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Inconsistencies in style probably indicate multiple writers. Some factual detail interspersed with interpretation of personal tales. An interesting perspective on mercenaries from historical times to the eighties. However, given that many who read this will only be looking for tales of adventure and perhaps tips on recruiting, you decide whether those are factors to buy it.Many of the accounts of the wars and and personalities are now available on the internet in more detail. More work could have gone into providing proper research and relevant historical milieu. A map of Africa showing where Angola is hardly represents a proper explanation of the geographical and tactical importance of the location.Mockler's lack of structure and legion of appalling grammatical mistakes makes this book heavy reading and difficult to follow the story line. Perhaps chance for an update or rewrite of the material. The New Mercenaries II, at a cinema near you.
Anthony Meckler's "The New Mercenaries" covers the violent post-colonial period in Africa from about 1960 to 1981. Oddly, very little is mentioned about counter-terror campaigns in Rhodesia following the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). Included are summaries of mercenary actions in Mozambique, Angola, the Congo, and elsewhere in that troubled continent. Names of noteworthy soldiers of fortune who appear in the book are "Mad Mike" Hoare, "Black Jack" Shramme, Bob Denard and others. Perhaps this is because Rhodesia was a legitimate government, as opposed the the main thrust of Meckler's viewpoint - that the mercenaries in Africa were a law unto themselves, which was in some cases very true.Although the work is scholarly (Meckler is after all an academician), and is the result of so-so research (by reading newspaper clippings, it often appears), the book reads like what it is - a boring compilation of stale facts and anecdotes, and is further compromised be being liberally sprinkled with the author's pointless remarks and opinions. Perhaps this was an attempt to liven up a real snoozer.Although the book would be helpful to someone researching African politics, military history researchers won't find much of use in "The New Mercenaries".
This book offers the most complete description of mercenary action in the past century. Very detailed, very much fact, but reads like a novel. Read what Forsyth based his 'Dogs of War' on.If it is out of print, try to order it somewhere else (thru Amazon) because this one is worth it.
He also goes into the definition, the history and the future of the subject. This is the single most comprehensive book on mercenaries , period. Mockler combines the scholarship of an Oxford professor, which he is, with the flair of a journalist, which he is, to tell the story of modern mercenaries. Mercenaries are becoming more common and more respectable today (please refer to them as private sector contract military trainers). You can see them on the evening news training the Bosnian army
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