Serving Secretly: An Intelligence Chief on Record Rhodesia into Zimbabwe 1964-1981
(005320.38-E003569.93NHORLOSUC20V)
The author served as head of Rhodesia’s Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) from 1963 through Zimbabwe independence.
[This is one of the most important books ever written about Rhodesia. This book is for the very serious students of Rhodesia. This was written by Ken Flower who was our top spy master. He was there from the beginning to the end. There are things he says that differ from what the normal military authors wrote. But this man was in a very critical position and he saw and knew of things that very few people ever knew. Inside this book is a lot of information you won’t find anywhere else. I bought my copy decades ago. This book is only available second hand and it’s expensive. Jan]
Price for Used Hardcovers: $100 – $150
Some Customer Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent history of the Rhodesia/Zimbabwe conflict
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2012
It is a mark of Ken Flowers’ professionalism that he served so many masters.He makes no secret of the fact that he was sympatheticto the pre-UDI poltical status quo. Under Ian Smith he tended to argue a reformist agenda and was probably the best informed person in the country. Under Ken Flowers the CIO punched way above its weight and in conjunction with Special Branch developed extremely effective counter insurgency initiatives and built up a surprising array of foreign assets and contacts. Like many old school Rhodies He was instinctively suspicious of the S.Africans who subsequently sold out Smith.
Under the circumstances he is quite restrained in his criticism of the militarisation of the conflict, especially the involvement of the Selous Scouts who became an army within an army and the fostering of a cult of body count rather than a hearts and minds approach. In my opinion too many scarce resources were devoted to high profile raids and operations which produced military “‘victories’ but were counter-productive in the greater scheme of things.
I know there are many who suspect him of working for the British but the CIO’s record speaks for itself, perhaps by the time of Lancaster House he found that Rhodesia’s best interests were not best served by Ian Smith?
3.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Read
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2011
Obviously, this is a pretty obscure book, but don’t let that fool you. It says more about Rhodesian history and the early history of Zimbabwe than almost anything out there. This is not to be missed by anyone interested in Zimbabwean history.
4.0 out of 5 stars Balanced but dry
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2010
This book provides a very unbiased view of the political history of Rhodesia. Ken served under 5 PMs including Smith and Mugabe. It reads a lot like a history text book, which I guess it kind of is, and gets a little boring in parts. However, I do feel it is probably the most accurate account ever written of the political side of the Rhodesia/Zim transition.
One person found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating detail and behind the scenes info.
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2008
This truly is a tell-all. There have been many books written on the political situation of post-UDI Rhodesia and this book provides a different account of many familiar events. Flower was a British immigrant who spent most of his adult years in Africa.
I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a full picture of what happened in Rhodesia after UDI.