Three Sips of Gin: Dominating the Battlespace with Rhodesia's Elite Selous Scouts Kindle Edition

“Three Sips of Gin” is a great read. I found myself laughing and chuckling to myself on every other page. Mr. Bax along with his Father, Mom, his sisters and wife, Carol have led quite an adventurous life. Some of his adventures with his sister reminded me of those with mine…which remain timeless to this day.The book takes on a more serious note although with still amazingly funny and harrowing adventures once Mr. Bax joins the Rhodesian Light Infantry and then the Selous Scouts. The stories of his training and his deployments are quite amazing.I was very happy that I had read his “Who will teach the Wisdom” first. It gave me an interesting insight when reading “Three Sips of Gin” and filled in some of his missions, which made them feel that more real and brought home the dangers of the one-on-one meeting with terrorists.The impact of both books made me realize how important other people and events play a role in one’s development and how one would have been a different person if they had not met those individuals or experienced the events one did in the order they occurred.I especially related to the inner question of what happened during a certain point in Mr. Bax’s life. Somethings just cannot be explained by the physical world.The politics of the world and the ego-play of those who move nations like they are pawns was very intriguing. A very eye-opening account of the games of nation and world politics played on a grand level.Reading them both created a beautiful sandwich. Due to the order that I read them (I read “Who will teach the Wisdom” again after I read “Three Sips of Gin”. It felt like I had created a Wisdom-Gin-Wisdom lunch. No matter what order you read them, I would recommend reading both. Both books complement one another very well and when meshed together give an excellent story of insights to an incredible life of one man those around him.I will also say, I found that the women in Mr. Bax’s life, his Mom, his sisters, his wife Carol, her nurse relative and his numerous very Monty Pylon-ish teachers, probably added a little flavor to his overall personality. In some cases, saved his life!Not to mention the men that he served with and met during his time in Rhodesia. An amazing group of warriors. A big shout out to all of them, past and present.Great reads both books. I highly recommend them both.

This book enthralled me from start to finish so full of descriptions that I am so familiar with. A must read for anyone who lived any time in Rhodesia.

A fascinating look at the Selous Scouts told in a witty and very enagaging way. An excellent read. Tim Bax's book was impossible to put down.

Wow, what a wild ride through a mans life in Africa. Timothy G. Bax does love a gin, or two, or three. This is a very funny book despite its sometimes grim topic. Wonderfully told with lots of humor. Maybe not so detailed about the Selous Scout but you get a good picture of the history in those parts of the world. The thing that I most wondered was how he could afford the private life with all the misfortunes with his possessions and stolen property. Sometimes while reading this book I had to stop and laugh out loud, like when he suddenly is at dinner and finds himself seated with Mikhail Kalashnikov who brags about his invention.

The book is an account of the author's life, from childhood. This is a factual and interesting account of his experiences in Southern Africa from the '50s. I particularly enjoyed the chapters dealing with the author's time in the Rhodesian army. Although at times repetitive, the reader can form a good idea of what life for these brave people must have been like. Having lived myself through these turbulent times, I could associate with the author and the events and experiences he describes.A good, well-written book which I would recommend to anyone interested in an aspect of the turbulent history of Southen Africa which no one seems to remember, or wish to remember.

I bought the Kindle edition of this book on the reccomendation of John Connor, who writes mostly color article for the firearms press. Before buying, I read the reviews which were distinctly bimodal. Most were positive, but a substantial minority were negative. Oddly, I found myself agreeing with both groups. The book is a delightful, down-to-earth collection of anecdotes from the author's life, a decade of which coincided with the last decade of Rhodesia. The author is no Hemingway, but he tells his tales in authentic, truthful, candid language which I found thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. I laughed out loud multiple times reading this book. Negative reviewers complain the book is not a scholarly history, and they are correct. If you want to understand the history of this important battle of the Cold War, there are better choices. If you want to be entertained and educated about one person's perspective, it's a great read!PS - I learned about "pink gin" from this book, which may be the best cocktail I've had....

Capt. Tim Bax writes an entertaining autobiography that reveals a real person who begins as a Tom Sawyer and grows into an amalgam of Harry Flashman mixed with Richard Sharpe. Ricocheting between an out-numbered hair-raising attack on a jungle swallowed terrorist base to a hilarious drunken night in a bar reminiscent of a party at Elephant Walk, Capt. Bax seems continually blown about by blustery winds of fate - never quite finding a sheltering cove. A great classic read for Flashman/Sharpe fans. I feel sorry for the humorless souls who give it one star failing to appreciate the story of a life being lived to its fullest.

Great book, couldent put it down, a shame that rhodesia was portrayed as a racist country, then and now,it isent a political book read ian smiths book for that, sad that this great country, once the bread basket of africa is now ruined and the people both black and white are poorer for there "independance", allowing communist backed terrorists to ruin africa while the US and UK stood back, the author tells it like it was on the ground,what a bloke. Id buy him his 4th sip of gin!

Very readable., interesting and enjoyable account. It shows what a tightly knit and supremely courageous people the Rhodesians were. No racial bias shown anywhere - only the hapless Portuguese shown up for their incompetence. It continues to make my blood boil to think how this great country was betrayed and sold down the river by Thatcher and Carrington. Without sanctions and left to their own devices, Rhodesia could have become a jewel in southern Africa. Instead it was ruined by the evil brute Mugabe and his murderous, corrupt cronies.

A very interesting look into the journey of one man journey through life. The author describes his life from birth in Africa, growing up in Canada, journeying to South Africa and joining the RLI. His commissioning and journey into the Selous Scouts, the bush war and it's after math. The author finishes off the story with his subsequent life in South Africa. This book has it all, action, pathos, tragedy and the unique humour of Rhodesians. Recommended VERY highly

2 years ago I read my fist account of the Bush war by Andy Balham it opened up a whole world of Rhodesian military history and I developed an interest in modern African wars. It's a delicate subject but putting aside the political minefield this is an excellent account of real people fighting and surviving on a hostile environment,utilising controversial counter insurgency methods to great effect it s harsh but not without humour and it feels very genuine giving an insight into the last days of a proud nation the world simply couldn't accept anymore...

Tim's personal recollections gathered here is not just another book that reflects on the Rhodesian Bush War. What sets "Three Sips Of Gin" apart from other Rhodesian War accounts is the jovial and hilarious manner with which the author addresses an otherwise painful and traumatizing setting; the Rhodesian Bush War itself!This trend can be picked up as early as the first chapters, namely within his educational odysseys in his native Tanzania, only to stay course throughout the book.An exceptional account that encompasses the Rhodesian Terrorist War from its inception to its closure, and what is outstanding, in a light-hearted mode.Great book! Compulsory reading for those interested in Southern Africa of the 1970's!