Song of the Butterflies by Robert M Leslie is the first book in a trilogy featuring soldier Sion Michael. After fighting for the South African Defense Force in Namibia, he volunteered to fight in Rhodesia against the Africans who were intent on taking control of what is now Zimbabwe. He joined the Selous Scouts, composed of small groups trained to infiltrate cadres of the two main factions of ZIPRA and ZANU/PF parties. Leslie’s accounts and descriptions of the exploits of the Scouts are very real. Comprising whites and Zulus, who despised the Shona and Matabele tribes, they infiltrated camps, pretended to support the rebels or freedom fighters – depending on opposing points of view – in disguise, merging into the local population. From the hundreds of volunteers who applied to join, only a handful were chosen. Those who were successful had excellent tracking skills, spoke local African dialects, and were prepared to face insurmountable dangers. Many of the men died in combat. They were awarded a plethora of medals, but once Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, they ceased to exist as a fighting unit.

An excellent book, full of grit, courage, and endurance. The Selous Scouts infiltrated and fought in the wars in Rhodesia, and author Robert M Leslie has brought them to life in Song of the Butterflies. One of the groups led by Sion Michael goes in pursuit of a rebel called iLunga, his name taken from the Fiscal shrike or Butcher bird, which hangs its prey on thorns or barbed wire. The descriptions of the Uvemvane (butterfly) group are so real that the reader is also falling through the crusts on the salt pan, wading through the waters of the Chobe Delta, hacking through the jungle, and scrambling up vertical cliffs. We are taken into their world and can only gasp at their bravery. This is as close an account of the Rhodesian Bush War as you will ever read. It’s raw, real, and barbaric, and it takes your breath away. These outstanding groups took guerrilla warfare to a new level in a thrilling saga that left me breathless. I look forward to further books in the series. An excellent addition to libraries of South Africans, ex-Rhodesians, and lovers of military and historical tales.

Song of the Butterflies by Robert M. Leslie offers a sweeping fictional account of the Rhodesian Bush War, told through the lens of the Selous Scouts, an infamous counter-insurgency unit. The book begins against the backdrop of the Second Chimurenga, placing its story within the larger struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence. From the start, Leslie anchors the narrative in historical detail, blending real political events with a vivid dramatization of the secret operations that influenced the war. Most impressive is the novel’s attention to the visceral realities of combat. Scenes in the bush, where soldiers undergo grueling training, test the limits of endurance, and disguise themselves as guerrillas, create a haunting sense of immediacy. Leslie does not shy away from depicting atrocities, whether inflicted by insurgents on missionaries or by state forces on villagers. The narrative often widens beyond individual stories to capture the ideological stakes of the war, highlighting the tension between colonial authority, liberation movements, and the civilians caught between them.

Blending historical fact with imagined lives, Robert M. Leslie plunges readers into a brutal conflict where blurred identities, loyalties, and survival define the daily existence of soldiers and civilians alike. The prose often emphasizes the sounds, smells, and textures of the bush, giving it an almost cinematic feel. As a historical novel, Song of the Butterflies successfully highlights a conflict frequently ignored in global stories of decolonization. Readers looking for a sanitized version of history will not find it here; instead, the author depicts war with all its chaos, cruelty, and rare moments of dark humor. Song of the Butterflies calls attention not only to the soldiers’ strategies but also to the larger consequences of a society torn apart by violence. In doing so, it provides a compelling, if uncomfortable, look at a key moment in Southern African history.