The Battle for the Falklands [Paperback]

Inevitably there are signs of hurried writing. Some places mentioned more than once in the text do not appear on any of the maps. And in spite of the glossary at the end of the book, the plethora of initials and technical terms were sometimes confusing. Also the public school and Oxford background of the authors shows through, not only in their style of writing, but in their references to PPE and "a Wykehamist", for example. Indeed, on no less than four occasions, the former school of an officer is mentioned, but never that of a private or NCO. Nevertheless, the connections of the authors must have been of great help in writing this book.

I was impressed by the balanced judgements of the two writers. But that does not mean that they are anodyne. They also identify some salient points. For example, British officers led from the front, unlike their Argentine equivalents. And the thorough training of the British troops more than made up for the expensive armaments of the Argentine army.

Generally, this book should provide sobering reading for any military dictator planning an invasion.

With the position that the UK has taken over the last 50 years with its colonial possessions, I would have thought that Argentina would have had more patience with the political effort. The book did give a good picture of the military action that took place, the tactics and weapon systems. It is a good book and worth reading.

This book does a fine job covering all of the aspects of the conflict from the history of the Falklands, the diplomatic moves and the anxieties of both England and Argentina.

The accounts of the Battles and the Bravery of British troops would not shock a student of history, but might shock a person writing a history of England over the last 30 years. The heart of what was once the Greatest Empire in the world was laid bare and this books shows that heart in the person of the brave men who fought there.

The most telling moment of the book for me was the aftermath when they talked to people about what was learned. Three things stood out.

The Flyers of Argentina were basically abandon to fight one of the strongest nations in the world without proper support. The fought and died bravely. The lack of support by their government and the other branches of their military was disgraceful.

A statement made concerning tactics and training said a mouthful. To paraphrase: "These guys can't believe that it comes down to training and dedication. They think there is a secret pill or buttion that makes things work if only they could be told what it was." Training and skill made the difference here. It is why England always had the edge.

Finally the statement that it was shocking that England would actually fight. This belief in the weakness of demorcratic countries has caused the fall of many over the last 100 years. It is a lesson still being learned today.

All of these points are brought to life in this book. It is an engaging read and very relevent for the times.

Highly recommended.