PK van der Byl: African Statesman

(Johannesburg: 30 Degrees South, 2010) 9781920143497. 233 x 153 mm; laminated pictorial wrappers; pp. 312, incl. index; plates. Fine condition. Enlightening biography of one of the key figures during the years of Rhodesia's isolation, Minister of Defence PK van der Byl. "The Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl, one of he 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. By his very nature, PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offence to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl, but few will dispute he was an extremely colourful character with a devilish sense of humour. 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." .