First off I want to say, like many reviewers have already stated, that Col. Mike Hoare is a superb writer. He has an incredible grasp on the English language and he writes seamlessly and perfectly. This makes for an enjoyable read.
One aspect of this book that really captured my interest was the undeniably romanticized notions of adventure I think we commonly associate with mercenary life. To this end, Col. Hoare delivers in brilliant fashion. We begin with him detailing the rebellion and the chaos and confusion that followed his offer to form a mercenary unit, which he comes to call 5 Commando. He details the recruiting process, the vetting out of the less-then-desirable men, the short training they received, and the arms and equipment they were issued- although this was a challenge unto itself. Throughout the book he also details the tactics used, why he chose to give the orders he did, and the challenges they faced when executing these plans- in some cases relying heavily on luck.
I found it infinitely insightful how the world news media hampers his every move. These journalists approach the situation with a per-conceived notion that mercenaries are scum (getting paid to kill your fellow man is something most have issues with), and thus make their reports to fit this image, despite the numerous innocent civilians -both black and white in skin color- that his men save. Although this was a minor, albeit consistent, theme throughout the book, I felt it really opens one's eyes to the bias nature of news reporting on war. We all know news media loves to report on sensational stories, even if that means embellishing the story, but we see in this book the adverse affects it has.
Also related to this theme, is how the communist world gets in an uproar in support of the rebels, and we see first hand the how and why of these cold-war proxy wars. Each side puts blinders on, refusing to acknowledge the horrible atrocities committed by it's side, while promoting those committed by the other side, and much like the bias reporters, only focus on what they want to see/hear.
Another thing I thought was interesting was how the book was split into 3 sections. During the first one, we get a taste of the challenges faced by 5 Commando is training and fighting. Both the mercs and rebels are poorly trained. The rebels fight with spears and WWII-vintage German Mauser rifles. As the book progresses, so too does the quality of soldering on both sides, as the Commandos get more training, better leadership, better arms and equipment, etc. But again, the rebels likewise begin to improve in quality; Cuban advisers arrive to lead them, Chinese Aks and artillery begin to arrive, and so forth. Although this is a true story through and through, I enjoyed how the book played out like a traditional story, increasing more and more in tension, with Col. Hoare always on the verge of defeat, and as the tension builds, it comes to a climatic ending.
All in all I enjoyed every bit of this book and look forward to reading Col. Mike Hoare's other books. Highly recommended.
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About the author
Great read, but book quality suffers.
This review has two parts: comments on the story told by the book, and then comments about the book itself. First, the story. This is Colonel Hoare's personal account of his service in the Congo as a mercenary, helping the Congolese government put down a communist-backed revolt. Colonel Hoare is a good author, and his retelling of the events makes for a very fascinating read. This book may challenge any preconceptions you have about mercenaries and their use, and give you some insights into the mind of a mercenary commander. It documents the struggles he had getting his mercenary group (5 Commando) organized and trained, and of course their many experiences through 18 months of service, including heart-wrenching accounts of the atrocities inflicted by the rebels on the European (mostly Belgian) residents. This is better than any adventure novel--it really happened. If you are a student of military history, African history, or just like reading these types of stories, I highly recommend this book. Now for the book itself (e.g. the paper, binding, print quality, etc.). This is advertised as a reprint. To be more specific, this appears to be a reprint that was made by scanning an earlier printing and then reprinting it. The text is very readable, but is not "clean", like you would expect from a typeset edition. If you've ever scanned a B/W document (at 300 DPI, say) and printed it on your laser or inkjet printer, you'll get the idea. It's readable, but not perfect. This has two downsides: first, sometimes the text shows flaws in places where the scanning was imperfect (the scanning head moved slightly or some such thing). Second, the pictures look like they were printed at very high resolution on a laser printer, and are not the high quality photos that appeared in earlier editions of this book. I found this to be disappointing--thirty dollars isn't cheap. I have hardcover books (good ones) that cost less than this book, and for the price I would have hoped that more care and attention would be put into its preparation. Scanning, followed by the use of OCR software and several rounds of proofreading would have resulted in a boot with much better print quality. This may have something to do with the fact that Paladin Press is a small publishing house, and so they may not have the resources to dedicate to making a better-quality reprint. That, or they chose not to use them. I would describe this book as a trade paperback. The quality of the paper and binding seem to be on par with other books of this type that I own. Take care of the book, and it should last a while, I would imagine. So, is the book worth the $30 (plus shipping and tax)? If you really want a book by Colonel Hoare, you don't have much of a choice, as earlier editions of his books are much in demand and very expensive. Personally, I'm satisfied with it.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2012
- Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2008
This review has two parts: comments on the story told by the book, and then comments about the book itself.
Great read, but book quality suffers.
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2008
First, the story. This is Colonel Hoare's personal account of his service in the Congo as a mercenary, helping the Congolese government put down a communist-backed revolt. Colonel Hoare is a good author, and his retelling of the events makes for a very fascinating read. This book may challenge any preconceptions you have about mercenaries and their use, and give you some insights into the mind of a mercenary commander. It documents the struggles he had getting his mercenary group (5 Commando) organized and trained, and of course their many experiences through 18 months of service, including heart-wrenching accounts of the atrocities inflicted by the rebels on the European (mostly Belgian) residents.
This is better than any adventure novel--it really happened. If you are a student of military history, African history, or just like reading these types of stories, I highly recommend this book.
Now for the book itself (e.g. the paper, binding, print quality, etc.). This is advertised as a reprint. To be more specific, this appears to be a reprint that was made by scanning an earlier printing and then reprinting it. The text is very readable, but is not "clean", like you would expect from a typeset edition. If you've ever scanned a B/W document (at 300 DPI, say) and printed it on your laser or inkjet printer, you'll get the idea. It's readable, but not perfect. This has two downsides: first, sometimes the text shows flaws in places where the scanning was imperfect (the scanning head moved slightly or some such thing). Second, the pictures look like they were printed at very high resolution on a laser printer, and are not the high quality photos that appeared in earlier editions of this book.
I found this to be disappointing--thirty dollars isn't cheap. I have hardcover books (good ones) that cost less than this book, and for the price I would have hoped that more care and attention would be put into its preparation. Scanning, followed by the use of OCR software and several rounds of proofreading would have resulted in a boot with much better print quality. This may have something to do with the fact that Paladin Press is a small publishing house, and so they may not have the resources to dedicate to making a better-quality reprint. That, or they chose not to use them.
I would describe this book as a trade paperback. The quality of the paper and binding seem to be on par with other books of this type that I own. Take care of the book, and it should last a while, I would imagine.
So, is the book worth the $30 (plus shipping and tax)? If you really want a book by Colonel Hoare, you don't have much of a choice, as earlier editions of his books are much in demand and very expensive. Personally, I'm satisfied with it.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
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- Mike BrookeReviewed in Canada on May 22, 2023
A soldier of unique capacity to seize the opportunity
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Beagle4FunReviewed in Germany on January 30, 2017
Hervorragendes Buch zu Hoare und seinem 5 Commando
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