Modern African Wars (4): The Congo 1960–2002 (Men-at-Arms, 492)

Helpful "cliff notes" for the topic. Obviously, the author can only detail when covering several (dozens?) of different forces and actions over 43 years.

This book was a complete disappointment. While it covers the subject with necessary broad brushstrokes to encompass the period from 1960-2002, it does not meet the high standards set by the other volumes in the series (#1 Rhodesia 1965-80; #2 Angola & Mocanbique 1961-74; and #3 South-West Africa) even though this volume was edited by the incomparable Martin Windrow (known for his amazingly presented volumes of the French Colonial Wars in the Osprey Man-at-Arms and Elite series, among others.)The book is full of statements like, "The FAZ's weakness did not stop Mobutu from trying to act as the 'Gendarme of Central Africa'. Troops were deployed in Bokassa's Central African Empire in early 1979, in Tchad in 1981-82 and again in 1983, while some joined a French intervention force in Togo in 1986 after a mercenary attack there." (p. 23) Wait,... what? When other Osprey books make statements that are not general know or from limited sources, they provide reference sources. Where did this information about Zairean Army interventions come from?The best of the Osprey books that I have had the pleasure of reading gave example narratives of encounters/contacts with the enemy that the troops experienced in the covered conflicts as a way of putting the reader in the boots of the soldiers on the ground. This volume has none of that. While this is probably a result of the fact that this volume covers 2-3 times the number of years covered by the other volumes in the Modern African Wars series, it creates a volume that feels incomplete. It probably would have been better to break this into two separate volumes (1960-79 and 1980-2002.)Lastly, unlike the earlier volumes in the series (and most of the earlier Osprey books), there is no final page in the book with the plate descriptions in French and German. While this is not unique to this 2014 volume (many of the newer reprints have eliminated this page as well), I always enjoyed having this page as it has allowed me to practice my skills in these languages (and helped when I have had to go to original sources in those languages.)

Another good book by Osprey, Reader will like the colored pictures and brief history of this complicated war. Gives the reader a basic overview of the conflict. What I liked the most was the colored pictures of the Congo army during the many stages of war.

Peter Aboot has done very well with the lastest Osprey Booklet he give the reader in broad strokes the war that have gone in the Congo/Zarie since 1960. I have the other three books in the series which start with the Rhodesian Bush War. It is an excellent addtion.

I gave it a 4 star because it was very good for what it is, a good survey of the situation in the Congo at that time.

Perfect Xmas gift

Very well done capsule account of a very complicated era.

As anticipated

The history of the Congo since independence is extraordinarily messy and tragic, ravaged by neo-colonialism, dictatorship, ethnic conflict and a whole host of other evils on a scale that surpasses even other troubled African states. A short text like this could never reveal the full picture, though it does provide as informative an account you're going to get on the military history of the various factions vying for power in the numerous conflicts that have beset the country since 1960, from the Mao-inspired Simba rebels, to the Katanga separatists, to President Mobutu's personal guard. Perhaps not enough detail on the events of the Second Congo War (1998-2003) though it would take a lifetime to unravel what was going on in that particular ordeal.

interesting reading and looking at the plates. a must for all military modellers.

great

In my opinion, Peter Abbott is probably the best or one of the best authors in Osprey serie Men-at-Arms. In a few pages it covers summarily but very clearly all the major wars happened in Congo since his independence until the recent Great African War, when up to 10 African countries and dozens of guerrilla groups were involved. Men-at-Arms series uses to focus in the uniforms of the soldiers involved in the conflict, and in a lesser degree includes some order of battles, and a very schematic summary of the operations and the context of the war, Nevertheless, Peter Abbott, covering also the equipment of the armies involved, uses to include larger than usual (for a Men-at-Arms titles) information about the order of battle of the armies involved and excellent descriptions (in very broad terms) of the main operations. For this reason this is my favourite author in Osprey's Men-at-Arms series. Consequently, for a military perspective (not a political or sociological one) this title and the two ones written by Tom Copper are probably the best works written about the topic.

Das Ospreyheft gibt einen guten Überblick über die Hintergründe des Kolonialkrieges, auch die UN-Einsätze zur Freidensschaffung und -Sicherung sind erklärt. Ospreytypisch alles eher oberflächlich, aber trotzdem gut für den ersten Überblick.Die Zeichnungen sind gut und aussagekräftig, wenn es um das Erscheinungsbild der Kriegsteilnehmer geht.Durchaus ein gutes Heft in der Serie.