On the 3rdo of September 1978, Air Rhodesia Flight RH825 was shot down by rebels in the Zambezi Valley. The 18 surviving passengers, including women and children, were then brutally gunned down after surviving horror plane crash.
The crashes of Air Rhodesia Flight RH825 and Air Rhodesia Flight RH827 were two of the deadliest aviation incidents in the history of Rhodesia and they weren’t accidents. In this in-depth exploration of a little-known piece of Southern African history, Ian Pringle tells a true story of terrorism, sabotage, and survival.
Pringle, who lived in Rhodesia at the time of the crashes, collected interviews from survivors, witnesses, pilots, ground staff, accident investigators, family members, and experts. These testimonies reveal stories of heroism and courage in the wake of a major tragedy.
In addition to presenting vivid first-person testimonies, Pringle examines how the attacks and the ensuing collective rage of the Rhodesian people at those responsible contributed to the instability of the country. He shows how these tragedies indirectly led to the rise of Robert Mugabe and laid the groundwork for a very different future for Zimbabwe.
About the author:
Ian Pringle received his MBA in the United Kingdom and spent his career working for Castrol International and BP, mostly in Asia and Europe. He has always had a passion for being in the air and obtained a commercial pilot license to fly helicopters and ex-military fast jets, and he has completed over 1 500 free-fall parachute jumps.
In 2004, after he retired to Cape Town, South Africa, Pringle (and his Buccaneer and Hawker Hunter Cold War jets) teamed up with Mike Beachy Head and the aircraft company Thunder City. Since Mike’s death, Ian is the only licensed civilian Buccaneer pilot in the world.
Murder In The Zambezi is Ian’s third book. His previous titles are Dingo Firestorm The Greatest Battle Of The Rhodesian Bush War and Green Leader Operation The Rhodesian Military’s Response to the Viscount tragedy