When William Shakespeare wrote, ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances’, he may as well have said that ‘all the world’s a battle, and all the men and women merely soldiers; they have their victories and defeats’. In this narrative, life, whether individual, social, economic, military or spiritual, is nothing but a series of battles which one hopes to win most of and build a life of substance and meaning. In 1995, during the democratic transition of South Africa, two ‘players or soldiers’, depending on your narrative, were forged together by the objective of establishing a new leadership, command and management framework for the South African National Defence Force, the latter being an amalgamation of conventional military forces and liberation armies. In this cauldron of conflicting dynamics, they discovered that what drives success on the military battlefield translates to virtually every other domain of life. Roland de Vries, often referred to as the South African ‘Rommel’, and who eventually retired as the Deputy Chief of the Army for the South African National Defence Force, and Deon Crafford, a seasoned, straight-talking, leadership advisor in the corporate domain, who also served as a senior executive with an international consulting firm, became a tag team of tested strategy and leadership ideas. In 2025, thirty years after their first meeting, they decided that it was time to bring their stories and experiences together in a book that could serve many others in achieving the objectives or victories they pursue. This book is short on theory and extensive on real-life experiences, be those in the heat of the cordite enveloped war zone, the dusty crop fields, or the thick, emotional dynamics of the factory floor and the corporate boardroom. This book is written not to seek admiration, but to serve those who daily find themselves in the heat of whatever battle, and who know that those battle…

For his battlefield exploits and tactical astuteness, Roland de Vries has rightfully been called the “Rommel of the SADF.” In this forthright, warts-and-all but compassionate autobiography – crammed with fascinating military detail, yet unashamedly emotional – he recounts the fascinating story of the transformation of a small, colonial army into, pound-for-pound, the best fighting force on the planet. After assimilating the principles of such diverse military geniuses as Napoleon, Sun Tzu, Heinz Güderian and Boer general, Christiaan de Wet, he and a band of daring young commanders tossed aside military textbooks and developed their own doctrine of Mobile Warfare, South African-style. De Vries’s career bracketed the 22-year Border War and is irrevocably interwoven with the machine he helped create – the incomparable Ratel Infantry Combat Vehicle – and his beloved regiment, the renowned 61 Mech, as they are channelled through the funnel of history towards a final, climactic showdown against overwhelming odds in the mud and dust of southern Angola near a nondescript village called Cuito Cuanavale…

’n Nasionale aksie om gemeenskappe te beveilig word van stapel gestuur deur Roland de Vries en ’n kundige span individue en instansies. Die media berig daagliks oor brutale aanvalle en moorde op onskuldige mense. Hierdie boek is ’n volledige doktrine vir die bemagtiging e van gemeenskappe ter selfbeskerming. Elke persoon wat deur misdaadterreur in Suid Afrika bedreig word moet van hierdie boek kennis neem. **** A national action to safeguard communities is launched by Roland de Vries with a competent team of individuals and institutions. There are daily reports in the media of brutal attacks and killings on innocent people. This book is a complete doctrine for Community safety with the aim of empowering communities for self protection. Every person under threat in South Africa should take notice of this book.