Secret Revolution - Memoirs of a Spy Boss

In the sinister world of spies few rules apply and everything is allowed in the name of state security - even talking to your Enemy No. 1.
This is exactly what Niël Barnard, as head of the National Intelligence Service, did in the late 1980s . On instruction of PW Botha he started talking in secret to Nelson Mandela about the possibility of a democratic election and a majority government. Not even the cabinet was informed of these talks.
Secret Revolution reveals the details of these meetings which were the first step towards a democratic South Africa. It also tells of the special personal bond that developed between these two former enemies. While both men were strong personalities who could be stubborn and even bad-tempered at times, they realised the importance of what they were doing.
The book also offers a fascinating insight into the daily lives of spies and NI's successes during the 1980s. As spy boss Barnard succeeded in establishing relationships with both friends and enemies of the South African state. He not only visited several African heads of state in a time when South Africa was shunned by the international community, but also managed to open an intelligence channel with communist Russia.
Secret Revolution is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what happened behind the political scenes in the 1980s.
Tobie Wiese is a respected journalist and writer. During his journalistic career he filled many senior positions, including as news editor of Huisgenoot and deputy-editor of Insig. He also lectured at the University of Stellenbosch's Department of Journalism and was a manager at Media24's Journalism Academy before he retired in 2012.