Spider Zero Seven

The author pulls no punches. This is a completely believable story of years of combat. Highly recommended to lovers of army ,airforce tales. I couldn’t put it down.

Spider Zero Seven is a pretty interesting book. I've been hung up on, and reading about the Rhodesian and South African bush wars for three years now. While most of my reading focus has been on the ground war, this book gives some very neat insight into what was going on overhead of the fellows with boots in dirt. The author talks about specifics of having the hydraulics or linkage shot out of his chopper, as well as the human casualties in the bird. He does a good job of giving you the guts of the military action, then sprinkling in just enough of the after action history on the ground, fights with leadership, bar fights, frustrations with the war, and comical practical jokes etc. I like the technical explanations about what the Rhodesians had to go through and do with their helicopters compared to (for example) the Americans during the Vietnam War. I'm still wondering why WE didn't think to put a 20mm cannon in a Huey for a door gunner. All in all the book was very good, and I'm happy I kind of got off the ground pounder aspect of the Rhodesian Bush War. Good read!

One of the best war books I have read. The author who flew numerous combat missions in Rhodesia with lots of bullet holes in his helicopter to prove made his book very readable. Lots of humor and tongue in cheek stuff.

This was an excellent read! It provides insight about events that most Americans are quite ignorant about. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Brilliant rendition of the Rhodesian Bush war. I personally operated in the Op Hurricane area for 8 years and knew two of the air gunners who were in my class at Alan Wilson High in Salisbury. Both now sadly gone one KIA the other I rode to school with for 4 years passed a month ago in the UK. The description of contacts, radio procedure then in use are all spot on as are all the minor details. A real page turner and although at some times sad it contains a great deal of humour. The author is know by members of my family. This is one of the good guys and I highly recommend his book.

The author writes at a fast pace from one action scene to another, describing the moves of the characters, villains and pilots with vivid clarity. I could feel the fears, the tension, the sense of satisfaction in every successful encounter with the CT enemy. Having soldiered in the Rhodesian Bush War and had numerous Fire Force stints personally at the time all this was happening, I can vouch for the reality of this printed documentary. What made this book even more enjoyable is the author's delightfully dry sense of sarcastic humor. I thoroughly enjoyed Spider Zero Seven!

This was an excellent read and for those of us that were there, brought to life the stress, exhaustion and fierce capabilities and competences of the Rhodesian Air Force fireforce aircrews. The author was known for his aggressive expertise on fireforce. There were also some unfounded stories of his exploits without foundation from people that did not want to recognize him for his combat strategy, decisiveness and tactical flying capabilities under extremely tough combat field conditions.This story has been a long time overdue. I really look forward to the authors sequel of his time in the Selous Scouts and the real story of his harrowing experience in Zambia.

The Conclusion chapter serves as a good overview of the shortcomings of Rhodesian military leadership. Understand those shortcomings and moral failings before you read about the battle exploits detailed in the book.

This is another personal account of the Rhodesian Bush War, this time from the perspective of a helicopter pilot. A conflict that roughly began in 1966 and that lasted for another thirteen years, that ended with political defeat, not military.From troop deployment, troop extraction, casevacs (medical evacuations) within the operational theatre to part in broader operations under the Fireforce concept, including raids on neighbouring countries that harboured terrorist bases, many such examples are on the offer in Borlace's “Spider Zero Seven”.Tragedy, courage, humour and other human traits encompass the personal episodes here described of a deadly confict that, thanks to these memoirs, is pulled from oblivion.Many of Rhodesia's young were unable to witness both communism's broad defeat epitomised in the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 as well as Rhodesia's demise in 1980. Borlace's book is, in a way, a pledge that they will be remembered.Last but not least, accountability, though informal it may be, is found within the Rhodesian Establishment itself. This is unprecedented and envelopes all those, civil or military, that pledged allegiance to the “new order” they were asking others to fight only “yesterday”.Minor flaw? Chronological references, absent in many of the narrated episodes.Four stars.

Enjoyable interesting and especially the bravery of those chopper pilots.One anomaly I found which should be corrected was the shooting down of the first Air Rhodesia Viscount. The writer states that passengers were raped and bayoneted to death. There were no findings that rape had occurred, post-mortems were conducted to establish if this had occurred and none was found.Thank you Mike for your unselfish and dedicated service to my country and I’m so very sorry you were betrayed and suffered unimaginable tortures during your imprisonment in Zambia. I look forward to reading your next bookI definitely recommend reading this book.

A refreshingly open account from inside the blues, great recollection with the humour and the horrors of a war against all.odds that ended with betrayal from outside and inside, but a war that highlights how great an armed forces combo with limited resources managed to achieve so much. To those no longer with us who fought in that war, thank you.

A really well written memoir. I greatly enjoy reading about the Rhodesian and related conflicts having first read ‘Fireforce’, by Chris Cocks a couple of decades ago when I was serving in the British Parachute Regiment. Intending no disrespect to those involved in todays conflicts, you have to marvel at these guys carrying out raids hundreds of kilometres behind enemy lines with minimal support, a truly impressive feat of arms. The ‘Head Shed’, don’t come out of this looking good, but isn’t that always the case? I’m hoping that he’ll be writing about his Scouts experiences next. I recommend this book highly.

This book has technical brilliance , pathos , humour and an almost unique way of describing characters that made me feel as if I had met them sometime in the past. When the author writes about military oprations he puts you right in the pilots seat to the point where you can visualise what is going on . Little gems of insight and wisdom appear throughout the book that adds to its readability . I know it’s a cliche but I honestly could not put this book down . At the end of the book after giving a brief description of an event he writes “ but that,s another story”. I can,t wait .............