Faan Martin

James and the Duck: Tales of the Rhodesian Bush War (1964 - 1980) Faan Martin

A very different tongue-in-cheek personal account about a forgottenwar. Between 1964 and 1980 Rhodesian men from all walks of life lefttheir families and jobs to fight for their country. They were farmers,bankers, railwaymen, shopkeepers, miners and even Members ofParliament, who every six weeks, changed their soft civilian life forbattle dress, rifles and grenades. These are their stories. It's not really about war heroes. It's more about bluestone charged,but still lustful troops coping with fighting terrorists, boredom,longing, fear and death. All this set against the background ofAfrica's sweltering heat, annoying insects, dangerous animals andvenomous snakes. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. The reader will meet a long suffering prisoner-of-war, infantrysoldiers, helicopter gunship pilots, tribesmen, pompous army officers,mercenaries and even a duck. Some of the personal incidents will have you laughing and crying at the same time. No matter how you view the Rhodesian Bush War, you will enjoy thehumour and at times satire and even sadness of this true account of howmen coped with the horrors and hardships of war.