The SAAF at War 1940-1984 - A Pictorial Appraisal

By JS Bouwer & MN Louw

Chris van Rensburg Publications, 1989.

Large hardcover with dustcover, 220 pages. Very good condition. 

The SAAF at War, 19401984 is a landmark work in the field of South African military and aviation history. The book provides an authoritative and visually rich chronicle of the South African Air Forces role in key 20th-century conflicts. The book opens with the SAAFs involvement in World War II, covering the East African Campaign, operations in North Africa, and the Italian theatre, before moving into the post-war period and the transition into the jet age. It explores the Air Forces development during the Cold War, culminating in its complex and controversial involvement in the Border War and regional conflicts in Angola and Namibia. Drawing on detailed operational histories, personal accounts from aircrew, and extensive archival research, Bouwer and Louw present a compelling narrative of the SAAFs strategic evolution and combat engagements.

The text is enriched by rare photographs, colour illustrations, and aircraft profiles, offering readers a vivid sense of the men, machines, and missions that defined the era.