Customer Reviews

Dead Leaves: Two Years in the Rhodesian War

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Very good and very well written. Much better detail than Fireforce but not so romantic as Cocks novel deals with the RLI and paints a real macho story while Dead Leaves is the story of a territorial soldier caught in the mundane training and postings of a civil war. Vividly detailed, it is a must read for anyone interested in the Bush War.

all i have to say is if you like rhodesian war books you'll like this one .it starts off slow and its not chris cocks's fireforce but its another good story on a subject i love to read about.

Anyone who wants to read about the war in Rhodesia should stay away from this poetic diatribe. No offence to Dan but he should have jumped ship and gone to England while the REAL war was going down, because this is so befuddled that it could have been written during the Victorian Era with liberal doses of opiates involved. If you want the low down on the Rhodesian war then read Chris Cocks's excellent account "Fireforce" or Charlie Warrens "At the going down of the sun". The reading of this book is painfull at best and would probably best be used as a very thick drinks coaster, probably after page 3 by most people interested in the subject! Sorry Dan but stick to peotry!

I really enjoyed this book. It's written from the common soldier's point of view. That's significant for two reasons. He didn't serve in an elite unit like the SAS, Selous Scouts, or the RLI (Rhodesian Light Infantry) so what you've got here is a good story from a draftee (national serviceman), an "average joe". With that comes the sort of disgruntled outlook that you might expect from a somewhat disinterested conscript. It's a definite departure from books written by Charlie Warren, Chris Cocks, and Dennis Croukamp. I'm sure that sounds more harsh and unfair than I intended. This is not a story about a hard driving light fighter, but about an introverted kid thrown into the arena of combat with everyone else. The book is beautifully written, but at times, the smugness can get on your nerves. [In fairness to the author, he recognizes this "smugness" and charges it to youth.] His guilt about killing was a little taxing at times. It was war. You kill people because people are trying to kill you. That's all there is. Still, that's not enough to detract from the book and I heartily recommend it. Very good! Oh, I forgot the technical stuff. There is a map, bonus. There is a glossary of terms, good. There's no index but it really doesn't need one. Great book dude!

if you liked Cocks' book, you would do better to reread it than buy this one, which starts slow and finishes slow after a long slow middle. The book shows how boring soldiering can be.