Recce: Tactical Small Team Missions Behind Enemy Lines

Just Chuck: Like light Infantry stuff? Sneaking and peeking? Cav/Infantry Scout stuff? Small wars/small unit stuff? Buy the book.
Amazed at their honesty and attention to detail; everything didn't always go right and they rehearsed, rehearsed and planned and rehearsed some more. Not Corps and Divisions or even companies and platoons just some guys on a mission with two to four guys. Don't know much about LRRP's but wonder if maybe this isn't LRRP's in the African bush. Really, really liked the book especially the nuts and bolts approach to their equipment and tactics. He should write an End of the World As We Know It survival book.

United States on Jun 23, 2023

Just A Guy: Quick background for perspective purposes only: This reviewer has served in six separate U.S. SpecOps units (Army & Air Force), have had three books published on this subject, and studied SpecOps units from countries around the world.

AND, I've never come across any SpecOps unit like the Recces, from any country. U.S. recon teams routinely go 'in' for hours to short days, and very rarely this deep into enemy held territory. Post WWII, never have I read of any other but Recce going this deep, for weeks. Rhodesian Selous Scouts might be the one exception.

Per other reviewers: I too would have liked the author to talk more about 'anti-tracking' other than the special boots. Someone thinks Recce 'fought for the bad guys' ought to go to Africa. Even(!) the UN assessed in writing (this in the 1970s) that health, education, and employment standards & opportunities for black Africans in sub-Saharan Africa were highest in white-ruled Rhodesia and South Africa. I've been to both countries--before and after 'a change in management'--and the subsequent collapse from viable economy to human tragedy is nothing less than stunning.

United States on May 25, 2023

Geoff Dunne: This was well written by an incredibly humble person, no theatrics, no gung-ho greatest SF operator of all time etc, just the facts as they unfolded. A very refreshing personal story of one soldier's journey through a large pirtion of his life.

Australia on Jan 15, 2023

Mr. Wonderful: It was a great read on an admittedly obscure topic. If one has any interest on small units, reconnaissance or the war in Namibia conducted by South Africa this is on your list.

United States on Aug 15, 2022

@George: A history of development of Small Teams "Recce" viewed from the perspectives of an operator from South African Army.

Germany on Jan 06, 2021

mengtx: Author seemed to act like the whole free world had heard of SA Recce and "Small Teams"-not the case. Also, he didn't explain differences between SF, Recce and small teams well-'...Recce were tactical ops and Small Teams were strategic ops...'. Yet many of the Small Teams missions seemed tactical.

Not much action for a book of this type. Would have been better with more ops with fighting, or maybe even engaging the enemy. He focused mostly on his stress issues, other operators, fitness items (long wilderness hikes), ops that failed along with a good dose of pious condescension (son of a preacher, I don't drink, etc.). I think he might have had to only speak of certain ops due to continued top secret classification or something. Writing style was good and I kept turning the electronic pages hoping for a battle, to no avail.

United States on Jun 02, 2020

Amazon Customer: Well written with no attempt made at portraying himself as a hero but rather always a team effort, even when there were only 2 in the team. Well done on the book Koos.

I had just finished reading another recently released book about an SADF troop who became a spy for the other side, the 2 books are like chalk and cheese where one is trying to be the hero, and keeps tripping himself up with basic mistakes, and the other (in this book) is a humble hero.

United Kingdom on Jul 23, 2019

Amazon Customer: Started out well then fizzled out like a damp squib. The reader is left with a feeling that not a lot was achieved by the Recce outfit in spite of amazing resources and manpower. It would be quite a study to determine why so little was achieved relative to the successes achieved by Rhodesian forces with so little in the way of finances, equipment.and manpower.

Canada on Dec 19, 2017

john oosthuizen: This is a book that comes back to you when you are in bed late at night, reliving those acts of bravery by a young man that was apart from his physical powers, just another young man.

United States on Jun 15, 2017

sjnz: Well written, easy to read, interesting facts from border war.

Canada on Nov 05, 2015