A Handful of Hard Men, Hannes Wessels
A Handful of Hard Men, Hannes Wessels
3 Rating(s)
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A Handful of Hard Men
The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia

Author: Hannes Wessels

Narrator: Jack Chekijian

Unabridged: 12 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/08/2017


Synopsis

It is difficult to find another soldier's story to equal Captain Darrell Watt's in terms of time spent on the field of battle and challenges faced. Even by the lofty standards of the SAS and Special Forces, one has to look far to find anyone who can match his record of resilience and valor in the face of such daunting odds and with resources so paltry.

In the fight he showed himself to be a military maestro. A bush-lore genius, blessed with uncanny instincts and an unbridled determination to close with the enemy, he had no peers as a combat-tracker (and there was plenty of competition). But the Rhodesian theater was a fluid and volatile one in which he performed in almost every imaginable fighting role.

After twelve 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 biography 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 cares so deeply about.

About Hannes Wessels

Hannes Wessels was born in 1956 in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) but grew up in Umtali on the Mozambican border. As a boy, holidays were spent with Game Department rangers; time on safari in Mozambique with the late Wally Johnson was a big influence on him.

Wessels also grew to know Robert Ruark whose love of Africa, its people, politics and the written word left a lasting impression. He saw action in the Rhodesian bush war before acquiring a law degree which he chose not to use. He has hunted big game in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania in a twenty-year career. In 1994 he was severely gored by a wounded buffalo which almost cost him his life.

While no longer directly involved in hunting, he is part-owner of a lodge and game ranch in Zambia on the Zambezi and remains keenly interested in all matters relating to African wildlife and conservation. He has published Strange Tales from the African Bush, a collection of anecdotes from his hunting days. He is also a syndicated writer for Outdoor Life.

He is married to Mandy and has two daughters, Hope and Jana, and lives in Darling in the Western Cape of South Africa.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ryan on February 04, 2018

I am saddened that I could only give this book 5 stars - it deserves more. I have always been interested in the South African bush wars and the insurgency and sadly, downfall of Rhodesia. Recently I have had the opportunity to focus my reading on this conflict and I can say undoubtedly, that this is......more

Goodreads review by Adrian on December 27, 2022

This is one of the best action-adventure-war packed material i have ever read , and the crazy part is that its all there , its real , every bit happened as it was , coming from the reports of the participants (mostly SAS Rhodesian forces). For the gamer readers, this is some real life Farcry (pc game......more

Goodreads review by Sam on June 22, 2020

This book does a wonderful job of telling the story of Rhodesia through the eyes of a soldier. The strength and resolve of the SAS is told through accounts of various engagements that took place across the over decade-long struggle. The book, several times, shifts to update the changing political la......more

Goodreads review by Lukas on October 24, 2018

Violent end of Rhodesia raises strong emotions till this day. There's a lot of misinformation, deliberately idealising Rhodesia as a paradise inside of barbaric Africa. This book continues in building that myth and the author, Hannes Wessels, is not even trying to cover his bitterness about the past......more

Goodreads review by Anton on March 11, 2017

The Best book ever ! This is probably one of the best books I have ever read . The author provides an accurate account of the war, the politics behind the war and the key players, however, above all, the author keeps you interested and in suspense all the time. The horror of this war is portrayed be......more