The ability to track animals or people successfully relies on a thorough knowledge of terrain, climate and ecology. During the decolonization wars in East and Southern Africa, tracking became increasingly valuable as a military tactic. Drawing on archival research and interviews, Stapleton presents a comparative study of the role of tracking in insurgency and counter-insurgency across Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This is the first study of its kind and will be of interest to scholars of warfare, African studies and colonial/post-colonial history.