Zimbabwe's Liberation War started with incursions by tiny guerrilla groups and then built up until the settler regime finally had to negotiate a settlement in 1980. This book looks at the realities of the war and what happened afterwards, rather than at the comfortable myths. Both heroic and terrible deeds are recorded. There are both idealistic hopes and cynical compromises. It is centred on ordinary soldiers and people who sacrificed their lives to achieve advances and victories, and suffered the consequences of retreats and defeats. It is history told and experienced by the soldiers themselves, not the 'official' and 'authorized' account by leaders. This book compares strategies used by all the main players - ZIPRA, ZIPA, ZANLA and the Rhodesian Forces. It discusses the Nhari rebellion and the March 11 Movement, the Fifth Brigade and the 'dissidents'. The volume further examines the integration of the armies after 1980, analyses the politics of creating war heroes and discusses life after the war for ex-combatants.