Wessels (author and contributor to Outdoor Life) presents a biography of van der Byl (1923-1999), a leading statesman during the ending decades of Rhodesia. Wessels prefaces van der Byl's story with a history of Rhodesia, then gives an account of van der Byl's family, his young life, his rise to political power, and finally his death and legacy. Of note is the dramatic finale, with Mugabe rising to power in the newly created Zimbabwe. The text includes several photographs of the van der Byl family throughout the years. Distributed by International Publishers Marketing (IPM). Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)