Movies about Mercenaries. The Wild Geese vs Dark of the Sun.

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Malpasowildlifer said:
The Wild Geese is one of my favorites! The coolest guy in the movie thought was Ian Yule, who played Tosh Donaldson; the guy wearing the SAS beret and the awesome super short barreled FN FAL. In real life, Yule was in the SAS and later served under Hoare. My Ian Yule autograph is in my office.

Dogs of War was a decent movie and a GREAT book. Awesome research as always by Forsyth.

In the fictional Brotherhood of War series by W.E.B. Griffin, one or two of his books deal with the Belgian Congo and Stanleyville.
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Thanks for this and also for Absalom too. Stanleyville--WHY does that name ring a bell???????.
 
Malpasowildlifer said:
Yup, Frederick Forsyth's third book. Decent movie with both a young Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger
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I like both actors very well and see I should have no probs enjoying it. I think ill include it in my next DvD purchase.
 
the ringo kid said:
Thanks for this and--bringing back to my memory about Mike Hoare.I havent heard his name in years.
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I think his last hurrah came when he tried to lead a group of mercenaries in an attempted coup in the Seychelles in 1981, made a complete mess of things, and then went to jail for several years for hijacking a civilian airliner to get himself and his "gang that couldn't shoot straight" out of there. After that, everybody in the business apparently figured his days were over. I think he's still alive, but he must be ancient by now.
 
I can't recall the whole story off hand. Stanleyville is a town in the Belgian Congo that I think Hoare's Commando unit was hired by the Belgians to defend, along with the Belgian Army. Supposedly our Army had SF advisors there, according to Griffin's book, which I wouldn't be surprised.

the ringo kid said:
Thanks for this and also for Absalom too. Stanleyville--WHY does that name ring a bell???????.
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Did you know?

The term Wild Geese originally applied to an army of Irish Catholics who fled Ireland to escape English oppression during the 1690s. Many men, who were under sentence of death if caught, were smuggled to France, where they fought as mercenaries. The bills of lading for the boats often simply read "a shipment of wild geese". A similar migration occurred during the 1700s, following a Jacobite rebellion in Scotland (where many Irish fought alongside the Scots), and following the 1780s rebellion and during the Irish Genocide or Potato Famine.

The name was also loosely applied to Irish troops fighting under the British during WWI and the Easter Uprising.
 
 
Malpasowildlifer said:
I can't recall the whole story off hand. Stanleyville is a town in the Belgian Congo that I think Hoare's Commando unit was hired by the Belgians to defend, along with the Belgian Army. Supposedly our Army had SF advisors there, according to Griffin's book, which I wouldn't be surprised.
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Actually, Stanleyville had fallen to the Simbas, who were holding large numbers of European hostages there and at various outlying missions. The Congolese gov't sent an overland force led by European mercenaries to the town and also to clean up the missions, and when the Simbas started murdering hostages, the US Air Force used C-130s to drop Belgian paratroops onto Stanleyville at about the same time Hoare's force got there. They easily defeated the Simbas, but lost quite a few of the hostages. That's the story he tells in his book.
 
I've read all of these books and seen the movies and the Lewis Collins movie. Collins was/is a reserve SAS trooper as well as an actor.

I especially recommend Wilbur Smith's, "The Train From Katanga", later re-titled as, "Dark of the Sun." (Also the movie title although the movie has also been released as, "Africa Ablaze.")

Smith has also written other books featuring mercenaries, inc. the recent one I'm reading now, "Vicious Circle."

If you aren't familiar with his writing, go to his colorful site and read about him and his books. I've read him from the first, and he's still holding his own for the most part, although well into his 70's. Many of his books are set in Africa and have hunting themes. A good one long those lines is, "The Golden Fox."

He also has some historical novels that are not especially accurate, but which are stirring and entertaining.

The books sell very well on the world market, and he and third wife Mokhiniso (born in a former Soviet Republic) have homes in London, South Africa, Switzerland, and some other place that momentarily escapes my memory.

If you ever have the opportunity to see a selection of his foreign covers (anything but UK or South African), you're in for a treat. They are colorful and many.
 
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Absalom said:
I think his last hurrah came when he tried to lead a group of mercenaries in an attempted coup in the Seychelles in 1981, made a complete mess of things, and then went to jail for several years for hijacking a civilian airliner to get himself and his "gang that couldn't shoot straight" out of there. After that, everybody in the business apparently figured his days were over. I think he's still alive, but he must be ancient by now.
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Ahhh now I remember hearing about that. Heh heh, that would make for a great movie as well and by that title as well. Muchos Gracias for this though.

I wonder who the "new"Mercenaries are? and what they are called?
 
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Malpasowildlifer said:
I can't recall the whole story off hand. Stanleyville is a town in the Belgian Congo that I think Hoare's Commando unit was hired by the Belgians to defend, along with the Belgian Army. Supposedly our Army had SF advisors there, according to Griffin's book, which I wouldn't be surprised.
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Ah danke for this as well. Im trying to remember the name of a major incident that took place and I remember that Higgens (of MagnumPI) had mentiioned it in an episode or two--which was a series of real incidents. Hang my lousy memory though. Id loveto reador seemore on the above--as well as possible Amer advisors there as well.I wonder if Barry Sadler ever operated in that neck of the woods?
 
BearBio said:
Did you know?

The term Wild Geese originally applied to an army of Irish Catholics who fled Ireland to escape English oppression during the 1690s. Many men, who were under sentence of death if caught, were smuggled to France, where they fought as mercenaries. The bills of lading for the boats often simply read "a shipment of wild geese". A similar migration occurred during the 1700s, following a Jacobite rebellion in Scotland (where many Irish fought alongside the Scots), and following the 1780s rebellion and during the Irish Genocide or Potato Famine.

The name was also loosely applied to Irish troops fighting under the British during WWI and the Easter Uprising.
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If I recall correctly? the Wild Geese dvd does have some history on the term. I need to dig it out and watch it again--probably on Thanksgiving.
 
Texas Star said:
I've read all of these books and seen the movies and the Lewis Collins movie. Collins was/is a reserve SAS trooper as well as an actor.

I especially recommend Wilbur Smith's, "The Train From Katanga", later re-titled as, "Dark of the Sun." (Also the movie title although the movie has also been released as, "Africa Ablaze.")

Smith has also written other books featuring mercenaries, inc. the recent one I'm reading now, "Vicious Circle."

If you aren't familiar with his writing, go to his colorful site and read about him and his books. I've read him from the first, and he's still holding his own for the most part, although well into his 70's. Many of his books are set in Africa and have hunting themes. A good one long those lines is, "The Golden Fox."

He also has some historical novels that are not especially accurate, but which are stirring and entertaining.

The books sell very well on the world market, and he and third wife Mokhiniso (born in a former Soviet Republic) have homes in London, South Africa, Switzerland, and some other place that momentarily escapes my memory.

If you ever have the opportunity to see a selection of his foreign covers (anything but UK or South African), you're in for a treat. They are colorful and many.
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Thank you for all this too.My friend Helen who lives in South Africa--wants me to tell her what I want for Christmas--and refuses to let me not ask---so ill have her look for books.
 
THANKS! Always looking for good leads on books and movies. Loved "Wild Geese". Few movies where you see FALs and Sterlings.

As to Frederick Forsythe: have all of his books, and believe most have been made into movies. He's that good.

"Tears in the Sun" I believe was the Bruce Willis movie. Loved that one too.
 
I wish they would make Casca--into a series of movies--for my Fiction fix.. No remake for: Soldier of Fortune. I saw it once and wish I could take back that time wasted. Clark Gable was good--but NOT convining as a SoF type.
 
I saw "Wild Geese" many years ago. Great movie. I'll have to find a copy on DVD now that I've been reminded of it.

For background, I enjoyed Robert Ruark's "Something of Value" and "Uhuru". Those take place during the Mau-Mau uprising in British East Africa but revolve around the same type situations.

Something of Value was made into a movie, but I've never seen it so I can't comment on it.
 
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I was a contributor to Mike Hoare's defense fund. I got a patch and a pretty cool thank you note signed by Mike.
Some years later I found a Yahoo group on the Wild Geese and actually corresponded with Mike and a son. Mike is 95yo now, and interestingly enough (given my occupation) he was a certified accountant before becoming a Merc.
 
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