass just about every aspect of human experience, and the variety of his work experience and interests make it all the more intriguing. This idyllic lifestyle stops abruptly when Robert Mugabe comes to power in 1980. Dick did not get on at all well with Mugabe's interpretation of freedom, and not overly enthusiastic at the prospect of spending a few years in a Zimbabwe jail, the Pagets fled to South Africa.

From there the story tells the highs and lows of his family's nomadic times in South Africa, Scotland, Malawi and again in Zimbabwe before returning to England where they now live - for the moment. When the reader turns over the last page there will be the inescapable feeling that the Paget's have truly lived and enriched countless lives along the way.~Paget%27s Progress|ISBN-13 9781434305329|~11674~11535~Tsanga Lodge, rhodesian army medic, dick paget, outward bound~

Rainbow's End: A Memoir of Childhood, War and an African Farm - Lauren St.John~'Rainbow's End farm was a heavenly garden soaked in blood, or a fool's paradise, depending on how you looked at it.' This searingly honest memoir describes growing up on an African farm during the 'Rhodesian Bush War' and the twilight years of white colonialism in the 1970s. It also explores the shock yet euphoria of Zimbabwean independence in the 1980s as St John navigates her way through the immense personal and political changes. The abundance and beauty of Africa and its people as well as childhood innocence are superbly contrasted with the insidiousness of racism, war and nationalist propaganda to create an unforgettable read - eloquent, affecting and utterly spellbinding.
ISBN-13: 978-0241143360. May 2007. Hardcover, 304 pages.~

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This is a story about a paradise lost. . . . About an African dream that began with a murder . . .

In 1978, in the final, bloodiest phase of the Rhodesian civil war, eleven-year-old Lauren St John moves with her family to Rainbow's End, a wild, beautiful farm and game reserve set on the banks of a slowflowing river. The house has been the scene of a horrific attack by guerrillas, and when Lauren's family settles there, a chain of events is set in motion that will change her life irrevocably.

Rainbow's End captures the overwhelming beauty and extraordinary danger of life in the African bush. Lauren's childhood reads like a girl's own adventure story. At the height of the war, Lauren rides through the wilderness on her horse, Morning Star, encountering lions, crocodiles, snakes, vicious ostriches, and mad cows. Many of the animals are pets, including Miss Piggy and Bacon and an elegant giraffe named Jenny. The constant threat of ruthless guerrillas prowling the land underscores everything, making each day more dangerous, vivid, and prized than the last.

After Independence, Lauren comes to the bitter realization that she'd been on the wrong side of the civil war. While she and her family believed that they were fighting for democracy over Communism, others saw the war as black against white. And when Robert Mugabe comes into power, he oversees the torture and persecution of thousands of members of an opposing tribe and goes on to become one of Africa's legendary dictators. The ending of this beautiful memoir is a fist to the stomach as Lauren realizes that she can be British or American, but she cannot be African. She can love it -- be willing to die for it -- but she cannot claim Africa because she is white.~Rainbow%27s End|ISBN13 9780241143360|~11674~11481~~

The Kevin Woods Story: In the Shadow of Mugabe's Gallows - Kevin Woods~Kevin worked as a double agent for the South African apartheid government and Robert Mugabe's Central Intelligence Organization in the 80s. As head of Mugabe's CIO in Matabeleland, Kevin had first hand knowledge and was privy to much of what went on within the ranks of Mugabe's regime and 5th Brigade's atrocities. After Kevin was compromised for his anti-ANC activities, he was incarcerated in the notorious Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison (Harare) for 20 years, five of which were spent naked on death row (was weighed every Thursday so they could adjust the hangman's noose). His release was pleaded to Mugabe by none other than Nelson Mandela in the 90s but this fell on deaf ears. Finally, during 2006, he received a presidential pardon. Kevin now lives in South Africa and has launched a well-received career in motivational speaking. This is his story.
2007. ISBN-13 9781920143145. Hardback 328 pages.~30 Degrees Publishing, 2007
ISBN-13 9781920143145 Hardback
328 pages.

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"He who tells the truth is not well liked" - Bambara of Mali proverb

Kevin Woods was sentenced to death in Zimbabwe and jailed for twenty years by Robert Mugabe. For more than five years of his detention he was held in the shadow of Mugabe's gallows, cut off from the world, naked and in solitary confinement. He had been a senior member of Mugabe's dreaded Central Intelligence Organization, the CIO, and was jailed for committing politically motivated offences, on behalf of the white South African government, against the ANC in Zimbabwe.

From Mugabe's confidant to condemned prisoner he recounts his life on the edge, as a double agent. He explains the desolation of being abandoned by South Africa when he was compromised and he details his lone fight to maintain his humanity, self-dignity and sanity in a prison system that belongs to the Middle Ages. Removed from society and with his fundamental human rights arbitrarily withdrawn, Woods has been there, done that, and has got the T-shirt when it comes to stress, utter hopelessness and coping while under the most desperate conditions imaginable.

This book will inspire you to take an introspective look at your own life, your careers, your aspirations and ambitions. His story, unlike so many others has a happy ending with him hugging his now-adult children and meeting former President Nelson Mandela being the highlights.

"Maybe I made it through those 7,140 days and nights by fooling myself so often. Maybe it was my God. Maybe it was stubbornness and my knowledge that Mugabe and his cronies wanted nothing more than for me to die, of natural causes in that dismal place. (He couldn't just send the goons to kill me, you see? There were too many people and a few governments as well who were watching.) I did not want to give Mugabe that gratification, and that was serious motivation for me to persevere.

Whatever it was, through all those years of having my hopes eroded time after time, just like the waves, I made it. Whether I am sane or not (I figure this is debatable) I did it. We can all do it no matter how dark things get, no matter how sad, how desperate, how fucking morbid.

Reach inside and strive to get through, even if it's only 'till tomorrow'."


"I have lost so many years of my life that my future is now behind me." It is not a statement of self-pity, but of truth.

This book is not for the squeamish-it tells of murder, genocide, cruelty and torture, political duplicity and betrayal-and of the baseness and cheapness of life in an African prison ... and Africa.It is a story of hopelessness ... and hope.


Woods on his sentencing ...

I was sentenced to death on 18th December 1988. They don't use the words, "You are sentenced to death" in Zimbabwe - the judge just said, "You are convicted of murder with constructive intent for which there is only one sentence." Then, he just stood up and walked out. I was alone in court that day.


Woods on death row ...

I was locked up naked in Chikurubi's death row for five years, alone and in a cell twenty-three hours of every day. I could not see if it was day or night and I was not allowed into the sunlight in the exercise yard. During my exercise time I would stand and gaze down the corridor leading to the exercise yard with such a profound longing to feel the sun's warmth on my naked body that I'd think sometimes my heart would squeeze itself shut with heartache ...
It was close, so close to despair so many times. I made a rope out of shredded blanket, but somehow I endured, often just till the next day. "Just till tomorrow, Woodsie," I'd tell myself. "Just till tomorrow."


Woods on jail ...

For one of my wife's visits the power was out and we were allowed to visit in a interview room, separated only by wire mesh. My heart broke as I sat there, smelling her perfume, seeing her clearly for the first time in years, hearing her voice without distortion, and most of all being able to hold onto her little finger which she stuck through the mesh. For dear life I clung to that pinkie, the only contact with another human being in all those years, the tip of her pinkie, and I was like the proverbial drowning man, clutching to that straw for all I could.


Woods on his release ...

Vincent van Gogh painted the picture that inspired Don McLean to sing Vincent with its haunting lines `Starry, starry night'. I have always loved that song and it holds many memories for me - none more poignant than that night of 1 st July 2006 when after midnight on the second, I looked at a crystal-clear sky filled with stars so near and so bright ... for the first time in twenty years.
Barry handed me a cell phone. "What do I do with this?" I asked. He showed me how to switch it on and the rest of that day dissolved into phone call after phone call, starting with my children, whom I hadn't spoken to for nearly two decades.~The Kevin Woods Story|ISBN-13 9781920143145|~11674~11635~ Kevin Woods, Chikurubi Prison, CIO~

The Last Safari: A Season of Discovery in Zimbabwe - Bruce VanBuskirk~This is the true story of an American hunter, Bruce VanBuskirk, who spent the 2001 season living a dream, working on safari in Zimbabwe. Full of fascinating characters, adventure and excitement, it also deals truthfully with the hard lessons learned about the future of hunting in Africa. This is a day by day description of the events, places and people who make the safari industry work in Zimbabwe. You'll travel the bush with the author, getting to know the professional hunters and clients, company employees, local villagers, and learn just how much work it takes to run a safari operation in a third world country. Fuel shortages, poaching, war vets seizing property, broken rifles, snakes, charging elephants, and wounded buffalo were all in a day's work. This is a rare look at the behind the scenes efforts to make a client's dreams come true. This deluxe paperback features non stop action, observations on the current political situation in Zimbabwe, as well as the stories of citizens forced to deal with the realities of life in Africa.
ISBN-13 9781420887709, Paperback~Authorhouse, 2007
ISBN-13 9781420887709, Paperback

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About the Author
Born in the mid 1950's, the author learned to hunt at an early age at the family farm in southern Michigan. He received his first gun, a gift from his grandfather, at the age of 11. It was a single shot 16 gauge which was used to wreak havoc on the game bird population for many years, until finances allowed for more expensive and sophisticated shotguns.

After college the author entered the field of law enforcement, serving as a police officer for eight years in southern Michigan, after which he moved to Indianapolis to further his career on a larger Department. He joined the SWAT Team in 1989, serving first as a sniper, then as Sniper Coordinator.

The author served as the SWAT Team commander for the last two years of his tenure, retiring from the Team in 1999. His Law Enforcement career ended in 2001, and shortly afterwards he left for Africa, his fourth safari.

The author's hunting career began at about the age of three, when his grandfather convinced him to tie a carrot onto a string and attempt to catch rabbits at the family farm. He learned to bird and deer hunt in the farmland of southern Michigan, and as he got older he traveled to western states to hunt mule deer and antelope, as well as moose and bear in Canada. He made his first safari in 1994, hunting in South Africa just before the election of Nelson Mandela to the office of President of South Africa.

The author currently manufactures motorcycle accessories under the business name Howlingdog, and enjoys hunting and camping in the mountains of Arizona when he can find some free time.

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Extracts

Kalsiga, the river camp, was to become my favorite place in all Africa. Located deep inside the concession, it was a place where one always kept his rifle handy, and offered constant contact with game as well as isolation from anything resembling modern man.

The camp was located at roughly the far east end of the same escarpment on which Main Camp had been built. Getting to the camp involved driving over 26 kilometers of a most brutal road, and every single trip was an exercise in self abuse.

The road meandered across the top of the escarpment for about 20 kilometers and then headed down the far side towards a small delta formed in the Ume River, The normal routine was to stop and pick up a Game Scout at the beginning of the Kalsiga road, as government regulations require one be with the hunting party at all times. The Game Scouts were employed by the Tribal Council, and lived in a small compound of block buildings just off the main tar road.

After traveling for many kilometers through alternating thick bush and relatively open areas, during which deep sand would require 4 wheel drive to pass, the road basically ended and a trail of sorts wound down the rocky side of the escarpment. At the terminus of the road proper was a breathtaking view of the river valley below. First gear was the only way to travel the next portion, and the going was slow and brutal on man and machine alike as the trail was navigated.

Once down off the escarpment the road reappeared and became fairly smooth and level, winding through an area of sparse jess until within about two kilometers of the river. At that point the vegetation appeared as a wall of green with a jungle like appearance, thick and heavy. Just before camp the road dropped steeply and there was always a significant drop in temperature as the level of the river was reached.

I first saw this place three years earlier, and it had been a mere fly camp at the time, with a couple of large surplus military style tents and the kitchen, but nothing more... I took elephant from here, and once spent a long cold night in a pit dug into the riverbed calling hyenas. As the moon finally rose high enough to illuminate the bait my PH realized it was gone. We left the pit to investigate and discovered a lion had taken the zebra quarter out from under our noses.

Now Kalsiga was a permanent installation. Situated along the riverbank under a high canopy of Acacia Albida trees, 4 chalets had been built, all on stilts to protect them when the river flooded during the rainy season. Each chalet stood about two meters off the ground, and consisted of a reed wall about 1 meter high covered with a thatch roof. The floor had been made by laying sheet metal roofing material down on top of the stilts and covering it with about 2 inches of cement. It made for a very solid, smooth floor that was easy to sweep. On the back side of the chalet was a shower area that had a separate entrance, allowing the waiter to fill the shower without disturbing the client's privacy.

A communal dining chalet had been built closer to the river bank, also raised on stilts, and it could comfortable seat a dozen or so. There had also been a bar and concrete fire pit closer to the river, but the floods from the previous rainy season had removed about 50 feet of the river bank and wiped out these structures.

Off to one side of the compound, separated by a reed wall, was the kitchen, which was built of concrete block and covered with a tin metal roof. .......~The Last Safari|ISBN-13 9781420887709|~11674~11550~~

Seasons In The Sun - Craig Musson~In 1978 Craig started his high school career in what was then Salisbury, Rhodesia at Vainona High School. Follow his ups and downs, the tears and laughs through his high school journey. This book also chronicles the political upheaval and changes as the country gained independance in 1980 and became the new nation of Zimbabwe.
Publisher: Craig Musson, 2006. paperback 236 pages.~LuluSelf published - C Musson, 2006~Seasons In The Sun|8814|~11674~11395~Salisbury Rhodesia Vainona school, Craig Musson,~

Tengwe Garden Club: My Story of Zimbabwe - Ann Rothrock Beattie~North Carolina native Ann Rothrock Beattie has produced an autobiographical account of her unique and endearing love story that began on a safari in Zimbabwe, Africa. Her safari love affair eventually lands her in rural Africa on a tobacco farm, where she deals with the challenges and delights of living in Tengwe, Zimbabwe. In her memoir, Ann Beattie gives an open and honest account of various wildlife encounters, a charming community life and the many people she came to know during her time there, and, of course, the love of her life Dave Beattie. The story is set against the backdrop of the unstable tyrannical rule of dictator Robert Mugabe. Mrs. Beattie, her family and their community are ultimately forced to make difficult decisions when their lives and lands come into jeopardy as a result of the political climate in which they live.
Lulu 2008. ISBN: 978-0-6152-0073-6. Softback 153 pages.~~Tengwe Garden Club|ISBN 9780615200736|~11674~11826~~

The Penny-a-line Man - Reg Shay~The popular image of journalistic life in days gone by may well be of the heaving newsroom, populated by harassed men with press passes stuck in the bands of their trilbies, but what of the life of the roving freelancer, scribing under his own steam?Orphaned Reg Shay began working life in Fleet Street during the Second World War as a messenger before moving up to the news desk and later becoming a South London court reporter. He subsequently moved to Rhodesia for family health reasons where he became a respected and sought-after international war and political correspondent writing for, amongst others, the Evening Standard, Time, Life, and the Mirror; broadcasting regularly on America’s ABC News (radio) and ITN’s News at Ten.From death-defying excursions up the crocodile- infested Zambezi river (he survived a croc attack), to becoming one country’s ‘most wanted man’ for untrue alleged espionage activities; he was directly responsible for saving many children‘s lives by discovering a Rhodesian "concentration camp" and then forcing its immediate closure. He covered four African civil wars over an nineteen-year period, from the Congo to Mozambique, Rhodesia and Angola. During the latter, Henry Kissinger relied solely on Shay’s Associated Press reports.This is the story of a life, filmic in its intensity and excitement and uncompromising in honesty and principles (he twice resigned in a personal battle against media censorship), rendered all the more amazing for the fact that Shay appears to have more lives than a clowder of cats.
Athena Press, 2006. ISBN 1844017133. Softback 436 pages~~The Penny-a-line Man|ISBN 1844017133|~11674~11672~~

The Victorians: Memories of South Africa and Rhodesia - Tony Seward~A fast moving autobiography of a former member of the British South Africa Police in Rhodesia. A story of the terrorist war in Rhodesia and his part in that war. Tony Seward attested into the B.S.A. Police in 1958 and served for twenty-five years in the force before retiring in 1983 as an Inspector. After his retirement in 1983 Tony took up the position of site manager of the Kyle boat club near Masvingo in the new Zimbabwe. He then tells of the deterioration of the economy and the eventual land invasions by former terrorists and others hungry for land, up to the time he had to leave the country in 2004 for security and safety reasons.
ISBN 1-4120-9147-0, Paperback. 254 pages~Trafford Publishing 2006, ISBN 1-4120-9147-0
Paperback. 254 pages

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This is the autobiography of a former member of the B.S.A. Police, of Rhodesia, a force with a long and distinguished reputation as one of the finest police forces in the world.

Born in London England in 1940 Tony Seward attested into the B.S.A. Police on the 17th November 1958 and served for twenty-five years in the force before retiring in 1983 as an Inspector.

They were turbulent times in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Harold Macmillan*s *winds of change* had turned into a raging storm of political unrest, which swept through Africa culminating in an all out terrorist war, which eventually engulfed the entire region. Tony found himself thrown into this turmoil and became a reluctant rebel when the Rhodesian Government declared unilateral independence on the 11th November 1965. Terrorist incursions into the country were increasing and there was no time to reflect upon the rights or wrongs of the Ian Smith Governments unilateral declaration of independence.

He spent much of his service in Victoria Province in the South of Rhodesia and most of that in the South Eastern area at Vila Salazar, a police post on the Mocambique border where the countries Political restricted were being held in camps.

He grew to love the Gonarezhou area, its wild life and its people and made many friends in Rhodesia, South Africa and Mocambique during his service in that area. As the terrorist war crept Southwards Tony cultivated these friends as willing agents for the Rhodesian Security branch.

He tells of the tragedies and triumphs of the country then attacked from all directions and the eventual take over of the Rhodesian Government by the Mugabe led Zimbabwe African National Union in April 1980.

After his retirement in 1983 Tony moved to take up the position of site manager of the Kyle boat club near Masvingo in the new Zimbabwe.

He tells of the deterioration of the economy and the eventual land invasions by former terrorists and others hungry for land.

Personal concerns for his own safety and security resulted in Tony returning to the United Kingdom in 2004 and his struggles to get into the *system*. He tells of his efforts to re establish old friendships and how he has managed to adjust to his new environment after fifty-seven years in Africa.~The Victorians|ISBN 1412091470|~11674~11306~British South Africa Police, BSAP, terrorist terrorism~

Useless Worthless Priceless - Cheryl Clary~An extraordinary awe-inspiring true story of the captivating journey of a child to woman 'victim', who endured war, betrayal, and debilitating addiction, which will undoubtedly connect with your every emotion.
Trafford 2007. ISBN 1425129528, Paperback 333 pages~Trafford 2007
ISBN 1425129528
Paperback
333 pages

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About the Book

This is the story of a young girl's heartbreak, firstly shattered by those around her calling her 'night-ape' and 'problem child', and then in the cruellest of ways seeing her trust smashed upon the rocks of life when she was raped by the very man/boy she gave her most treasured possession... her heart.

The mould was set; Cheryl's parents often challenged her identity within the family because they said she made their lives miserable and intolerable. Raised in a well respected family in the town of Umtali, Rhodesia, her parents slept away their embarrassment and disgust at her being raped, whilst Cheryl hugged her bruised body and soul, and the shame close to her.

The broken and spiritually ravaged Cheryl survived the Rhodesian War, and the loss of people she loved. As a victim, she attracted abusers, and married a cruel, controlling man. As a refugee in South Africa, unwelcome and unexpectedly pregnant her life spiralled into despair and emotional isolation.

After years of abuse, Cheryl divorced her alcoholic husband and began a new life with her two children. Five years later, he returned, sober and kind, she remarried him, and they relocated to England. He betrayed her again with alcohol, and Cheryl gave up. She reverted to the role of victim again, and drank her despair and pain away; she shunned reality and life, and crossed the threshold into oblivion.

In her own words, Cheryl tells how she went to hell in a nightmare relationship, and fought back to become a successful author.


About the Author

I decided not to use this space to tell you where I was born and raised, nor any other details of my life, as all this and much more is what my book is about. Instead I will tell you about me, and why I chose to write my story.

I am not famous, and have no claim to celebrity status, and I had only ever written my book in my mind. I haven't done anything to attract the interest of the public, and there is no reason you would have ever heard my name until now.

Throughout the years, as each challenge and experience bludgeoned its way into my life, I thought 'I must write about that'. So many of us share experiences that we feel isolated in, and which have perceived or real stigma's attached, so we keep them to ourselves. The many times I felt that way, I endeavoured to find any type of material, seeking corroboration, empathy, even a general understanding. All I found were statistics.

I have now written my story, in the hope that as well as being an exciting, emotional and excellent read, that it will be an inspiration to some, a comfort and support to others, and entertainment for the rest. ~Useless Worthless Priceless|ISBN 1425129528|~11674~11561~rape, Cheryl Clary~

When a Crocodile Eats the Sun - Peter Godwin~A follow up to 'Mukiwa: A White Boy In Africa'.
Ten years after leaving Zimbabwe, Peter Godwin is living in Manhattan when he is summoned home because his father is dying. He finds his birthplace, formerly the breadbasket of an entire continent, entering a vortex of violent chaos and famine, prey to goon squads, presided over by a paranoid kleptocracy. But his parents, who emigrated there from England after the Second World War, refuse to leave. It is against this backdrop that Godwin discovers a fifty-year-old family secret: his father's identity in an invention. This Anglo-African colonial in a safari suit and desert boots is, in fact, a Polish Jew whose family was torn apart by the Holocaust. 'When a crocodile eats the sun' is how some remote tribespeople of Zimbabwe explain a solar eclipse: the celestial crocodile, they say, briefly consumes the life-giving star as a warning that he is much displeased with man below - the very worst of omens. Peter Godwin's powerful, moving memoir describes dark times and dark aspects of human behaviour spanning two continents and half a century; it is a searing portrayal of a son's effort to rescue his family, and a family's struggle to belong in a hostile land.
ISBN 0330433695, hardback. 416 pages. Mar 2007.~Publisher: Picador (2 Mar 2007)
Hardcover: 416 pages
ISBN-10: 0330433695
ISBN-13: 978-0330433693

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The story of the disintegration of a family, set against the collapse of a country, a sequel of sorts to Peter Godwin's award-winning and bestselling memoir, Mukiwa.

Peter Godwin, an award-winning writer, is on assignment in Zululand (South Africa) when he is summoned by his mother to Zimbabwe, his birthplace. His father is seriously ill; she fears he is dying. Godwin finds his country, once a post-colonial success story, descending into a vortex of violence and racial hatred incited by an embattled dictator.

His father recovers, but over the next few years, Godwin travels regularly between his family life in Manhattan USA and the increasing chaos of Zimbabwe, where inflation runs so fast that the currency can't keep up; where land seizures have made famine a real prospect; and where his parents, emigrants from post-war England, are refusing to abandon their home. It is against this backdrop that Godwin discovers a fifty-year-old family secret, one which changes everything he thought he knew about his father, and his own place in the world.

'When a crocodile eats the sun' is how some remote tribes explain the solar eclipse that coincides with Zimbabwe's torment; a celestial crocodile, they say, briefly consumes the life-giving star to demonstrate his displeasure with man below. In a land in which the forces of light are apparently giving way to those of the dark, it seems the very worst of omens. Peter Godwin's book combines vivid reportage, moving personal stories and revealing memoir, and traces his family's quest to belong in hostile lands - a quest that spans three continents and half a century.

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Reviews
'It is the down-to-earth, finely observed description of Zimbabwe's collapse and an elderly couple's dignity in dealing with it that really carries this book' Graham Boynton, Telegraph

'It's a fine book, with the love and anger that Godwin feels towards Africa and his father moderated by a mordant, laconic style.' The Times

'In beautifully measured prose he manages to both personalise the inexorable break down of civilisation and destruction of a society, and untangle the complex historical forces behind it…this outstanding memoir' TNT

'Affecting' Independent

'If any white belongs to Africa, it is Godwin…His passion for the continent is the real thing…Peter Godwin's is a wonderful book…It is beautifully written, packed with insight and free of rancour' Literary Review

'An intimate and tender portrait of a rather remarkable marriage' Observer

'In one of a succession of powerful, poignant scenes, he accompanies his father to the bakers' Telegraph

'Compellingly written, it's a brilliant exploration of belonging and identity, homeland and family by a writer at the peak of his powers' Sainsbury's magazine

~When a Crocodile Eats the Sun|ISBN-13 9780330433693|~11674~11432~~

Where Flamelilies Grow - Graham Longstaff~An autobiography. A life story of a young British boy, who moved to the mystical and exciting continent of Africa in the 1960's, and covers the changes in lifestyle, cultures and adaptation to life in Africa, telling the story in a way that the man in the street can relate to. The book covers the author's life in Zambia, Zimbabwe/Rhodesia, South Africa and Namibia, including his schooling, National Service in Rhodesia (Greys Scouts), the highs and lows in his life during the turbulent years of the Rhodesian bush war, the cultural differences, the political & economic changes in Southern Africa, his marriage and divorce, and the events leading to his being thrown out of Zimbabwe in 1996 and finally his return to the UK.
ISBN 1413774601 260 pages (July 25, 2005)~~Where Flamelilies Grow|ISBN 1413774601|~11674~10994~Where Flamelilies Grow - Graham Longstaff~

Without Honour - Robb JW Ellis~Without Honour is the true story of a white policeman in post-independant Zimbabwe. Join Robb as he details the brief history of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe, taking you to the beginnings of the dissident problem in the Matabeleland Province in early 1982 - the ambush and killings of two of his own friends - the tracking and ensuing gunfight with dissidents and the death of a work colleague. Witness the horrendous scenes as Robert Mugabe lets his North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade loose on the Matabele population. How Robb attempts to handle normal police work in the direct result of these heinous acts, with little or no support or direction. The discovery of dead bodies and the witnessing of the destruction of these - nothing makes sense anymore. What will he do? Spill the beans or walk away? Witness a surprise meeting that Robb has with Robert Mugabe at a luncheon and experience the subsequent decisions Robb has to make as he serves a government that is determined to serve the population "Without Honour" ...
Note - Fifth Brigade, drawn from 3500 ex-ZANLA combatants, was different to all other army units at the time, in that it was not integrated into the army. It was answerable only to the Prime Minister, and not to the normal army command structures. Their codes, uniforms, radios and equipment were not compatible with other army units. In 1988, Mugabe announced an amnesty for all dissidents, and later extended the amnesty to include all members of the security forces who had committed human rights violations.
Lulu 2007, Softback 248 pages.~Robb Ellis, 2007
Softback, 248 pages
B/W photos

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Reviews

Review from Folksnyheter by Kenneth Walgren

"Fuck off! You fucking racist! Get yourself out of my country!"

To Robb WJ Ellis, a young white recently appointed policeman in Zimbabwe just after Robert Mugabe's accession to power, it was soon made clear what the new potentates thought of him. At the same time that Mugabe was being lauded by much of the rest of the world, his secret armies were murdering thousands of his political opponents and the ethnic cleansing of the country's white inhabitants continued.

Kenneth Wallgren from Swedish newspaper Folkets Nyheter reviews Robb WJ Ellis' book "Without Honour", a unique documentation from within African politics in practice.....

"The war was over and Robert Mugabe was the new leader of the country as its Prime Minister.

Independence came and went. The family stayed. I breathed a sigh of relief...

Mugabe had addressed the nation and had offered a "hand of reconciliation". He wasn't interested in what colour you were. He wasn't interested in who you fought for pre-1980… He didn't even care who you voted for in the election - he had secured 63% of the voters in the election that brought him and his party to power.

If you wanted to stay, you could stay. He just wanted people who would help build Zimbabwe into the pride of Africa.

And do you know the strange thing about his speech? We all believed it. We all swallowed it - hook, line and sinker."

The excerpt above is taken from "Without Honour", an book about Rhodesia, a grand white civilization that in 1980 was renamed Zimbabwe and subsequently turned into a black banana republic. The author, Rhodesian Robb WJ Ellis was working as a young policeman after the country's transition to Zimbabwe. The title of the book alludes to how Robert Mugabe is serving his country without honour.

Ellis chronologically depicts the development of Rhodesia up until the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965, which shocked the British and the rest of the world since no British colony had declared itself independent since the 4th of July 1776 when the United States of America was founded.

Next, Ellis tells about the Bush War in Rhodesia during the 1970's when several military elite forces were created, proving the Rhodesians to be the best soldiers in the world. He also describes the black terrorist groups and mentions how they were backed by the Soviet Union, China and North Korea. In his book he reminds us of the elements that took over after the White rule, elements who devoted themselves to robbery, murder and inconceivable violence against their fellow citizens, their political opponents in particular.

For at the same time as the leaders, media and leftwing intellectuals of the Western world unreservedly were lauding Robert Mugabe, the new black leader of Zimbabwe, Robb Ellis was forced to collect the body parts of people who were murdered by Robert Mugabe's North Korea trained 5th brigade and intelligence service (CIO). In the 1980's between 20,000 and 30,000 Zimbabweans of the Matabele tribe became the victims of genocide perpetrated by Mugabe and his supporters who were Shona, the largest tribe in Zimbabwe.

Criminal and "radical" elements took care of politics and the world at large had no objections. On the contrary! From then on, matters could only deteriorate.

Following an explanation of the country's historical background, Robb Ellis gives his personal reflections. He begins by explaining how it was emotionally very painful for him to write down his story. His dream had been to become - and remain - just an ordinary policeman. He wanted to solve crimes and make law-abiding citizens out of criminals. But it was not going to be as simple as that. Just like every good policeman he did his job and left his political opinions at home. He was young, had a sense of duty and did his job until his black superiors called him a racist, considered him to be a security risk and forced him into house-arrest.

In his book Robb Ellis describes a meeting with a representative of Zimbabwe's secret intelligence service, CIO. It took place in the beginning of the 1980's on the scene of a crime when Ellis was investigating a case in which a teacher had been murdered in cold blood by soldiers from Mugabe's secret army in front of his young pupils. Before the shooting of their teacher the children had been abused, threatened to death and forced to sing songs extolling the virtues of Robert Mugabe and his party, ZANU PF.

This was just the beginning of the witch hunt of whites in Zimbabwe perpetrated by the government, a witch hunt which later on was to claim many victims. The white farmers were threatened, deprived of all of their rights and were murdered. As the number of whites fleeing the country increased further, Zimbabwe became more and more traditionally African.

So far Robb Ellis, who summarizes his story hoping that one day it will be possible for him to re-establish himself in his old home country. This is a hope he shares with many Rhodesians.

Robb Ellis is one of all of those Rhodesians who have written down their stories. Like other Rhodesians he truly loves his country. When speaking to expatriates of Rhodesia we find that their relationship to their country is passionate. Losing their country was just the same as losing a great love. That is why there are so many, many stories of every detail of the country's history and they are almost always filled with a deep longing and the dream of being able to recreate what once was. But unfortunately that dream most probably will remain just a dream.

However, there is tremendously much to learn from what befell Rhodesia. The world powers have far from ceased putting pressure on white civilizations. They would rather have them all perish before the slanderers of people of European origin are satisfied. This is why it is important also for Swedes to learn from the fact that civilizations actually can perish and that this could well happen to Sweden soon.

I urge you to read Robb Ellis' book. Even though it is apolitical, it is enormously instructive and interesting."

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Readers comments

"I have never set foot in Africa, but this book made me all the more aware that the atrocities you read about elsewhere also happen in Africa. The story left me in tears and I enjoyed the book thoroughly. A very easy read."

DM (United Kingdom)


"I have just finished reading your book and wow. Very emotional and sad! I enjoy your style of writing. I kept wondering how you dealt with witnessing such atrocities. It made me realise (again) why I left (South) Africa. Call me over cautious but I would rather get out early than go through what you did. Guess I'm a scaredy cat. I was surprised that they made such racist remarks to you at work! I have been called "whitey" in SA a few times in the street and while it was tempting to yell: Screw you kaffir! (or something like that) I didn't as I am sure I would have gotten jailed or the shit kicked out of me... or even worse... a bullet in the head. I still strongly believe blacks are FAR more racist than whites.

I enjoyed the bit about Robert Mugabe. Many people always say to me that the guy is a mad lunatic like Hitler or Stalin etc but I disagree. I think to get into a position like that requires intelligence. You don't get to that position in life from being an idiot! I'm not saying I agree with what Mugabe has done to Rhodesia (far from it) but I do not think he is mad... just power hungry and willing to do whatever it takes to stay in power. I just wonder when SA gets its first dictator...

Please don't stop writing, its people like you and Jan that make a difference. It would be great to listen to you again on the Right Perspective! I really enjoy the "raw" truth and that's what I love about the internet. If you read/listen to the right sources you can get the greatest news ever. In fact, I don't even bother with reading the mainstream news/media anymore. I apply that way of thinking to all areas of my life. I have never followed the crowd nor do I plan to! "

TVD (United Kingdom)


"Overall, I found the book very good. The first bit, detailing the rise to power of Mugabe, was a little disjointing, too much jumping back and forward in time, which may lead to a little confusion with people who are not as familiar with Rhodesia's history as I am. But, once Robb gets on to his personal history in the police force, the story flowed well and held my attention.

I left Zimbabwe at the end of 1981, so I was intrigued to hear the real story of some of the events that happened after that. Robb has managed to recreate the atmosphere, feelings, and personalities such that I became emotionally involved in his story. The many pictures added spice to the story, and were very interesting.

Well done."

BB (Australia)


"I read your book and found it totally amazing, a very true and rare chronicle of the atrocities and horrors of the Gukurahundi and Mugabe's reign of terror, an awakening of reality which no true Rhodesian or Zimbabwean, or in fact, anybody connected to our country should go without reading. Reading parts of your book was also dramatic and emotional for me."

RP (United Kingdom)


"I like the book, very hard hitting. The book is one that has a specific audience ie from that part of the world."

PWC (Central Asia)


"Just a short note to say that I really enjoyed the book and will certainly recommend it. Without question, Jan was right to encourage you to write this book as it is very informative. I have learnt so much about what life was like behind the scenes, a really good history lesson. Thanks again and good luck with your next book, if you are not writing another... get to it! Maybe a fiction novel?

DY (United Kingdom)


"Have just finished (and thoroughly enjoyed) "Without Honour". It brought all sorts of memories back - some not so welcome.

I wonder whether you recall the murder of four farmers at Somabula Country Club in the mid 80s by 'dissidents'? This was the community in which I grew up.

What I cannot understand is why you never took the plunge and did an LLB. It is obvious to me that you would have made a good lawyer."

MP (Unknown Location)


Robb, I came home and reread your book, cover to cover, absorbing every bloody word!

I felt I was there with you when you found Wally dead, the single quarters, Gwanda, the kraals, yikes man, it was way too real for me! Before, I had skimmed the book on computer because of interruptions etc - but this time, it all soaked in, page by page!

I could even see you sitting with Mugabe eating, trying to do your duty but not relishing the fact, loss of friends, black, white, leaving the police force. All in all one fantastic representation of what a decent police officer with no racial bias, but a deep sense of duty to his country, went through!

A fabulous book! Honest, if it wasn't I'd tell you!

I often wondered what life was like in early post Rhodesian days and this said it all!

PM (United States)


"I finally got to read Robb's book. It has been sitting there with 10001 things going on.

It was excellent. It has a lot of emotion, anger and humanity. What surprised me was his naeivity (initially) in fact even with things falling down around him there was still the possibly, the disbelief that it could happen - so that means there is another reason.

I felt anger and sorrow with the occasional laugh. For me, what came across was that it was a release of demons within Robb but this is only part of the book and does not overwhelm it, more ripple along like a sub-tune within the overall story. Not mentioned but felt.

I would recommend it as a good read, when you can sit and immerse yourself in a book, it can cause raw emotion then it is well worth reading."

CL United Kingdom~Without Honour|8843|~11674~11521~Zimbabwe Fifth Brigade, Zimbabwe Republic Police, ZANU PF, gukurahundi~

Zambezi Patrol - Tony Robinson~An eighteen year old English youth realizes a dream to enlist in the British South Africa Police, in Southern Rhodesia. He tells of his early naivety, and recounts the experiences that propel him toward manhood, and the ultimate decision to forsake his sheltered employment in the police force and leave Rhodesia to make his way in the commercial world, down south.
2007. Paperback, 196 pages.~~Zambezi Patrol|8860|~11674~11511~British South Africa Police, bsap,~