John Gartner

John Gartner is a veteran of several Tier 1 Special Forces units (Australian, Rhodesian and South African), where he was engaged in high tempo active service counterinsurgency operations, before training and advising Sri Lanka Special Task Force and the Sri Lanka Army in counter insurgency strategies and tactics. He established his own security advisory company in 1998 which saw him advise multinational clients across high risk environments in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, including in Iraq. He is well known internationally as an authority on insurgency and insurrection in Africa. He continues to provide strategic support to parties with vested interests and investments internationally, with a particular focus on Africa and the Middle East. He writes from first hand experience and has an in-depth knowledge of counterinsurgency and counter terrorism

REVIEW: The Fading Light, Memories of a Professional Soldier’s Five Decades of War and Conflict in Africa, Asia and the Middle East

Reviewed by Major (Retired) Jim Truscott, formerly Australian SAS Regiment

What a read! …. The book is a detailed and enthralling capture of his multiple and near continuous, gutsy-combat, high-risk training, and jet-setting business experiences. He must have maintained a meticulous diary in order to have been able to so accurately recount his many life stories over such a long period of time. They stem from his initial peace time exposure in the Australian SAS, then war service in the Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts, through to being an Operator in the South African Special Forces, an Operative for the South African Government, followed by employment in private military companies in war zones and finally in the security business in all manner of dodgy countries. What I particularly liked was that he does not gloss over the stuff-ups. He candidly describes several situations that went wrong, or which had gone off the rails and how he dealt with them. Some of his former enemies, opposing forces and competitors may be uncomfortable with what he has written, as it is an expose of the reality and morality of close quarter combat, shadowy government service and the bastardry of business. He had several brushes with death and his ability to work alone and in small teams for protracted periods in often very tense situations is another distinctive feature of his story. Accordingly, it is a highly motivating read, especially for anyone considering a similar career in conflict zones in special operations, in and out of uniform, or as a contractor. For the rest of us mere mortals, it provides gripping armchair adventure.

REVIEW: THE FADING LIGHT: Reviewed by Kevin Bovill, formerly Australian SAS Regiment

Over recent years there has been a plethora of SAS/SF themed books published ranging from the highly imaginative to some very solid yarns. “THE FADING LIGHT” by John Gartner rates way up near the top of “tell it how it was” autobiographies. Giving one of the best descriptions of what it was like to be on and behind the front line of a vicious guerrilla war and the internecine struggles that wracked the African continent in the last quarter of the last century. John served successively in the Australian SAS, Rhodesian SAS, Selous Scouts and South African Intelligence before moving into a PMC with a contract in Sri Lanka and onto the International Circuit, Brunei, Libya and then to establish his own security company. As well as a bloody good yarn, it is a worthy addition to any military history library. They do not come much better than this.