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Congo Mercenary

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About this listen

Col. Mike Hoare tells how his force of mercenaries, 5 Commando, put down a Comunist-backed rebel uprising in the Congo. As they restored law and order, town by town, he and his men freed 1,800 nuns and priests. His men also learned what it means to be real soldiers.

©1967 Mike Hoare (P)2012 Mike Hoare 20th Century Africa Military & War Modern Military

Critic reviews

"This well-written and well-illustrated book gives an accurate and useful account of the military response to the [Congolese] rebellion." ( The Daily Telegraph)
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Most relevant
I assume that this is the sanitised version of what really happened and has been somewhat romantically described.

Decent Listen Especially If You Are Of A Certain Age

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A really great explanation of post-colonial African history, which should be read widely

Outstanding History

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Superbly narrated, this is a genuinely fascinating account of events in the Congo, during a time of massive civil unrest and upheaval. A detailed account of the plight of the Congolese, and the events of the mercenary force and their fight with the communist backed rebels.

Fascinating account of war in the Congo

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This is a fascinating account of Lt-Colonel “Mad” Mike Hoare’s time in the Congo during the horrific “Simba” uprising in 1964, originally written in 1966, and now read by the man himself.

It’s an interesting narrative describing in great detail the individuals and events that the author was involved with during his time in the Congo. All accounts are somewhat biased, but Col Hoare appears to lay out the whole story, warts and all.

This is a must read (or listen!) for anyone interested in post-colonial Africa and particularly the conflict in the Congo. It’s also particularly poignant that Col Hoare narrated this work, as he has sadly passed away.

The Life of a Mercenary

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