Overview

The world's oldest still-active war correspondent, Al J. Venter, has reported from the front lines for well over half a century, witnessing the horrors humanity visits upon itself in twenty-five conflict zones across Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. In this memoir, Venter masterfully recounts his experiences, sharing the real stories behind the headlines and the sharp lessons he learned that enabled him to survive his countless exploits, ranging from exposing a major KGB operative in Rhodesia entirely by accident, and accompanying an Israeli force led by Ariel Sharon into Beirut, to gun-running into the United States. AUTHOR: Al J. Venter is a specialist military writer and has had 50 books published. He started his career with Geneva's Interavia Group, then owners of International Defence Review, to cover military developments in the Middle East and Africa. Venter has been writing on these and related issues such as guerrilla warfare, insurgency, the Middle East and conflict in general for half a century. He was involved with Jane's Information Group for more than 30 years and was a stringer for the BBC, NBC News (New York) as well as London's Daily Express and Sunday Express. He branched into television work in the early 1980s and produced more than 100 documentaries, many of which were internationally flighted. His one-hour film, 'Africa's Killing Fields' (on the Ugandan civil war), was shown nationwide in the United States on the PBS network. Other films include an hour-long program on the fifth anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, as well as 'AIDS: The African Connection', nominated for China's Pink Magnolia Award. His last major book was 'Portugal's Guerrilla Wars in Africa', nominated in 2013 for New York's Arthur Goodzeit military history book award. It has gone into three editions, including translation into Portuguese. 100 photographs

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9781636243801

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"""This is an extraordinary book by an extraordinary adventurer describing extraordinary times in Africa and elsewhere. It is also a journey into a vanishing world whose ripples continue to shape our present. Buckle up tight for an unforgettable ride!""--Anver Versi, Editor, New African Magazine"

"""With no journalism school or newsroom experience, Al Venter morphed into the most experienced, daring, and capable but unsung war correspondent of the 20th and 21st centuries, leaving most of his peers in the dust. Rip-roaring through countless coups, revolutions, plots, and wars in the dark continent of Africa, the Middle East, Central America, Asia, and a European war or two. Over time, he branched out into TV journalism filming conflicts in El Salvador, Brazil's notorious Favellas, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, where he was sponsored by the CIA. At one point, he joined an African rebel army fighting in Angola to get his story.""--Robert K. Brown, Lt. Col USAR, Ret., Founder of ""Soldier of Fortune"" magazine. ""This is an extraordinary book by an extraordinary adventurer describing extraordinary times in Africa and elsewhere. It is also a journey into a vanishing world whose ripples continue to shape our present. Buckle up tight for an unforgettable ride!""--Anver Versi, Editor, New African Magazine"

Author Information

Al J. Venter is a specialist military writer and has had 50 books published. He started his career with Geneva’s Interavia Group, then owners of International Defence Review, to cover military developments in the Middle East and Africa. Venter has been writing on these and related issues such as guerrilla warfare, insurgency, the Middle East and conflict in general for half a century. He was involved with Jane’s Information Group for more than 30 years and was a stringer for the BBC, NBC News (New York) as well as London’s Daily Express and Sunday Express. He branched into television work in the early 1980s and produced more than 100 documentaries, many of which were internationally flighted. His one-hour film, 'Africa’s Killing Fields' (on the Ugandan civil war), was shown nationwide in the United States on the PBS network. Other films include an hour-long program on the fifth anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, as well as 'AIDS: The African Connection', nominated for China’s Pink Magnolia Award. His many books include Africa: In the Line of Fire (2023) and Portugal's Bush War in Mozambique (2022), both by Casemate Publishers.

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