Goose
Green: A Battle Is Fought to Be Won
Mark Adkin |
|
|
Goose Green was the critical
land engagement in the Falklands War. This detailed account is based
on interviews with the men who fought in the battle on both sides,
and their commanders. It takes the reader in detail through the
battle, a vicious, 14-hour infantry struggle
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The
Falklands War 1982 (Essential Histories Series)
Duncan Anderson |
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|
The Argentine invasion of the
Falklands in 1982 sparked national outrage and Britain felt she had
to avenge such a humiliation and protect her own. This volume
explores both the military and political dimensions of this
important conflict, including detailed accounts of the air / sea
battle, the Battle for San Carlos Water, Goose Green, Mount Harriet,
Tumbledown and many others. It explains how success in the Falklands
set the stage for the years of Thatcher's dominance, and restored
British prestige. Including first hand accounts from both soldiers
and civilians, this is an interesting, and thoroughly up to date
appraisal.
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Above
All, Courage: The Eyewitness History of the Falklands War
Max Arthur |
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|
Compelling first hand
accounts of modern war by British soldiers, sailors and airmen
involved in every incident of the conflict.
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The
Falklands Conflict 20 Years On – Lessons for the Future
Stephen
Badsey et.al. |
|
|
In June 2002, exactly twenty
years after the cessation of hostilities between Britain and
Argentina, many of the participants in the 'Falklands Conflict', as
it became known, came together at a major international conference.
This conference, held at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and
organized jointly by RMA Sandhurst and her sister institution
Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, aimed to re-examine the
events of spring 1982 from the perspective that only twenty
intervening years can bring. The Conference mixed those who had
participated in the events of spring and early summer 1982,
diplomats, politicians, civil servants, soldiers, sailors and
airmen, with historians, political scientists and journalists. The
result was a fascinating discussion of the origins of the conflict,
the political and diplomatic response to the Argentinean action as
well as illuminating accounts of the military action to retake the
islands, at every level of command. This edited volume brings
together the various papers presented to the conference. These
accounts and interpretations of the conflict shed new light on one
of the most interesting and controversial episodes in recent British
history.
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Beyond
Endurance: An Epic of Whitehall and the South Atlantic Conflict
Nick Barker |
|
|
An account of how a naval
captain battled to save his ship from scrapping in the early 1980s,
and accurately warned of the unrest in the South Atlantic that would
lead to the Falklands War. Includes descriptions of the operations
of a battleship involved in heavy military action.
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The
Falklands War
D.
George Boyce |
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|
This book traces the
interaction of war and diplomacy and analyses why the Falklands
conflict of 1982 engaged the British and Argentine people in a
deeply personal way. It also examines the interpretation of the war
in Britain, revealing how the war - a successful one - was seen by
its critics as an example of 'Thatcher's Britain'. This 'small war'
exemplified what one historian calls 'the myriad faces of war' and
had - and has - resonances larger than its size.
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Her
Majesty's Interrogator: The Falklands
Guy Bransby |
|
|
An account of the author's
role as the official interrogator of the 12,500 Argentinian soldiers
captured in battle during the course of the Falklands War.
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Air
War in the Falklands 1982 (Osprey Combat Aircraft Series)
Christopher Chant, Mark Rolfe (Illustrator) |
|
|
Argentina's continuing claim
to sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, against Britain, was still
in the hands of the United Nations when in 1982, Argentine troops
seized the islands in a lightning raid. This title gives first hand
accounts from combat veteran pilots of the battles that transpired,
and tells the tale of commanders who relive their death-defying
wartime missions. It details a conflict whose global repercussions
and after effects can still be felt in the world, focusing on the
long-range logistics of the conflict for the RAF, the difficult
conditions in the South Atlantic, and the successes and failures of
British tactics.
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Amphibious
Assault Falklands: The Battle of San Carlos Water
Michael Clapp, Ewen Southby-Tailyour |
|
|
The book details the trip
south, during the South Atlantic campaign of the Falklands War. A
sound command structure was imposed upon a wide range of ships and
men and San Carlos Water was chosen for the assault on the Islands
and subsequent inshore operations. Contained are firsthand accounts
of the air-sea battles and landings that wrested the Islands back
from the Argentine force.
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War
in the
Falklands
Tim
Coates |
|
|
In April 1982 Britain went to
war with Argentina following the Argentine occupation of the
Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. This work starts with the
transcripts of old Government papers showing why Britain believes it
has sovereignty of these remote islands since their discovery by the
Elizabethan sailor John Davies and their mapping by Charles Darwin.
It then includes the text of the Franks report which describes how
the war came about and why the foreign secretary resigned. The book
includes several House of Commons debates and speeches by the Prime
Minister, Mrs Thatcher, and the oficial account of the battle.
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With
3 Para to the Falklands
Graham Colbeck |
|
|
Graham Colbeck's book is an
important contribution to the history of the Falkland's conflict.
Colbeck kept a written diary and took a significant number of
photographs many of which are seen in this book. Included here are first hand accounts of the battle for Mount
Longdon where B company 3 Para incurred significant losses in a
battle against significant odds. Graham Colbeck has a keen eye for detail and the book conveys some
of the black humour and understatement that typifies the British
soldier.
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3
Para:
Mount
Longdon
– The Bloodiest
Battle
Jon
Cooksey |
|
|
June 1982, and in the middle
of a South Atlantic winter, the Falklands War is at its height. The
Parachute Regiment has already been in action - 2 Para securing a
hard fought victory at Darwin-Goose Green at a heavy price in killed
and wounded including their CO, Lieutenant Colonel 'H' Jones, later
awarded a posthumous VC. Now, two weeks later, as they look up at
the long, frost shattered spines of rock which stab the air from the
summit of Mount Longdon on the outer ring of the Stanley defences,
the 'toms' of 3 Para know it is their turn. As they prepare to
assault their objectives - features code named 'wing forward', 'fly
half' and 'full back' - the men of 3 Para know they are in for a
fight. Just before 'zero' some of them are simply told to pray.
This, the first in a new series on Special Operations, tells the
story of 3 Para and the often-neglected struggle for Mount Longdon.
It was a battle which tested the discipline, comradeship and
professionalism of the paras to the limit; it was a battle which
witnessed another posthumous VC; it turned out to be the bloodiest
battle of the entire Falklands Campaign.
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Close
Quarter Battle
Mike
Curtis |
|
|
Mike Curtis, a former coal
miner and likely Welsh rugby international, served with 2 Para in
the Falklands before going on to join the SAS. In this book Curtis,
describes his gruelling experiences in the Falklands and some of his
SAS operations. Curtis talks about Goose Green, the first land
battle of the Falklands conflict. The outcome there was to set the
tone for the remainder of the war, affect international opinion, and
morale and determination of both armies. The first of his SAS
operations that Curtis details took place in Iraq where he spent
several weeks behind enemy lines. The second, in Bosnia, Curtis
found himself working closely with all factions and leading a
protection team guarding visiting heads of state.
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Memories
of the Falklands
Iain Dale
|
|
|
Of all the books written
about the Falklands War none captures the mood in so personal a way
as "Memories of the Falklands" because it brings together
the vivid recollections of 66 diverse individuals. Some were
at the heart of the crisis and the war; others looked on from a
distance. They included several Falkland Islanders, some of
the Commanders who directed the battles and front-line servicemen
who fought them at close quarters; the wounded, the doctors, the
politicians, diplomats and journalists. The book is
illustrated with 50 photographs. It also carries a role of
honour of all the Task Force dead, and a timetable of the
sovereignty dispute.
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Terminal
Velocity: His true account of front-line action in the Falklands War
and beyond
Steve Devereux |
|
|
This is the story of an ex-para,
ex-SAS member, international security advisor and arms dealer, who
presents his direct experience of war in modern times. He describes
the heat of the battle for the Falklands and his own close-arm
combat with Argentinian soldiers, resulting in their deaths.
Published to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the Argentinian
invasion of the Falklands on 2nd April 1982, the book gives details
of the author's major SAS operations, including the Libyan Embassy
siege and the planned hijack of a Boeing 737 carrying British
hostages over Cyprus, as well as SAS-type operations in the Gulf. He
also gives a personal account of Northern Ireland, including the day
in 1979 on which Mountbatten was assassinated and 18 soldiers from
his battalion were murdered.
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The
Loss of the Atlantic Conveyor
Charles Drought |
|
|
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."
|
Not
Mentioned in Despatches: The History and Mythology of the Battle of
Goose Green
Spencer Fitz-Gibbon |
|
|
This controversial work
examines in detail the decisive events of the Falklands War. With
maps and diagrams the author takes us through the build-up to the
conflict and the different stages of the battle, right up to the
final surrender.
|
The
Weapon Director
Richard
Gough |
|
|
Richard Gough was just 23
years old when the Falklands conflict took place in 1982. He was the
youngest Royal Navy weapon director to take part in the conflict,
seeing combat onboard the Type 21 frigate, HMS Ardent. Six years
later as a Chief Petty Officer (Missile) he helped protect British
shipping in the Iran and Iraq tanker war that disrupted the Gulf
region for nearly ten years. His final work with the Royal Navy was to direct the acceptance
firings of the fleets latest missile system, Vertical Launch SeaWolf,
onboard the Type 23 frigate HMS Norfolk. His book explores the role
of the weapon director in the fleet as well as revealing what it’s
really like to be a sailor in the modern Royal Navy.
|
The
Battle
for the
Falklands
Max
Hastings & Simon Jenkins |
|
|
|
Through
Fire and Water: HMS "Ardent" - The Forgotten Frigate of
the Falklands War
Mark Higgitt |
|
|
The average age of the 199
men on board the HMS Ardent was 23 in May 1982 when she made a
midnight run into Falkland Sound, ahead of the British amphibious
group. This text tells the story of the frigate Ardent, from
Christmas 1981 in Amsterdam to her sinking in Falkland Sound - and
beyond.
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Falklands
Air War
Chris Hobson, Andrew Noble |
 |
This is a serious in-depth
analysis of the the role of air power in the Falklands Conflict. A
number of instant books were published in the 1980s soon after the
events in the South Atlantic had occurred. This is a more
reflective and analytical work on the subject, published to coincide
with the 20th anniversary of the war. The book is a comprehensive
history of the role of British and Argentinian air power in the
conflict. The narrative is enhanced with extracts from interviews
with personnel involved in the events being recounted. Many of the
book's illustrations, which come from the collections of
participants, rather than official sources, are published here for
the first time. Details of individual aircraft and ships involved
are given and the book also includes a detailed chronology of the
course of the conflict.
|
Ordeal
by Exocet
Commander Ian Inskip |
|
|
The harrowing tale of HMS
Glamorgan, the only ship to survive a hit by Exocet during the
Falklands War in 1982, told by her Navigating Officer.
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Green-eyed
Boys: 3 Para and the Battle for Mount Longdon
Christian Jennings, Adrian Weale |
|
|
The bloodiest battle fought
by the British Army since the Korean War occurred in the Falkland
Islands in June 1982. Allegations have emerged of incompetence,
cowardice and murder by British soldiers. This account of what
happened on Longdon is based on eyewitness interviews and primary
sources.
|
The
Royal Marines Commandos in the Falklands
Andrew Lane |
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|
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When
the Fighting Is Over: A Personal Story of the Battle for Tumbledown
Mountain and Its Aftermath
John Lawrence, Robert Lawrence |
|
|
This is the story of Robert
Lawrence of the Scots Guards who was severely wounded as he led his
platoon in an attack against an Argentinian machine-gun position
during the battle for Tumbledown Mountain in 1982. The injury to
Lawrence's head was so severe that it was assumed that he would die
and he had to wait for four hours before medical staff could help
him, but he did eventually make a recovery, coming to terms with his
paralysis. This book tells of how Robert strove to gain a place in
the highly respected Scots Guards, his desire to see action in the
Falklands, his role in the war and the effect his experiences have
had on his whole outlook on life. It is also the story of his
parents, Wing Commander John Lawrence and his wife Jean, and how they
suffered both during and after the conflict. The authors' account of
the strengths and weaknesses of the two armies deviates from the
generally accepted view, and just how close run the victory was,
according to the Lawrences, may provoke controversy.
|
A
Soldier's Song: True Stories from the Falklands
Ken Lukowiak |
|
|
In 1982 Private Ken Lukowiak
served with 2 Para in the Falklands. He was away from home for
little more than eight weeks, yet the experience of war was to
change his life for ever. Ten years passed before he was able to
write about this brief period in his life. In those ten years he was
brought face to face with the legacy of his Parachute Regiment
training and with the knowledge that he had seen many men die - some
of whom he himself had killed. From the voyage 'down South' on the
MV Norland, from Goose Green to Fitzroy and the anti-climactic
journey home Lukowiak illustrates the madness and black comedy of
the soldier's world. He tells his painfully honest story in spare
and brutal language and is both profound and often profoundly
shocking. An utterly compelling and much needed reminder of what war
is really all about. Lukowiak has written a new foreword to
accompany this new paperback edition.
|
Falklands
Commando
Hugh McManners |
|
|
The first hand account of one
special forces team's operations in the Falklands War in 1982.
The book covers: preparation and
departure; at sea; planners and hoaxers; Ascension Island; and HMS
Intrepid in "bomb alley".
|
The
Falklands War, 1982 (Penguin Classic Military History Series)
Martin Middlebrook |
|
|
The Falklands War began when
Argentinian troops invaded the Falklands Islands on 2 April 1982.
Martin Middlebrook has sought out all the available evidence from
documentary and personal sources on both sides and comes to some
controversial conclusions about the conflict. His book, which
contains material on the Exocet attacks on British ships, on the
loss of HMS Coventry and the Sir Galahad tragedy, and on the
controversial sinking of the General Belgrano, has been revised for
this Classic Penguin edition. Paced like the war itself,
leading to a tense and stirring climax, this book sill remains the
definitive work on this recent conflict in Britain's long history.
|
The
Fight for the Malvinas (Falkland Islands)
Martin Middlebrook |
|
|
Martin Middlebrook is the
only British historian to have been granted open access to the
Argentines who planned and fought the Falklands War. It ranks with
Liddell Hart's The Other Side of the Hill in analysing and
understanding the military thinking and strategies of Britain's
sometime enemy, and is essential reading for all who wish to
understand the workings of military minds. The author has managed to
avoid becoming involved in the issue of sovereignty and concentrates
entirely upon the military story. He has produced a genuine 'first'
with this balanced and unique work. Among the men he met were the
captain of the ship that took the scrap-metal merchants to South
Georgia; the admiral in charge of planning the Falklands invasion;
the marine commander and other members of the invasion force; two
brigadier-generals, five unit commanders and many other men of the
large army force sent to occupy and defend the islands; the
commander of the naval force that put to sea to engage the
approaching British task force; the captain and seven other
survivors of the Belgrano; a submarine captain; the naval pilots who
sank HMS Ardent and HMS Sheffield; the officer in charge of the
Argentine garrison at Goose Green; and finally the brigadier-general
responsible for the defence of Port Stanley and soldiers of all
ranks who fought the final battles. The book provides new light on
the way the Argentine forces were organized for war, the plans and
reactions of the commanders, the sufferings of the soldiers and the
shame and disillusionment of defeat.
|
The
Falklands Military Machine
Derek Oakley |
 |
This military history of the
Falklands War describes how the Task Force was assembled, within
limited resources, and although 255 British servicemen lost their
lives, of how victory was secured.
|
The
Falklands War (Sutton Pocket Histories)
Michael Parsons |
|
|
This title recalls the
background to the conflict between Britain and Argentina over the
Falkland Islands and examines the role of news management. In
addition, it assesses different perceptions of the affair and
reviews developments since 1982.
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One
of Our Ships has been hit
Alan
Rapkins |
|
|
This narrative is by an
ex-Royal Navy Engineering officer whose diary entries and anecdotes
reveal little-known aspects of the Falklands Naval War.
|
Task
Force: The Illustrated History of the Falklands War
David Reynolds |
|
|
More than 200 years of
tension between Britain and Argentina over the sovereignty of the
Falkland Islands erupted into an open conflict in April 1982 when
Argentina invaded the islands. A naval task force was despatched
from Britain to reclaim the islands from the invading troops, and
the first British fighting in the Falklands took place on 1 May
1982. A beachhead was established at San Carlos on 21 May and after
heavy fighting the islands were regained by British forces on 14
June when the Argentine invaders surrendered. Twenty years have
passed since the Falklands War. To mark the anniversary, former
Royal Marine David Reynolds describes the build-up to the departure
of the Task Force, and the training onboard the ships as they headed
for the South Atlantic. This authoritative account looks at all the
units that took part, describing the fierce battles to regain the
islands, and the thoughts of men who were heading to the first major
war for British forces since Korea. More than 200 dramatic action
photographs help to tell the story, many of which are rare or
previously unpublished.
|
The
Falklands Watcher
Frank
Schofield |
|
|
The author made a review of
the events of the war at the time as presented by the British
television, radio and press, together with his own contemporary
thoughts and reactions. In 1998 he visited the Falklands, to
tour Stanley and the principal battlefields, and to talk to many
Islanders who lived through the war. The result is an overview of the campaign from
an outsider's point of view as seen through the British media, including
the background to the war, reactions to the Argentine invasion, the
political juggling, the sinking of so many Royal Navy ships, the
land battles and the aftermath.
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With
the Gurkhas in the Falklands: A War Journal
Mike Seear |
|
The extensive bibliography of
the Falklands War has one glaring exception, the part played by the
legendary Gurkhas. Regarded by many as the world's finest infantry
soldiers, the fiercesome reputation of these Nepalese troops for
blood-thirsty aggression and stealth put real fear into the
Argentine troops and civil population. They sailed with 5 Infantry
Brigade on the QE2 and played a key role in the surrender of the
occupiers. Written by one of their officers, this book conveys the
professional, personal and emotional aspects of the Gurkhas'
involvement. It provides a unique insight into a fighting force
surrounded by mystique. This is both a serious and light-hearted
account of the build-up, the battle and the aftermath of fighting.
|
Reasons
in Writing: A Commando's View of the Falklands War
Ewen Southby-Tailyour |
|
|
Southby-Tailyour, a Royal
Marine, charted the waters around the Falkland Islands before the
Argentinian invasion in 1982. Armed with his local knowledge, he
advised the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and led all major
amphibious landings during the Falklands Islands conflict. This
military memoir offers his perspective on the war.
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No
Picnic: 3 Commando Brigade in the South Atlantic, 1982
Julian Thompson
|
|
|
An account of the Falklands
conflict from a senior fighting participant, drawing on both British
and Argentinean sources. It includes insights into the difficulties
and frustrations of command - difficulties not eased by the knowledge
that the operation being attempted was balanced on a knife-edge
between triumph and disaster, knowledge that could not be shared.
Few, if any, of the public knew that informed military opinion in
the United States regarded the Falklands operation as "Mission
Impossible". Some British Army and Air Force officers were
opposed to the operation because they thought it would fail. The
fighting on land was crucial to success: navies can lose wars, but
only land forces can win them. As Julian Thompson makes plain in
this account, the lions' share of the fighting on land fell to 3
Commando Brigade. This is their story.
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Our
Falklands War
Geoffrey Underwood |
|
|
The men of the Task Force
tell their story.
|
5th
Infantry Brigade in the Falklands War
Nick Van Der Bijl, David Aldea |
|
|
For many people it was 3
Commando Brigade, commanded by Major General Julian Thompson, and
made up of Royal Marines and Paras that recaptured the Falklands.
Yet 5th Infantry Brigade played a key and until now little
acknowledged role in this extraordinary saga. Cobbled together in
haste (having been stripped of its assets to bring 3 Commando
Brigade up to strength), it comprised principally of two Guards
battalion (2nd Scots and 1st Welsh) and the Gurkhas. Many felt it
was inadequately trained when it sailed from Southampton on the QE2
and this view was given substance by early disasters such as the
tragedy at Bluff Cove. Yet by the end, its contribution, of which
Tumbledown is the best known, could not be denied. Why then was its
commander (Brigadier Tony Wilson) so conspicuously ignored when the
medals and decorations were handed out?
|
Nine
Battles to Stanley
Nick Van Der Bijl |
|
This is a soldier's account
of the ground fighting on South Georgia and the Falklands. The
experiences, view points and comparative qualities of both sides of
the conflict are described and fresh light is shed on the whole
campaign.
|
Sea
Harrier Over the Falklands: A Maverick at War
Commander "Sharkey" Ward |
|
|
"Sharkey" Ward
commanded 801 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Invincible during the
Falklands War. This text presents his dramatic first-hand account of
the air-war over the South Atlantic and the inter-service rivalries,
bureaucratic interference and ignorance among many senior
commanders.
|
Ten
Years On: The British Army in the
Falklands
War
Linda Washington |
|
|
Looks at the problems the
conflict posed for the British Army and how the skills of individual
units were applied to the formidable battlefield, intelligence and
logistical tasks that lay ahead.
|
The
Secret War for the Falklands
Nigel West |
|
|
The war the SAS, MI6
and Whitehall nearly lost.
|
H.Jones
VC: The Life and Death of an Unusual Hero
John Wilsey |
|
|
This biography, written by
the Commander-in-Chief Land Command, is about Falklands War hero H.
Jones, whose death in the battle for Darwin had huge significance
and was one of the turning points for the whole campaign. It is the
story of an emblematic but complex war hero whose family history was
unusual, whose army life included exposure to most of the military
problems which Britain has encountered since World War II (including
security in Northern Ireland, where H. Jones was responsible for the
search for Robert Nairac), and whose dramatic death and subsequent
posthumous VC symbolised an extraordinary campaign which was truly
the end of an era.
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One
Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander
Sandy Woodward, Patrick Robinson |
|
|
This account of the Falklands
War is by the commander of the British Task Force, Admiral Sandy
Woodward. On 5 April 1982, three days after the invasion of the
Falkland Islands, British armed forces were ordered to sail 8,000
miles to the South Atlantic unaware of what lay ahead of them or
whether they would be committed to war with Argentina. In his
memoirs, Admiral Sandy Woodward, Task Force Commander from the
aircraft carrier Hermes, take us from day one to day 100 of the
conflict; from sailing through the waters of the Atlantic with hopes
of a political settlement fading, and war becoming increasingly
likely, to the repulse of the Argentinian navy and the daring
amphibious landing at San Carlos Water. The war, which cost the
lives of over 1000 men, has left a legacy of many historical debates
and controversies, from the sinking of ships such as HMS Coventry,
HMS Sheffield and Sir Galahad, and the Argentinian cruiser, the
Belgrano, to wider issues such as what was it like to command and
fight a modern air and naval war, the biggest naval action since the
Second World War. "One Hundred Days" is a portrayal of the
world of modern naval warfare, where despite the use of
sophisticated equipment and communications, the margins for human
error and courage were as wide as they were in the days of Nelson.
|
The
Falklands Conflict Twenty Years on: Lessons for the Future
Rob Havers, Mark J. Grove, Stephen Badsey
|
|
|
In June 2002, exactly twenty years after the cessation of hostilities
between Britain and Argentina, many of the participants in the
'Falklands Conflict', as it became known, came together at a major
international conference. This conference, held at the Royal Military
Academy, Sandhurst and organized jointly by RMA Sandhurst and her
sister institution Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, aimed to
re-examine the events of spring 1982 from the perspective that only
twenty intervening years can bring. The Conference mixed those who had
participated in the events of spring and early summer 1982, diplomats,
politicians, civil servants, soldiers, sailors and airmen, with
historians, political scientists and journalists. The result was a
fascinating discussion of the origins of the conflict, the political
and diplomatic response to the Argentinean action as well as
illuminating accounts of the military action to retake the islands, at
every level of command. This edited volume brings together the various
papers presented to the conference. These accounts and interpretations
of the conflict shed new light on one of the most interesting and
controversial episodes in recent British history.
|
Razor's
Edge: The Unofficial History of the Falklands War (Hardcover)
Hugh Bicheno
|
|
|
For five years before the Falklands War, Hugh Bicheno was one of the
top British spies in Argentina. As such, he gathered hard,
corroborated intelligence on Argentine intentions over the Falklands -
which the British establishment then chose to ignore. The reasons
behind this British decision, and its disastrous and inevitable
consequences in the South Atlantic, are the main story of this book.
There were three main players in the war, each of them trying to
overcome their own cultural baggage. The Argentinians were riddled
with guilt: after years of fighting a morally repugnant campaign
against its own people, the Argentine military saw a war for the
Malvinas islands as a perfect opportunity to win back their
self-respect. The hands of the Americans were also bloody from the
likewise dirty wars they had sponsored and abetted in Central America,
involving first Argentine and later British mercenaries (and as a
former mercenary in Central America, the author has first-hand
knowledge of this too). For Britain, baffled by the parlous state of
the country at the beginning of the 1980s, the defence of the
Falklands was a gesture towards their long-gone imperial splendour.
The incredible fact that they did not make a mess of it, like they had
done with so much, is one of the central themes of the book.
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