Some books entertain you. Some books educate you. And then, once in a rare while, a book grabs you by the throat and drags you straight into the smoke, chaos, gunfire, fear and raw humanity of a time most people only think they understand, but find out they don't.
War in Peace, by Sgt. Nick Howarth is one of those books.
This is not polished, Hollywood fiction written from the safety of hindsight. It is gritty, courageous, personal and brutally honest. It reads like a man finally opening a pressure valve that has been sealed shut for decades.
From tribal violence and slaughter, and political unrest to riot lines, burning streets, terrifying situations, survival and brotherhood, the book takes you directly into South Africa's most volatile years through the eyes of someone who stood right in the middle of it all and tried not to blink.
What makes this book powerful is not just the violence or the historical backdrop. It is the humanity behind it. The young athlete whose life took a completely different path. The husband and father trying to survive a world spiralling into madness. The policemen carrying burdens nobody spoke about afterwards. The moments of humour and grief, regret, loyalty and chaos make the story feel painfully real.
Whether you agree with the politics of the era or not, this book forces you to confront the reality that history is rarely as simple as slogans and headlines. It gives a perspective few people have ever heard and much fewer have lived through.
Once you start reading, it is very hard to put down.