In his memoir Lieutenant General (retired) Pierre Steyn reflects on his decades of experience in the South African Air Force where he trained as a pilot on piston and jet aircraft, flew Sabres and Mirages in fighter squadrons, commanded an air base and directed major projects; his role in the Steyn Commission of Inquiry, mandated by President F.W. de Klerk, supporting Judge Richard Goldstone’s investigation into third force activity, and as Democratic South Africa's first Secretary for Defence.