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Koevoet!: Experiencing South Africa's Deadly Bush War
Koevoet! has been an global bestseller since its release over 20 years ago. This new edition goes far beyond the original in capturing the courage, fear and intensity of South Africa's deadly bush war. Never before had an outsider been given unrestricted access to Koevoet, the elite South West African Police counterinsurgency unit - also known as Operation K and officially as the South West Africa Police Counter Insurgency Unit (SWAPOL-COIN). Author Jim Hooper spent a total of five months embedded with the semi-secret and predominantly black 'Ops K', which climaxed with one of the most vicious and determined infiltrations ever mounted by the communist-backed South West Africa People s Organization (SWAPO). Crossing regularly into Angola in pursuit of the insurgents, he saw friends die next to him and was twice wounded himself. This updated edition, drawing on the recollections and diaries of the men he rode with, will fascinate yet another generation of readers. In assembling this work, Jim Hooper had the opportunity to re-connect with so many of the men who allowed this outsider to ride with them. All of which brought a new intensity and poignancy. It also reminded Jim Hooper how privileged he was to have been witness to Koevoet's war. This stunning work is a tribute to Koevoet and the legend they created.
"Hooper is a careful reporter, but also a born writer; his vivid word-pictures drag you in and hold you. He skillfully conveys his initially unwelcoming reception by an operational unit; the long, frustrating grind of search operations in punishing terrain and climate; the extraordinary bush skills of the Ovambo policemen; the shock of sudden contact, and its aftermath." Martin Windrow
"Jim Hooper's account of South Africa's successful "Ops K" in Namibia against South West Africa's People's Organization guerrillas should be required reading. The classic narrative is as timely today as it was twenty years ago." Charles D. Melson, Chief Historian, U.S. Marine Corps University.
"This expanded edition is a skillfully woven mosaic of personal accounts from those involved and what he experienced during combat with Koevoet. The use of new material from those he rode with lays bare the realities of war, the fears and emotions that ebb and flow in the heat of combat, and the courage one finds to bring the battle to the enemy" Piet Nortje, Author of 32 Battalion
"Koevoet describes in great detail the men, both black and white, and their mine-protected cross-country vehicles which were years ahead of anything in use by other western forces, the dedicated helicopter support units and the tactics used to bring an elusive guerrilla force to battle." Paul French, Author of Shadows of a Forgotten Past: To the Edge with the Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts.
"Hooper is a careful reporter, but also a born writer; his vivid word-pictures drag you in and hold you. He skillfully conveys his initially unwelcoming reception by an operational unit; the long, frustrating grind of search operations in punishing terrain and climate; the extraordinary bush skills of the Ovambo policemen; the shock of sudden contact, and its aftermath." Martin Windrow
"Jim Hooper's account of South Africa's successful "Ops K" in Namibia against South West Africa's People's Organization guerrillas should be required reading. The classic narrative is as timely today as it was twenty years ago." Charles D. Melson, Chief Historian, U.S. Marine Corps University.
"This expanded edition is a skillfully woven mosaic of personal accounts from those involved and what he experienced during combat with Koevoet. The use of new material from those he rode with lays bare the realities of war, the fears and emotions that ebb and flow in the heat of combat, and the courage one finds to bring the battle to the enemy" Piet Nortje, Author of 32 Battalion
"Koevoet describes in great detail the men, both black and white, and their mine-protected cross-country vehicles which were years ahead of anything in use by other western forces, the dedicated helicopter support units and the tactics used to bring an elusive guerrilla force to battle." Paul French, Author of Shadows of a Forgotten Past: To the Edge with the Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts.
601 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1988
150 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 3, 2013
Jim Hooper was incredibly brave to write this book in the 1980s, which was an honest account of the most effective fighting force deployed by South Africa against communist-backed SWAPO in Namibia and Angola.
Hooper has revised the book significantly, and cleared up the record on a lot of matters that were shrouded in uncertainty for the first edition.
He is not only one of the few journalists who could write about South Africa honestly; he is a master story-teller.
Hooper has revised the book significantly, and cleared up the record on a lot of matters that were shrouded in uncertainty for the first edition.
He is not only one of the few journalists who could write about South Africa honestly; he is a master story-teller.
March 8, 2014
As I started this book, I found that my life experiences and education had me poorly prepared for what I found inside. I have never been to South Africa, am not very familiar with the history or politics, am not a male, and have never been in a combat situation. However, it was such an intriguing story, that I kept reading, and the author soon had me up to speed on the history, culture, and the "players". I came away appreciating not only the fact that it was written from an imbedded point of view (vs general media released info), but I had a real empathy and respect for the brave members of the units, as well as the author himself. I really liked the way the author let the men tell their own versions of what they experienced, as the incidents were related. I do recommend this book, especially to anyone who wants to know the true, boots-on-the-ground story of the South African Bush War
January 26, 2023
This book makes so much sense to me, who grew up in South Africa and lived in Namibia for a long time. I felt so near to the people and felt that I lived with them, as Jim did. The story took me on a very nostalgic trip into the past and I got emotional at the end.
Thank you very much for writing this book Jim!
It took a lot of research and persistence.
Thank you very much for writing this book Jim!
It took a lot of research and persistence.
May 1, 2014
Excelent account of what realy happend. A book that can not be put down. Jim hooper is a brave master writer. Hooper has done such a fearless work with this book that the men, the real soldiers he speakes about, respects him even to today. My respect for this man is equel to none especially if it is taken into account when this book was written and the topic that is STILL today a shunned one.
April 20, 2016
Unbiased journalism. Jim did an excellent job to take the reader on a realistic journey through eyes of warriors that consider themselves policemen. This is a 5-star read, worthy of the top shelf in my study.
January 8, 2021
Fantastic Read Giving an Accurate Account of the Inside Workings of Koevoet, The South African Police Counter Insurgency Unit
Jim Hooper has to be admired for his bravery, tenacity and desire to tell the truth. I am an ex South African, now US citizen, and spent time “on the border”. My curiosity of Koevoet was aroused due to their incredible effectiveness in COIN operations and friends who had flown missions in support of Koevoet.
The book, Koevoet, is an accurate and unbiased account what actually happened in COIN operations and the life of the operators. The author was granted full access to the Koevoet teams and basically became one with the unit when he embedded for an extended period of time. Jim has a wonderful style of writing and the book is so easy to read and difficult to put down.
This is a must read for anyone who has an interest in trying to understand the dynamics of the “Border War” and the socio-political influence of communism on the world. After reading Koevoet I immediately procured a copy of Blood Song and Black Vortex has been ordered.
Jim Hooper has to be admired for his bravery, tenacity and desire to tell the truth. I am an ex South African, now US citizen, and spent time “on the border”. My curiosity of Koevoet was aroused due to their incredible effectiveness in COIN operations and friends who had flown missions in support of Koevoet.
The book, Koevoet, is an accurate and unbiased account what actually happened in COIN operations and the life of the operators. The author was granted full access to the Koevoet teams and basically became one with the unit when he embedded for an extended period of time. Jim has a wonderful style of writing and the book is so easy to read and difficult to put down.
This is a must read for anyone who has an interest in trying to understand the dynamics of the “Border War” and the socio-political influence of communism on the world. After reading Koevoet I immediately procured a copy of Blood Song and Black Vortex has been ordered.
January 8, 2021
Jim Hooper has to be admired for his bravery, tenacity and desire to tell the truth. I am an ex South African, now US citizen, and spent time “on the border”. My curiosity of Koevoet was aroused due to their incredible effectiveness in COIN operations and friends who had flown missions in support of Koevoet.
The book, Koevoet, is an accurate and unbiased account what actually happened in COIN operations and the life of the operators. The author was granted full access to the Koevoet teams and basically became one with the unit when he embedded for an extended period of time. Jim has a wonderful style of writing and the book is so easy to read and difficult to put down.
This is a must read for anyone who has an interest in trying to understand the dynamics of the “Border War” and the socio-political influence of communism on the world. After reading Koevoet I immediately procured a copy of Blood Song and Black Vortex has been ordered.
The book, Koevoet, is an accurate and unbiased account what actually happened in COIN operations and the life of the operators. The author was granted full access to the Koevoet teams and basically became one with the unit when he embedded for an extended period of time. Jim has a wonderful style of writing and the book is so easy to read and difficult to put down.
This is a must read for anyone who has an interest in trying to understand the dynamics of the “Border War” and the socio-political influence of communism on the world. After reading Koevoet I immediately procured a copy of Blood Song and Black Vortex has been ordered.
August 31, 2021
I had heard about Koevoet in several other books I’ve read about the various wars in Africa during the Cold War, but this is the first book I’ve read that dealt with Koevoet specifically. The author was not a member of the unit; he is a journalist. But he was embedded with the unit in a way that few journalists, even South Africans, were able to do.
Hooper obviously respected the South Africans and Namibians (South West Africans) with whom he traveled for several months. He went on missions into the bush with them and was wounded on several occasions. The operators were honest with him, and he was honest about what he saw and was told. Despite the Apartheid going on in South Africa at the time, Hooper spoke of the interracial cooperation and lack of racism in Koevoet, but he was also honest enough to talk about the one (unnamed) white officer who had racist sentiments. This honesty about the lack of racism in the unit, along with his honest reporting of atrocities committed by the “freedom fighters,” earned Hooper quite a bit of animosity, not the least from potential publishers.
The book goes into depth regarding Koevoet’s tactics and missions. Hooper takes the reader along during tracking, ambushes, mortar attacks, and all the events that characterized the unit’s counter-terrorist activities. His time in “the bush” technically only covered a few months, but his writing was so thorough that the reader has a deep understanding of the war as a whole. The book includes many pictures taken by the author, which helps the reader to connect more deeply with the events and people mentioned in the book.
Hooper is an engaging author who manages to keep the writing interesting even during non-combat portions of the book. His honesty and lack of preconceptions regarding the men of Koevoet are commendable and refreshing, especially in light of most of the literature from non-South Africans from that time period. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the African “bush wars.” As mentioned before, this was the first book I read about this unit specifically, but I feel like I have a clear understanding of Koevoet and its mission. For that, Hooper deserves to be commended.
Hooper obviously respected the South Africans and Namibians (South West Africans) with whom he traveled for several months. He went on missions into the bush with them and was wounded on several occasions. The operators were honest with him, and he was honest about what he saw and was told. Despite the Apartheid going on in South Africa at the time, Hooper spoke of the interracial cooperation and lack of racism in Koevoet, but he was also honest enough to talk about the one (unnamed) white officer who had racist sentiments. This honesty about the lack of racism in the unit, along with his honest reporting of atrocities committed by the “freedom fighters,” earned Hooper quite a bit of animosity, not the least from potential publishers.
The book goes into depth regarding Koevoet’s tactics and missions. Hooper takes the reader along during tracking, ambushes, mortar attacks, and all the events that characterized the unit’s counter-terrorist activities. His time in “the bush” technically only covered a few months, but his writing was so thorough that the reader has a deep understanding of the war as a whole. The book includes many pictures taken by the author, which helps the reader to connect more deeply with the events and people mentioned in the book.
Hooper is an engaging author who manages to keep the writing interesting even during non-combat portions of the book. His honesty and lack of preconceptions regarding the men of Koevoet are commendable and refreshing, especially in light of most of the literature from non-South Africans from that time period. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the African “bush wars.” As mentioned before, this was the first book I read about this unit specifically, but I feel like I have a clear understanding of Koevoet and its mission. For that, Hooper deserves to be commended.
January 6, 2024
Very interesting book about a little known conflict. Hooper does a great job making the conflict personal and immediate. Hooper doesn't get bogged down in politics and instead concentrates on the real experiences of the men who fought the war. A gripping read.
November 8, 2017
Highly recommend
Well written book about a little know war (little know in the west). Excellent as a war history and as a personal account of a microcosm of the Cold War.
Well written book about a little know war (little know in the west). Excellent as a war history and as a personal account of a microcosm of the Cold War.
May 5, 2018
Pretty good book about the low intensity bush war in Namibia
December 4, 2019
Great book about seldom mentioned times and wars
January 16, 2021
All I can say is thank you, Jim! Balanced material surrounding the bush war is hard to find, especially when it comes to Koevoet!
April 24, 2023
This guy can make words match reality.....
January 30, 2025
Well-written first-hand account by a journalist of the elite anti-terrorist unit of the title.
July 18, 2025
The Real Truth
A true reflection of Koevoet, not some half baked nonsense sprouted by a biased world media. Let the truth prevail.
A true reflection of Koevoet, not some half baked nonsense sprouted by a biased world media. Let the truth prevail.
August 25, 2015
An interesting story about the authors time embedded with infamous Koevoet South African police unit fighting the SWAPO in the 1980s. Author provides a rare first-hand account of his time there seeking to look beyond the propaganda of the time. The author tells a more complex story of racial relations than many believed at the time or today. However, at the end of the day this book is little more than the author's war stories of aggressive counterterrorism patrols on both sides of the international border told in the words of the author and members of Koevoet.
May 23, 2023
I recently found out about the bush war that South Africa was involved in and I'm glad to have read this book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews