We Dared to Win
R350.00
Description
For those outside of SA, please order on Amazon to save on shipping fees:
https://www.amazon.com/We-Dared-Win-SAS-Rhodesia/dp/161200587X/ref=sr_1_3
In his own words Andre Scheepers describes his childhood on a farm, learning about the bush from his African friends, and becoming a soldier. The family had to leave the farm after being ambushed by terrorists.
A quiet, introspective deep thinker, Andre started out as a trooper in the Rhodesian Light Infantry commandos and was hectically engaged in Fire-Force combat operations before leaving for the SAS. Wounded 13 times, his operational record is exceptional even by the high standards that existed at the time and he really emerges as the quintessential SAS officer displaying extraordinary calmness and audacious cunning in the course of a host of extremely dangerous operations.
Loved by his men, Andre writes very eruditely about his mental and emotional condition during the war and reflects very candidly on what he learned and how war has shaped his life since. Offered a commission in the British SAS after the conflict, he decided to stop soldiering and entered the seminary whereupon he became a minister.
In addition to Andre’s personal story the book also reveals more about the other men who were distinguished operators in other celebrated SAS operations. This is the story of soldiers, the hardships, the battles they fought and the challenges they faced.
About The Author
After a childhood on a farm in the Rhodesian bush, Andre Scheepers joined the Rhodesian Light Infantry commandos, followed by the SAS in 1974. In the thick of the action during the Rhodesian Bush War he was wounded on 13 occasions. Turning down an opportunity to go into the British SAS, he elected instead to join a seminary and later became a priest. A true leader, beloved by his men, his calmness in extreme danger coupled with his ability to think his way out of tight corners made him the quintessential SAS officer.
Book Reviews
By Colonel Eeben Barlow.
(Ex 32 Battalion and Chairman of Executive Outcomes)
Hannes Wessels’ latest book ‘We Dared to Win’ is a book no serious student of war in Africa should be without. It chronicles the final years of a very special clandestine military unit, and a haemorrhaging and dying country.
It is a book that left me breathless, angered and saddened. It is a book about soldiers fighting a war they were not allowed to win; a war to save a country from itself. It is a book of immense bravery and sacrifice against incredible odds. It is a book that proves that some men are born to become warriors, others to become heroes. Only a select few are born to be both.
Many hero-warriors were born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), a small African country the world chose to castigate. Some went on to become part of a small elite unit of men who dared to win. Andre Scheepers and his colleagues in the Rhodesian Special Air Service (SAS) were such men.
The country faced an armed onslaught from foreign trained and supported ‘liberation movements’ that enjoyed safe haven in hostile neighbouring countries, a vicious and misleading propaganda onslaught spearheaded by the West, a hypocritical United Nations who sought to punish the country for protecting its citizens and defending its borders from armed aggression, and a military supply chain from the East. It was also a country that suffered duplicitous interference by South Africa’s politicians and their ‘Détente debacle’. This was a war, not between races as the media deceptively popularised it, but a war between clashing and very diverse ideologies.
It was a time long before GPS, UAVs, precision-guided weapons, body armour and kneepads, and overwhelming air support. It was a time when the winds of change blowing across Africa were becoming violent hurricanes.
Standing between these threats and the developing chaos and murderous bloodletting of armed insurgents from both ZANLA and ZIPRA—supported by Mozambique’s FRELIMO and Zambia’s ZDF—were groups of young but battle-hardened soldiers, men from the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR) and the Rhodesian Light infantry (RLI). Sometimes fighting alongside these fine men but usually far to their front were a handful of hard men, the men from the Rhodesian SAS.
They were men who dared to win. They were men who launched hair-raising attacks and raids deep into enemy territory with very limited equipment and support. Their firefights were brutal, deadly and often at very close range. The smell of victory was often marred with great sadness as friends were killed in action.
It was a time when young boys entered the smoke of battle and emerged as old men, sometimes parachuting into deadly firefights two or three times a day, a feat yet to be matched by any armed force. It was a time when men earned respect through their sheer bravery, tenacity, and dedication to country and mission…It was a time when men remained calm when staring death in the face…A time when men lived in the shadow of death, and yet found time to laugh when death came knocking.
The cross-border raids, ambushes, attacks, and killing are recounted matter-of-fact with no hint of arrogance or smugness. However, there is an underlying empathy and respect for the enemy, especially when the enemy fought with dogged determination.
Tactics, techniques, and procedures litter the pages as does the importance of motivation and inclusive leadership, highlighting the value of aggressive resourcefulness and the competence of the SAS troopers, NCOs and officers. The value of a tough selection, and ardent and focussed training, provides a valuable glimpse into the operational successes of this small band of men. So too does respect for the enemy who at times fought for their own survival, and for what they believed in.
As their breathless and adrenaline-fuelled war intensified, so too did allegations generated to cast suspicion on the real soldiers and their commanders. Foreign intelligence penetration at senior levels of the Rhodesian armed forces and the Central Intelligence Organisation also led to several compromised operations.
This was a time when men like Andre Scheepers and his fellow soldiers made their mark on the history of a dying country.
‘We Dared to Win’ is an unapologetic account of his transition from athletic schoolboy to that of a highly-respected, militarily-gifted Rhodesian SAS soldier. His story is interspersed with the stories of others who lived through and witnessed the extraordinary operations they partook in.
It is a book of great sadness as these men gave so much for their country only to lose it in the end—not through enemy action but through the betrayal of those they trusted and believed in.
‘We Dared to Win’ is a must-read for soldiers and scholars who wish to gain a better understanding of the Rhodesian war. It is the perfect companion book to stand alongside Hannes Wessels’ previous book on the Rhodesian SAS, ‘A Handful of Hard Men’.
Amazon Reviews
It was great to read the dedication of a few to try and protect the people, especially the farmers in Rhodesia and the great odds that they faced. Also the skill of the SAS in their bravery and defence of the country, especially Andre and the terror that he faced and how in the midst of all the fighting he was called by the Lord Jesus Christ to honour Him and commit his life to Him.
Excellent resource and insight into the ground truth of Rhodesia’s special operations units. The amount of detail and clarity in the accounts of the operations made the book difficult to put down. It was sad, though, to read about the sacrifice of so many brave men fighting communism only to be stabbed in the back and sold out. I wish I could give the book ten stars.
A very moving book that shows the professionalism and dedication of the Rhodesian forces. They were very brave men and deserve our utmost respect.
This book has really helped me to understand more of the SAS operations during the Rhodesian war, the professionalism, mentality, strength and of course, the hardiness of these soldiers, they certainly were one of a kind. What an excellent book…..
A fitting tribute to the Rhodesian SAS who fought and died to try and keep Rhodesia free.
Wonderful highly recommended
Brilliant! An honest narrative, nearly up to date, compiled brilliantly, capturing the very essence of warfare in Africa the sounds, smells and description come alive. Thank you.
Brilliant from beginning to end. Thank you to Andre and Hannes for telling the story of part of the best military force in the world.