This is one of the few books to be written about the Falklands War by a member of the Merchant Navy.  Charles Drought became a junior engineer in the Merchant Navy in 1959.  By 1982 he had reached the position of Senior Third Engineer with the Cunard-Brocklebank Line and was enjoying a well-earned leave at home after a five-month voyage when the telephone rang and Cunard’s Personnel Manager asked if he would be willing to go on standby for 48 hours should the Ministry of Defence requisition the Atlantic Conveyor.   The rest is history, but the author brings it all to life again by using the third person and chronicling in detail the graphic events as they happened.  Of the 32 crew, 6 including the ship’s Master, Captain North, were lost, together with 3 Royal Navy and 3 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel.  Many of those who survived, including the author, returned to sea within a few months after the sinking.  The author’s friend and helper, Derek Clulow, ends the book with a moving epilogue, in which he says “Everyone aboard the Atlantic Conveyor on that fateful voyage upheld all the great traditions of the Merchant Service handed down from generation to generation."

This book claims to be the first autobiography written by someone born and brought up in the Falkland Islands.  Terry's memories range from childhood in the 1950s to the 1982 conflict, followed by his exploits as a trade union activist, councillor and entrepreneur. 

If you are planning a visit to the Falkland Islands this is the book to buy.  Not only is it compact, its also full of useful facts for the visitor. A well deserved thumbs up.

This excellent book describes the history of the Islands in great detail from discovery in 1592 through the various attempts at colonisation and disputed possession to the establishment of the British settlement at Stanley in the early 1940s.  The development of the Islands is explored through chapters on the exploitation of animal resources, the evolution of farming in the Islands, the establishment of churches and schools, and the history of the Islands' renowned postal service.  Increasing tensions throughout the 1950s to the eve of 1982 are carefully narrated, together with the impact on the Islands of the 1977 Shackleton Report.  The book brings the story of the Islands up to the present day covering the 1982 Conflict and the major developments since, particularly the development of the fishing industry and the prospecting for oil.