In March 1979, eighteen aspirant pilots attested into the Rhodesian Air Force. One of those pilot cadets, Ian du Rand, was an ex-Oriel Boy. For those familiar with the old Rhodesian (now Zimbabwean) school system, it’s not unfair to say that sport often transcended education. As a consequence, lingering

Ricky D Phillips’ opus, ‘The First Casualty’, spits in the eye of most mainstream accounts of the first day of the Battle for Stanley [April 1982]. With meticulous care, he dismantles most—if not all—of the long-held beliefs fed to the world in the aftermath of Argentina’s invasion of The Falklands.

While filming on location in Northern Iraq in 2010, our director suddenly ordered our small convoy to take a detour. ‘A film-worthy moment,’ she cried, pointing at some activity in the distance. It was a traditional Kurdish open-air wedding. Imagine the guests’ reactions when the occupants of three strange vehicles poured out, unannounced. Being of Kurdish descent, our director was able to communicate

On a recent trip to Cape Town, Cathy and I dropped in to visit our good friend John Dickerson. Given my own fascination with Zulu history, I couldn’t resist getting John to pose with me in front of his collection of rare 19th century etchings. Flexing their imperial muscles, Queen Victoria’s

Built in the USA, coaches like the one shown here were shipped over to Africa in the late 19th century. Cecil John Rhodes, the man for whom Rhodesia was eventually named, paid the following tribute to Christian Zeederberg, founder of Zeederberg Coaches: “(He) has done more than any other man to help open up Rhodesia.”

As last-minute invitees to the XXII Olympiad, most of Zimbabwe’s athletes had little or no time to prepare for the upcoming quadrennial showpiece. David Parrington, an old school friend and participant in those Games, was a valuable resource while I was researching the event for my first book, ‘A Legion of Warriors.’

Some readers may be wondering about the origin of my logo, and the word ‘imbongi’ that appears above my signature. A few years ago—around the time I finished the second book in my ‘African Big 5 Series’ —I was browsing through my favorite bookstore in Bryanston, Johannesburg, when a title jumped out at me.

First published in 2017, ‘A Legion of Warriors’ is a factional story centering on the exploits of the principal character, Dax Hunter. Four sequels followed in quick succession: ‘A Banner of Knights,’ ‘A Brood of Vipers,’ ‘A Bastion of Truth’ and ‘A Crisis of Faith’.     

Besides a passion for writing, I describe myself as being a bit of an adventurer. At age nine, a hastily scribbled note left on the kitchen table was enough to let my parents know that my friend and I were going camping on a neighboring farm. As much a reflection of

Not long after my camping trip on the neighboring farm (see Tales & Trails #2), my dad and a group of his BSAP (British South Africa Police) friends arranged a father-son camping trip to the wild and spectacular sanctuary of Mana Pools in the north of the country.