Warfare by Other Means by Peter Stiff

Warfare by Other Means by Peter Stiff is a substantial and revealing account of South Africa’s covert operations, intelligence networks and unconventional warfare during the turbulent 1980s and 1990s. Published by Galago in 2001, this extensively illustrated work examines the secret activities that took place alongside the more visible political and military conflicts of the final years of apartheid.

Focusing on South Africa’s secret warfare apparatus, Warfare by Other Means explores the activities of intelligence services, military personnel and covert units operating in a period marked by political violence, regional conflict and growing resistance to apartheid. Peter Stiff investigates the clandestine strategies and operations that shaped the country’s security environment, offering readers an insight into a largely concealed dimension of Southern African history.

The book examines controversial operations, political assassinations, covert support networks and attempts to influence political developments both inside South Africa and beyond its borders. Its coverage includes the complex relationships between state security structures, political organisations and armed groups during the final years of white-minority rule. Drawing on accounts from people involved in these events, Stiff presents a detailed narrative of the personalities, decisions and operations behind the headlines.

At approximately 600 pages, Warfare by Other Means is a substantial reference for readers interested in South African military history, intelligence operations and the political transition that brought apartheid to an end. Its photographs, illustrations and maps complement the historical narrative, making it particularly useful for readers seeking a detailed account of the period.

This volume forms part of Peter Stiff’s wider work on South African secret warfare and is the second instalment of his South Africa secret warfare trilogy. It will appeal to collectors of military history, researchers of apartheid-era security structures and readers interested in the hidden conflicts that shaped modern South Africa.

For anyone researching the South African Defence Force, intelligence services, covert operations or the political violence of the 1980s and 1990s, Warfare by Other Means offers a substantial and thought-provoking addition to a specialist history collection.

Condition: Very Good – Foxing consistent with age. Minimal wear to dust jacket.