Pk Van Der Byl: African Statesman
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.42 (871 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1920143491 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 332 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-10-19 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
A Wit, a Statesman, a 'Lightweight' I put 'Lightweight' in those inverted commas because that is how Pieter van der Byl liked to present himself. Why he did this is not too hard to guess: he wanted to put people at ease and so adopted the pose of many a CEO and aristocrat, and let himself be disarmingly silly. When he was at Cambridge, his drawling manner and bespoke tailoring got him the sobriquet "The Piccadilly Dutchman," and this was perfectly fine with him, so long as he wasn't alienating people. He figured out ea. "The highlight of some very important years for Southern Africa" according to Pamwechete. A balanced, insightful, honest and amusing insight into the life and times of the unique PK van der Byl. As ever, history and personalities are more complex and intriguing than the media portrays. Africans, white and black have benefited from the selfless dedication of people like PK van der Byl, the world needs more of their non-PC brass neck. I recommend reading the book.. "Historical Rhodesia" according to nemo. Interesting potted history of the origins of South Africa and Rhodesia. The detailed information from 196Historical Rhodesia Interesting potted history of the origins of South Africa and Rhodesia. The detailed information from 1963 showed how out of touch was the RF with the world forces. Majority rule became a fashion statement and had to apply to Rhodesia. The RF did a wonderful job of holding out so long but they could not imagine that reason and logic would be like water of a duck's back. Mugabe fooled the world and was handed Rhodesia on a platter. All the while I read this book I was thinking "If onl. showed how out of touch was the RF with the world forces. Majority rule became a fashion statement and had to apply to Rhodesia. The RF did a wonderful job of holding out so long but they could not imagine that reason and logic would be like water of a duck's back. Mugabe fooled the world and was handed Rhodesia on a platter. All the while I read this book I was thinking "If onl
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 is married to Mandy and has two daughters, Hope and Jana, and lives in Darling in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As a boy, holidays were spent with Game Department rangers; time on s
He is also a syndicated writer for Outdoor Life in the United States and is currently writing a history on the Rhodesian SAS. The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the white man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl; one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government led by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. 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. This account is likely to give offense to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. Hannes Wessels was born in 1956 in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) but grew up in Umtali on the Mozambican border. He has published Strange Tales from Africa in the USA, a collection of anecdotes from
"It is cartainly a significant new contribution to the documentation of Rhodesian history o thank you so much for publishing it." -- David Mitchie PhD "Wessels researched his subject well and the book is a good synthesis of interviews with PK's brother William, his widow Princess Charlotte of Lichtenstein, his friend Lin Mehmel, former Selous Scouts officer commanding Ron Reid Daly, his secretary Marge Bassett and Ian Smith himself" -- Defence Web August 2010-09-22