If we could name two administrations that altered the course of Nigeria's political trajectory, they were the Muhammadu Buhari and Ibrahim Babangida regimes of 1983-1993. Max Siollun in Soldiers of Fortune, gives a very detailed and intimate revelation of the major events of these two military regimes, as well as the motives behind the actions of the dramatis personae. The Nigerian military had always considered itself as the primary promoter and protector of Nigeria's national interest (whatever that means), and had always discharged this "noble" role by staging coups at every slight opportunity, usually citing corruption of previous governments as reason. In this book, we are exposed to the intricacies of coup plotting, baiting and how attempted coups were foiled. It is interesting to know that apart from the coup of January 1966, all other coups were carried out by the same group of friends, most of whom were childhood friends. Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu B...