Customer Reviews

Executive Outcomes: Against All Odds

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Today the role of private defense contractors, private military companies, private security and advisory companies and similar organizations have become well known through the employment of Blackwater in Iraq. Prior to the legitimacy that Blackwater brought to the business in Iraq there was a long period where such organizations, staffed mostly by white ex-military professionals, gained a great deal of bad press as `mercenaries' in Africa and elsewhere doing the dirty work that locals were either incapable of doing or that foreigners wanted done. Executive Outcomes (EO) and its story from 1989/1993 to 1999 represents a mid-way point between the over-professionalization of these types of companies and the more rambo-derring do of a previous era.

This story is intertwined entirely with the life of Eeben Barlow, the author, who was born in Rhodesia and joined the South African Defense Forces in 1974. He rose through the ranks, eventually commanding 32 Battalion's elite reconnaisance unit. Eventually he was recruited by the Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB) and from there through his operations, made contact with other men who would become integral to EO such as Tony Buckingham and Simon Mann. His first missions involved Angola and the civil war there between MPLA and UNITA. When EO became operational and more involved in 1993 it ended up confronting the very movement, UNITA, that South Africa had actually worked with before.

Barlow details the widening area of operations of EO and its recuritment of ex-SADF personell, especially from elite units such as Koevoet and other people involved wit counter-insurgency. More surprising is that it also received applications from former members of the ANC military wing. Eventually EO was tasked with supporting the Angolan governments attempts to recover territory and natural resources, including diamond mining areas from UNITA and by 1994 it had achieved its objectives of forcing UNITA into a ceasefire. Barlow details many of these operations and provides excellent analysis of the `blood diamonds' question and the resolution of the conflict.

In 1995 as EO's reputation grew it was hired by Sierra Leone to stop the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)'s attempt to take over the country. This successful mission was concluded when the diamond areas, controlled by the RUF, were re-captured. Other missions followed but in general EO's greatest days were behind it. Disinformation, spread by numerous governments and the press, focused negative attention on the `mercenaries' and their supposed attempt to `re-colonize' Africa, an irony considering they were influential in helping African governments that had hired them and that the EO inclucded black Africans in its ranks. In the end Barlow details the duplicity of the UN and the international community and the fact that numerous African countries were allowed to be destroyed by genocide, such as in Rwanda, while governments did nothing and at a time when the EO could have done much.

An excellent book with numerous maps, documents and color photographs. A must read for anyone interested in Africa in the 1990s and also in the role of `mercenaries' in conflict. This is no dry read, but the best in storytelling and furthermore it is all true.

Seth J. Frantzman

Recommend this for anyone interested in Africa, a good primer if you are headed for Angola, Central Africa, that sort of neighbourhood.

Read it along with Shake Hands With the Devil by Lt Gen Romeo Dallaire if interested in the real story behind today's peacekeeping ops, role of the UN and the various "great powers" in unstable regions of the world.

Very good reading. I understood why the Aparthied era South African government was opposed to Mr. Barlow's work for the Angolan government and their corporate allies. But I was surprised to learn the post-Aparthied ANC government, with their newfound power and financial resouces, was against them as well. Apparently the Angolan government, which backed them during their struggle for equality in South Africa, was surprised as well.

Even if they did work for profit, I do believe Executive Outcomes saved more innocent lives in Angola and Sierra Leone with AK-47s than the United Nations did with paperwork, sanctions and protests. Too bad Rwanda only had the UN. Same for Darfur.

its hard to improve on what the reviewers have said above. Barlow changed the way 'mercenary' outfits run. I do not like that word for an organization such as his and believe his causes were just and legal. There are always bad apples in a group that size who went on to do some shady things but EO saved lives and gave a new model for military operations that more African Govts should take advantage of. I especially enjoyed Barlow's personal history in 32 Battalion. He has a great blog on the internet as well and has a forthcoming book. Prices here are high but if you can find it, get it.

D.R. Tharp
Author of Task Force Intrepid: The Gold of Katanga

Mr. Barlow's book is an excellent source of information on his company and its operations in the 1990's. While not always grammatically correct, the book nevertheless conveys a true picture of the firm and explodes many of the myths and untruths that have been circulated about it. For any reader interested in private military companies this book is a must have.

So far it is just what I was looking for; a great look into EO and its military workings. I am sure the rest of the book will be as good, and to get it from Eeben Barlow is even better.

Executive Outcomes is the benchmark of the modern private military and security company. Like many pioneers in the world, Executive Outcomes no longer exists. This book describes the zeitgeist in which the company came to be formed, was able to flourish and ultimately was prevented from being successful. This book is a combination of enticing war narrative, political intrigue and personal catharsis.

Eeben Barlow's raw, immature writing style is redeemed by the subject matter. Executive Outcomes Against All Odds is an easy reading page turner, taking the reader on a high paced review of his work through military, "covert collection", formation, running and closure of the firm.

The focus of the book is the Angolan and Sierra Leonean contracts. Barlow provides much detail of how the contracts came about and the scramble to put together resources, communications and supply lines to fulfil the contracts. In some cases the quoted dialogue, instead of importing veracity often does the opposite - Barlow uses the technique too liberally to show how supportive his clients were. That anyone could remember so many conversations in such detail is dubious. The descriptions of the military activities are enthralling showing a typically South African "do much with little" initiative - and yet managing with proper strategy to defeat rebels who have been battling for years.

A good deal of the book is used to expound the pervasive incompetence and duplicitousness of the South African authorities and their lackeys, and Barlow never misses an opportunity to put the knife in, push it deeper and then turn it.

Barlow shows himself to have been naive and immature in the machinations of the big league as he describes how the South African government constantly bettered him in non-military activities - propaganda, persuasion, dealing and political manoeuvring. The sub-story is seeing growth in his business maturity as the deals progress.

While the Angolan and Sierra Leonean contracts are covered in great detail, the Indonesian and subsequent contracts and activities are brushed over with decreasing detail. One of the contributing factors to this review getting less than five stars.

A few negatives: the flow of the narrative is often disrupted by paragraphs of non-related or semi-related information which could have been better placed elsewhere. A writing coach and better editing could have helped make this a better written book, but this doesn't detract from the fascinating content.

The books has many intresting photos, although not exactly award winning war photography.

All in all a captivating, exciting read.