Confrontation is a detailed unit-by-unit account of infantry units from Britain and its allies during Konfrontasi. The four year jungle war preserved Malayais from domination by Indonesia and ultimately shifted Indonesia away from the Communist bloc to become a country more sympathetic to the West. Nick van der Bijl's 252 page account is clearly well researched from both archive and interview source, covering in great detail the encounters between the British and Indonesians in Borneo. The back of the book includes a summary of Indonesian guerilla warfare philosophy and a Victoria Cross citation.

Nick van der Bijl's writing is clearly not intended for the casual reader. This is heavy going. It is largely a list of activities with the only narrative being the ongoing chronology of events unfolding throught the years. The account is not the author's but seemingly the words of those who were there. The style varies hugely from page to page as different units tell their story. This can make for odd reading at times as even the spelling of place names changes. A name like van der Bijl suggests a Dutch heritage and that does every so often show in the typos including on one occasion the Dutch spelling of Djakarta.

It is hard to convey personality when writing a list. Van der Bijl's does not really come through until his conclusions chapter. The personalities of those involved are also harder to divine despite the attempt to write their humourous comments into the work. Several tales were probably funnier when told to van der Bijl or read by him than they are when he inserts them into the story.

At times the detail of the list is for the ardent militarist. Use of abbreviation is limited but details of unit rotation patterns bog down the writing throughout. Even the depiction of battle is for the most part pretty bland. The number of rounds fired in various encounters has somewhat undue prominence.

However, the story underneath the list is fascinating. Konfrontasi is a little-known war in part because it was fought so incredibly well by the British. The valour and ingenuity displayed by British forces, especially the Gurkhas is incredible. Jungle warfare is such an alien concept to much of ordinary life that the painstaking detail of van der Bijl adds to an understanding of the conditions these fighters faced. It is detail thrown-in almost casually at times like occasions when an ambush is disrupted by a python or the number of troops who caught dengue.

It is van der Bijl's collation of these small but fascinating items of history that is the value of Confrontation. Almost a cataloguing of what seems to be a treasure trove of information from the British side. Much less is available of the Indonesians. This is not their story. They are mostly the other with the exception of discussions around Soekarno or Soeharto. Indonesian failings are sometimes laughable but that does downplay the threat to British troops as well as to the existence of Malaysia.

Despite the detail there are major gaps in the story. In particular there is hardly any information on how the hearts and minds battle was won. This was a crucial factor in determining the outcome of Konfrontasi. Occasional reference to a medic including his delivery of a baby is not enough of to explain how the Iban population chose Britain rather than Indonesia as its protector. The role of the Chinese is also hard to discern from the available information. They crop up every now and then but it is a gap given such detail of British troop movements.

Some of the British troop movements are truly heroic and are rightly mentioned for their valour and consequent awards. The story of troops who fought in such inhospitable jungle environs, showing patience and judgement under such extreme stress is a tale that deserves to be told. The rare pitched battle encounters must have been something truly incredible.

Van der Bijl does not really convey the awesome experience Konfrontasi must have been. The occasional maps are hard to read. The pictures are nice but not especially illuminating. The thoughts of those who were there and the feelings they convey are toned down by van der Bijl's writing style.

Konfrontasi is a truly gripping military adventure, a battle fought in incredible conditions, and fought so well by the British. Nick van der Bijl has painstakingly collated a lot of information about the various infantry events. His is a useful chronicle but a difficult read and not an especially well-written account. For those who want to know much more about Konfrontasi it is fascinating but is still hard going to get through what is essentially a list of actions. ( )