---
product_id: 19051271
title: "A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia"
price: "20085 Ft"
currency: HUF
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.hu/products/19051271-a-handful-of-hard-men-the-sas-and-the-battle
store_origin: HU
region: Hungary
---

# A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia

**Price:** 20085 Ft
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## Description

desertcart.com: A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia: 9781612003450: Wessels, Hannes: Books

Review: Fascinating book on an overlooked chapter of history - The story of Rhodesia is a fascinating one and unfortunately if you poll people, 90% have never heard of it. This isn't some grand history but a history of their special forces and their actions, told by the soldiers themselves, with a glimpse of the decline and fall of Rhodesia. Like with many books about special forces, it seemed at first to just be a collection of mostly unrelated war stories, most of which weren't especially interesting. But as the Bush War heated up and the UK blatantly betrayed their former subjects for a Communist dictator, the book gets a lot more interesting. I don't think Ill look at Thatcher the same way again. Mugabe is an evil man whose troops would kill little children by stomping on their heads or bayoneting them. And the UK government didn't care (neither did the US under Carter). You really get a sense here on how politics/diplomacy is really done even though its a relatively small part of the book. You also get a sense for how effective the Rhodesian SAS was with their extremely small numbers and ancient equipment from the 1940's. I also enjoyed the local politics regarding the surrounding countries like Mozambique. The book doesn't really delve into the dark side of Rhodesia and it's apartheid system, so don't expect this to be balanced. But it sounded like the troops in the SAS were not fighting for white domination, they were fighting against these specific terrorist organizations who besides murdering white men, women and children, did the same to tens of thousands of blacks. Anyway, this is worth a read if you are interested in a subject that nobody seems to like to talk about
Review: Great book - For anyone wanting to get a better understanding of the Rhodesian conflict, this book should be considered essential reading. It's not an unbiased book and it isn't intended to be, and it's also not a thorough history of the conflict. It does do an excellent job of describing one unit within the Rhodesian military, and by focusing on that unit and it's people charts a path through the conflict right to the end of it and the dissolution of the state. It can be emotionally difficult to read at times, and it can be hard to read it and try and stay objective, but it is very well written, very engaging, and provides insight and background on the conflict that I haven't seen elsewhere. Without being pro- or anti-Rhodesia, the Rhodesian SAS have to be considered among the top special operations units in the 20th century. If it wasn't such a politically charged history, there would be more recognition of their story and their experiences.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #65,636 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Southern Africa History #1 in Zimbabwe History #12 in Historical African Biographies (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,485) |
| Dimensions  | 6.25 x 0.75 x 9 inches |
| Edition  | Illustrated |
| ISBN-10  | 1612003451 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1612003450 |
| Item Weight  | 1.36 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 304 pages |
| Publication date  | October 19, 2015 |
| Publisher  | Casemate |

## Images

![A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31fIjAtE3IL.jpg)
![A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31hbJSZ1rWL.jpg)
![A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51x7LTi68AL.jpg)
![A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71rqCjnBSAL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fascinating book on an overlooked chapter of history
*by M***S on May 28, 2021*

The story of Rhodesia is a fascinating one and unfortunately if you poll people, 90% have never heard of it. This isn't some grand history but a history of their special forces and their actions, told by the soldiers themselves, with a glimpse of the decline and fall of Rhodesia. Like with many books about special forces, it seemed at first to just be a collection of mostly unrelated war stories, most of which weren't especially interesting. But as the Bush War heated up and the UK blatantly betrayed their former subjects for a Communist dictator, the book gets a lot more interesting. I don't think Ill look at Thatcher the same way again. Mugabe is an evil man whose troops would kill little children by stomping on their heads or bayoneting them. And the UK government didn't care (neither did the US under Carter). You really get a sense here on how politics/diplomacy is really done even though its a relatively small part of the book. You also get a sense for how effective the Rhodesian SAS was with their extremely small numbers and ancient equipment from the 1940's. I also enjoyed the local politics regarding the surrounding countries like Mozambique. The book doesn't really delve into the dark side of Rhodesia and it's apartheid system, so don't expect this to be balanced. But it sounded like the troops in the SAS were not fighting for white domination, they were fighting against these specific terrorist organizations who besides murdering white men, women and children, did the same to tens of thousands of blacks. Anyway, this is worth a read if you are interested in a subject that nobody seems to like to talk about

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book
*by P***S on May 21, 2020*

For anyone wanting to get a better understanding of the Rhodesian conflict, this book should be considered essential reading. It's not an unbiased book and it isn't intended to be, and it's also not a thorough history of the conflict. It does do an excellent job of describing one unit within the Rhodesian military, and by focusing on that unit and it's people charts a path through the conflict right to the end of it and the dissolution of the state. It can be emotionally difficult to read at times, and it can be hard to read it and try and stay objective, but it is very well written, very engaging, and provides insight and background on the conflict that I haven't seen elsewhere. Without being pro- or anti-Rhodesia, the Rhodesian SAS have to be considered among the top special operations units in the 20th century. If it wasn't such a politically charged history, there would be more recognition of their story and their experiences.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ it is an excellent read, not to mention being a tour de ...
*by B***R on June 21, 2016*

A most interesting book for those interested in serious special forces operations. It covers what is now a barely-known 1970s war in which a tiny force of Rhodesian Special Air Service soldiers took on, and trounced, tens of thousands of insurgents trained and armed by the Soviet Union, China and Cuba and supported by virtually the entire Western world. Setting aside any feelings a reader might have about the rights and wrongs of a colonial remnant fighting to retain an unsustainable way of life, this book recounts a military epic. It is also a welcome change from the customary diet of special forces accounts of actions in Vietnam and the Middle East. Well written and structured, it is an excellent read, not to mention being a tour de force of what can be achieved in the face of terrible odds by a tiny number of highly skilled and totally committed soldiers.

## Frequently Bought Together

- A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia
- Three Sips of Gin: Dominating the Battlespace with Rhodesia's famed Selous Scouts
- We Dared to Win: The SAS in Rhodesia

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*Product available on Desertcart Hungary*
*Store origin: HU*
*Last updated: 2026-02-27*