No comments about 3 PARA - MOUNT LONGDON - THE BLOODIEST BATTLE (Elite Operations).

No comments about Malvinas Requiem.

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5 comments about One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander.

1. Into the finest traditions of The Royal Navy ( and any other righteous, but self-anylizing, self-depricating, hero-by-fire war-tested veteran), we are allowed an inside view into a theater-of-war that we, who have never paid the price, secretley covet. Gallentry, selflessness, pride of country, pride of duty, discipline, all seem to be the lost arts of the past, but Woodward and others in this telling instruct us that, to this day,our young men and women rise to the occasion, as in the days of old. What is that extraordinary part of us that is able to trandsend all our own limitations and push beyond to victory, over our enemy and over ourselves? This book may help you to answer that question!



2. This is an absolutely first-rate memoir by the man who led the British fleet to victory in the Falkland Islands War. Only 50 years-old when he was chosen to lead the battle group to recapture the islands in 1982 (hard to believe this gentleman is now 73!), Admiral Sir John F. "Sandy" Woodward was courageous and competent commander. That being the case, he is also refreshingly honest and humble as he tells his remarkable story.
   
   As the Admiral mentions in the epilogue, many will always regard the Falklands as having been "a pushover war - the mighty Brits crushing the ridiculous Args" (349). But as this book makes clear, it was anything but a cakewalk. The Argentinian sailors and pilots were brave and worthy oponents. The British fleet took heavy casualties: 6 ships sunk (2 destroyers, 2 frigates, 1 amphibious warfare vessel and the transport vessel Atlantic Conveyor with its precious cargo of 10 Wessex and 4 Chinook helicopters). Another 10 ships were badly damaged. Many of these were not sunk only because the Argentinian bombs reguarly failed to detonate. The British, of course, won decisively though, thanks to the professionalism and courage of the British forces. But it was an intense and bloody six weeks.
   
   The campaign was also a turning point in the history of naval warfare. Although anti-ship missiles were first used to sink Syrian missile boats by the Israelis back in 1973, the destruction of HMS Sheffield by the French Exocet missiles fired from Super-Etendard fighter-bombers grabbed the attention of the world's militaries. Newsweek's subsequent cover-story on the incident read "Falklands Fallout: Are Big Ships Doomed?" Many wondered if large warships had been rendered obsolete by the effectiveness of anti-ship missiles. Indeed, the two British aircraft carriers in the South Atlantic were very vulnerable. If even one of them had been put out of commission by an Exocet, it is unlikely the Falklands could have been recaptured. It is very interesting to read about how the British struggled with some of their new high-tech weaponry such as the Sea Dart. It took some failed attempts in battle before the bugs got worked out and they got comfortable with the new system.
   
   Admiral Woodward is an excellent writer. His descriptions of the battles are riveting, especially the moments of calamity such as when HMS Sheffield was crippled by Exocets. You really get a sense of the fear, anxiety and adrenaline. It's as exciting as any Tom Clancy novel without a doubt.



3. As Wellington famously said of the Hundred Days Campaign culminating in the Battle of Waterloo, the Falklands Campaign was a also damn near run thing, according to the Battle Group Commander, Adm Sandy Woodward, in this excellent book. Writing in what can best be called a distinctly British style, Woodward takes the reader into the bridge of the Hermes, his command ship for the Falklands expedition. What we get is a brutally honest, technically detailed, and gripping narrative not only into how the British pulled off a decisive victory, but also the self-doubts and mentally taxing minutia of a Commander sending troops and sailors into harm's way. This book is especially valuable for its detailed description of how navies fight. This is no small task. For example, the reader learns how:
   
   1. submarines track ships and the risks they run to track them and shoot them. The example of the sinking of the General Belgrano is first rate
   2. how a routine matter such as cross-decking troops between ships bedevils commanders and can end in tragedy
   3. ship's tactics for defending themselves against aircraft (this is particularly helpful. In the US military, we have become so accustomed to air and sea superiority that those who operate on the ground take it for granted. It's not! It must be gained and earned - if need be, the hard way.)
   4. The inevitable tension that will arise between sea, air, and land commanders during the prosecution of an amphibious campaign. We get Woodward's side here, but he is brutally honest on when he was right and when he was wrong.
   5. The role of destroyers, frigates, aircraft carriers, amphibs, and supply ships, and the risks they ran -- and still do -- to do their jobs.
   
   This is one of the only books I know of that actually explains how modern navies fight, and it is thus indispensable to navy officers and to those who seek to learn more on control of the seas.



4. The book was received in excellent condition. The story is well written and very interesting. Would recommend it highly.



5. Woodward had done a masterful job, with his writing assistant, of describing the issues of command, the concern about sending others into combat where they may lose their life, the need to keep in mind what is central about a mission, and so many other thoughts about what leadership means. This book is a study of BOTH (1) management of a large task (be it war, be it a large company or nonprofit, be it of government) when dealing with an adversary compelled to fight you (be it the other side in a war, be it a company fighting you for market share, be it a Democrat or Republican that believes as you do not), and (2) of management of a military war where weapons are wielded by you and weapons are wielded or threatened against you. The real-life drama of uncertainty of events, of certainty of purpose, and of just what went on in this saga is of interest to very many readers. I have British friends, I have Argentian friends, and no matter which side you believe is right (both have their points) this is a good book about a mission one is given and how one needs to carry it out, and the thoughts and second-thoughts that must go through any leader's mind.
   
   Read this as a book about leadership, and you will do fine. Read this as a book about war, and you will also do fine. Read this as a book about both, and you'll get even more out of it.

3 comments about The Falklands War 1982 (Essential Histories).

1. I found this to be extremely informative as well a gripping read. Excellently written and involves the reader to make the material come alive. If you have any interest in this conflict this is *the* authoritative read.



2. If you are looking for a narration of the Falklands War from the English point of view, this is the right book for you: brief, exciting and with many illustrations. However, if you want an exhaustive, updated and impartial chronicle of this conflict, you will be disappointed with this work of Duncan Anderson.
   The reasons are not difficult to guess. In the section "Select bibliography", the author mentions NINE books; only "half-book" (the work of Virginia Gamba-Stonehouse with Lawrence Freedman) have Argentine origins. Hardly surprising, the text of Anderson is strongly unilateral and full of errors. Here a brief selection:
   3) Page 11: no mention to the first English invasion of Buenos Aires in 1806 under the command of Popham and Beresford (the same expedition who occupied Cape Colony before)
   "...an along with [Argentine] independence in 1820..."
   Argentine independence took place in 1816, not 1820
   "In 1831 the American frigate Lemington..."
   The US-American ship's name was Lexington
   8) Page 25: "...Harriers...would have to face some 120 Argentine machines of equal of superior performance."
   A quarter of these 118 Argentine aircraft were COIN/trainer turboprops (Pucará & Turbo Mentor) with a maximum speed of 500 km/h. Only 32 machines (8 Mirage III and 24 Daggers) were theoretically superior to the Sea Harrier, but they operated at the limit of their range (they wouldn't perform any air refuelling) and their missiles were very inferior to the AIM-9L Sidewinder
   12) Page 32 (photo): "Douglas A-4C Skyhawks."
   These are A-4B of the Grupo 5 de Caza (Fight Group 5)
   14) Page 35 (map): "Task Group 79.1 & 2 (Aircraft-carrier and 2 destroyers)" and "Task Group 79.4 (3 frigates)"
   These groups included four destroyers (Hércules, Santísima Trinidad, Comodoro Py and Comodoro Seguí) and three corvettes (Drummond, Granville and Guerrico)
   15) Page 37: "Unknown to the RAF, the Argentine engineers who had constructed the airfield had made a mistake when plotting its position on survey maps. As a consequence, the airfield's position on maps the crew was using was 1,000 m from its actual position."
   Really? Perhaps the Argentine engineers made this error on purpose for the British maps; or perhaps that was only an excuse of the British pilots for their failure to hit a 1,250 m runway meanwhile their Argentine colleagues hit frigates that were ten times smaller...
   "...one bomb hit the centre of the runway, cratering it badly and ensuring it could not be used by fast jets."
   The bomb hit only a border of the runway, that was never able to operations with fast jets because it was still too short
   17) Page 40: "She [the Belgrano] sank within 45 minutes, with the loss of 368 lives."
   The Belgrano sank within one hour, with the loss of 323 lives
   18) Page 41: "During the next 24 hours Lynx helicopters sank and disabled two Argentine patrol boats on their way to the islands."
   No Argentine patrol boat was sunk. The Skua missiles were unable to sink the 800-ton Alférez Sobral: damaged and with seven killed it was able to reach Puerto Deseado without help. The Sobral wasn't on the way to the island but on the search of the crew of the Canberra shot down at 1 May: the two airmen were never found
   19) Page 43: "The first success came on 9 May when Coventry, a Type 42, shot down two Skyhawks and a Puma helicopter."
   The two A-4C were not hit by Sea Darts missiles but they crashed due to bad weather (like two Sea Harriers three days before)
   "...a bomb from the second attack wave hit Glasgow, but passed through her without exploding."
   Right, but Glasgow was so badly damaged that some days later it had to take the way back to England
   21) Page 50: "In fact, the settlements [at Goose Green] held 1,500; with added reinforcements the number was to rise to 1,630."
   At 26 May, the settlements held only 845 men (included 202 ground crew from the airfield). At 28 May two reinforcements came: a platoon of the Regiment 25 (44 men) and the Company B of the Regiment 12 (132 men)
   23) Page 53: "As he [Jones] single-handedly stormed an Argentine trench from the rear, he was cut down by a burst of machine gun fire from behind".
   I don't want to offend the memory of "H" Jones, but I must tell you the other version of his death:
   As the Company A was stopped by the fire of the defenders of Darwin in a path between two minefields, three Paras took off und shuttled their helmets. The Argentine officer, Lt Juan José Gómez Centurión, accepted the parliament's offer and met one of the enemy soldiers who introduced him as Lieutenant Colonel Jones and demanded the surrender of the Argentines. Surprised and annoyed, Gómez Centurión broke up the parliament and both officers went back to their men. At this moment a British MG that used the break to flank the Argentine's position opened fire and hit three Argentine soldiers. Gómez Centurión saw Jones behind a fence and fired twice with his rifle: Jones was hit from a bullet in the neck and died.
   24) Page 54: "...the Argentines [suffered] 55 dead and 86 wounded. In addition, 1,536 physically uninjured Argentines became prisoners of war."
   The Argentines suffered 50 dead and almost 120 men were wounded. Only 1,083 soldiers surrendered
   "...the Argentines...were...equipped with automatic weapons...and supported by mortar and artillery fire and ground attack aircraft."
   The Argentines had only four machine guns (one 12,7mm and three 7,62 mm), whereas their enemy had 56 MG (14 to 1). As the Argentines, the Paras had 105mm guns (at the end six), 81 mm mortars (at the end eight) and air-ground support. And they had something that the Argentines didn't have: 12 granade-throwers M79, MILAN and Blowpipes missiles and naval fire support from the 114mm gun of the frigate Arrow
   26) Page 58: "The frigate Cardiff, returning from bombarding Stanley, sighted the landing craft."
   Cardiff was not a frigate but a Type 42 destroyer. By the way, one hour before a British Gazelle helicopter was shot down by "over-anxious" crew of Cardiff: four men were killed
   27) "The landing craft [Foxtrot 4] was saved from almost certain destruction by the arrival of two Sea Harriers..."
   The Foxtrot 4 was sunk together with the transported material
   29) "...British gunners were trained to a much higher standard."
   The principal advantage of British artillery was the 17 km range of their guns compared with the 10,5 km range of Argentine OTO Melara howitzers
   "...additional fire support was to be provided by automatic 4." guns of four warships..."
   The standard gun of British warships is 4,5in (114mm)
   36) Page 86: "Nearly 100 Argentine dead were found in positions on the ridge [Wireless Ridge]..."
   The Regimiento 7 lost in Longdon and Wireless Ridge only 35 killed
   Finally: in this book I couldn't find any reference to the help of the Chilean dictatorship to Britain (military intelligence, aggressive movements of his army and navy against Argentine, a British Recce-Canberra unit that operated with Chilean colours from the Patagonia, etc): this help was acknowledged in public by Margaret Thatcher in 1999, when her friend, ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet, was arrested in England.
   
   More than twenty years after the conflict, such inaccuracy is simply unacceptable. It is lamentable that Anderson, in spite of his notables academic records (he is head of the Department of War Studies at Sandhurst), has been incapable to write a true valuable work on this tragic conflict.



3. As usual, Osprey describes war histories in a very effective way. This book is ideal for anyone who wants to have a neat idea of what happened in Falkland/Malvinas in 1982.

1 comments about PEBBLE ISLAND: The Falklands War 1982 (Elite Forces Operations Series).

1. If you are a fan of the British Special Air Service (SAS) or the 1982 Falkland's War, this book provides every detail, and from both sides, of the UK's first response to Argentina. It also notes that the U.S. provided much needed intelligence from satellites that was put to good use by UK forces. Cooksey also notes the large role of the Special Boat Squadron (SBS). Pebble Island ( the book explains the name )and its importance to the Falkland's campaign is usually just a footnote in larger histories. But as Cooksey demonstrates, without the destruction of the Argentina aircraft at the grass strip on the island, there could be no landing of mass troops to take the Falklands back. This book is first in a new series and is very readable and fair to both sides. Interestingly, as the "Falklands War" is being re-examined by other authors in a negative fashion,at this time,this book of just over a 100 pages honors courage and standing up to tyranny, something that is out of fashion today. Of particular interest is the sacrifice made by Captain John Hamilton (SAS), who was actually recommended for the Victoria Cross, after his death in combat, and behind Argentine lines, not by his own government, but by the Argentine forces who fought againist him. The book should be purchased.

5 comments about The Story of the Night: A Novel.

1. THE STORY OF THE NIGHT is an audacious and deeply moving novel about a man, Richard Garay, who hides his sexuality from his mother in during the time of military dictatorship. Stifled by his job, Richard is willing to risk new possibilities professionally and sexually. As the country is slowly changing and attaining peace, Richard tentatively begins to engage in a secret love affair that does not meet the approval of family and society. His mother is a proud, elegant English woman who will wreak a shrill revenge on Argentina when it is at war with the Britain for the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands She almost thrives too assiduously to preserve the English gentility, which she think the Argentineans lack, in her son. She mistakes Richard's reserve, his reticence, and his distance from her as gentility, thinking it is real but understanding that it is fear.
   
   THE STORY OF THE NIGHT captures South America in its crucial times of political instability and turbulence: the ruthless purge of dissidents after the Chilean coup and the grim uncertainty of the transfer of power in Argentina. As England declares war on Argentina and sends its vessels southward in claiming the ownership of the Falkland Islands, Richard abrasively abandons his unpromising, stifling teaching job and to be under the wings of two American diplomats. The Americans have infiltrated the country, given grand parties with hired guests as a disguise, observed the political climate of the evolving country in order to ensure an orderly transfer of power to a civilian successor. Richard hoists a two-fold responsibility: to serve as a translator and to lobby the Americans in Senor Canetto's candidacy for presidency.
   
   THE STORY OF THE NIGHT develops in the backdrop of 1980s in which Argentineans were concerned with employment prospects, inflation, social welfare, stupidity of war, and the menacing disappearances of dissidents. The novel delineates the country in a manner so stultifying and inconsolable as THE LINE OF BEAUTY evokes the forlornness of England under Thatcher in the same decade. Both novels explores the impact that such rough political terrain exudes on an individual who makes choices in life that are deemed alternative. As Richard becomes an indispensable hand in assisting the privatization of oil industry, he has imperceptibly spiraled into an intimate relationship that is sealed with stalwart discretion. His desire to move from having a hidden, secret life with his partner to the aura of recognition, again, echoes to his counterpart in THE LINE OF BEAUTY. Little do they know that a much greater threat, one is that more formidable than being out to their family, prey on their life together.
   
   THE STORY OF THE NIGHT tops the Lambda Literary Foundation's list of 100 most significant gay novels of all time. Beneath the equanimity of the narrative voice are a poignant novel of intimacy, sex, death, and the fear of connecting one's inner life with the outside world. It conveys the hidden fear of coming to family and the fear of elaborating same-sex relationship. The protagonist, on the other hand, is unrestrained in delineating the physical passion of his relationship, rendering it in shameless, exuberant details the scenes of his life that absorbs the needs for love and friendship. The prose exudes an explosive power of suggestibility, which bespeaks a pleasure that is only possible through a mutual understanding of physical contour and desire.
   
   THE STORY OF THE NIGHT, strategically puts its protagonist in a country at a time that people shut themselves off to question authority and train themselves not to see the truth. The immediate effect is an accentuation of the protagonist's isolation from his family and the outside world out of his concealing of his sexuality. This tactic is not without flaw. The politics of the novel, which occupies over a third of the text, can render it dry and insipid. One point Richard Garay makes that really hits home to me (and thus redeem the dryness on all the politics issues) is that heterosexual engagement offers none of the excitement, effortless satisfaction, pure pleasure, and the sense of ease that he gets from being intimate with a man. The novel paints a powerful picture of intimacy and the deep terrain of relationship out of sheer suggestibility that percolates throughout the text.



2. 2005 and Argentina has just revoked amnesty for those responsible for the brutality and occult treachery of the Dirty War that ended with the overthrow of the military junta with the British defeat of Argentina's forces over the Falkland Islands. And it is during this closure of a long suppressed circle that Colm Toibin's superb 1995 book THE STORY OF THE NIGHT comes back into circulation. By all means read this book now not only to celebrate Toibin's genius but also to gain valuable insight into a political intrigue that has smoldered in Argentina for the past thirty years!
   
   Toibin conjoins the tale of a young lad Richard Garay, the son of a haughty British mother and an Argentine man whose childhood is disrupted by loss of income and instability of social presence, with the general social and political upheaval in Argentina). Richard moves from poverty and the death of his parents to teaching English in Buenos Aires and eventually comes into contact with an American couple Donald and Susan Ford who draw him into their hazy presence in the realm of political coups as an interpreter. Through them he works to gain acceptance of the powerful Canetto family: the father wants to become President of the nascent democracy after the Falklands War has rid the country of the Generals. Richard is a man in conflict: he envies the wealthy, he is gay, and he embodies the state of mind of surviving with a day persona of longing for order and rank which is antagonistic to his night persona of craving passion.
   
   Through a series of twists of fate Richard gradually comes into money by way of the prelude to oil privatization and after unsatisfying attempts at mating he finds love in Pablo Canetto, a handsome man who has likewise hidden his true identity from his family by fleeing to San Francisco's atmosphere. The development of this profound love between Richard and Pablo, threatened as it is by nearly every aspect of life in Buenos Aires, forms the substance of this novel, that substance eloquently exploring the spectrum of love and loss as beautifully as any romance in literature.
   
   Colm Toibin is a master storyteller and one who has obviously scrupulously researched the time frame he has chosen for his novel. Every character is painted well, there being no extraneous moments that are not additive to the story. Toibin's prose is liquid and ravishingly beautiful and he is unafraid to present intimate physical encounters, knowing exactly how much to say without offending the senses of anyone. This richly historic novel ends in a microcosm of a romance: the 'desaparecidos' of the dirty war are mirrored in the equally plangent wake of AIDS.
   
   The story is superb, the introduction to a heretofore vague history of South American coups is fascinatingly related, and above it all is the magic of Toibin's impeccable prose. This is a book to read again and again. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, June 05



3. The only other of Toibin's books that I have read was "The Master", which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is brilliantly subtle; my slight and confusing attraction to Henry James has, probably, more than something to do with my reaction. My thought was that such a profound writer should have a few more equally enjoyable books under his belt. I was, at least as concerns this work, horribly mistaken. I did try to like this book. I kept waiting for some depth or maybe some honest emotion. What I got was intolerably lackluster 1st person in short 7 word sentences that drove me /batty/, and a 'love' that is more based on lust than anything else. There is not one drop of feeling anywhere, and this includes the protagonist's reactions to his political situation since he doesn't actually /care/ at all. I skimmed to the end of the book to see if maybe I might be missing something worthwhile, but found nothing that would have made this book worth having bought in the 1st place.



4. The story of the night is a very interesting story set in Argentina post-Peron. There are many wonderful review on this site that will cover the plot and I encourage you to read them. To add to the already existing review I would like to discuss the way Toibin, the author, managed information regarding the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. Many are familiar with at least some aspect of the beginning of this epidemic in America and the frustrations and difficulties with the lack of available information. What is unique about this book is how the author treats the dissemination of this information to Argentina. The reader is placed in a position of understanding that information regarding AIDS in Argentina was scarce and treatment even less available. The author provides a looking glass from which we can view the beginning of the AIDS epidemic from a perspective other than our own. If this intrigues you at all, I encourage you to look at some further reviews of this novel.



5. Colm Toibin is one of my favorite Irish authors writing today. Among his books that I've read to date ("The South", "The Heather Blazing", "The Blackwater Lightship", "Mothers and Sons" and this one - I haven't read "The Master" yet), "The Story of the Night" is my favorite.
   
   Set in Buenos Aires during the Falklands war and its aftermath, the novel tracks the development of Richard Garay, a gay schoolteacher, the son of an Argentine father and English mother. At the novel's opening, the generals are still in power, and Garay is closeted and emotionally stunted. Toibin, who covered the trial of General Gualtieri as a reporter, is extraordinarily effective in conveying the sense of menace that prevails, and the way people are forced to hold their emotions in check in order to survive.
   
   The Falklands are lost, the generals lose their hold on power, and the story traces Richard's gradual emotional development in parallel with the opening of Argentine society. The aspect of Toibin's writing that I like best is his extraordinary emotional intelligence, which he deploys here to full effect, in a sensitive and moving account of Richard's story. Richard is a complex, and not entirely sympathetic, character, but Toibin draws us in to his story, and makes us care deeply about his fate.
   
   An evocative and moving story, which I highly recommend.

4 comments about ARGENTINE FIGHT FOR THE FALKLANDS (Pen & Sword Military Classics).

1. For those of you looking for something different to Sir Lawrence Freedman's official history, or Max Hastings 'Falklands War', try Martin Middlebrook's 'The Argentine Fight for the Falklands'. I bought it thinking it was another Argentine perspective. But for Falklands analysts it is still worth having in the library. Pages 131-132 alone are worth the price. Two British frigates were very nearly sunk by an Argentine submarine. Why they survived makes interesting reading and is very useful for capability analysis today.



2. I have never read one of Mr Middlebrook's books before, but I am now searching for other titles by him. Because this was one of those books that I had a hard time putting down. Up front let me say that my nationalty is British and I can remember the Falklands War like it was yesterday. However despite having read numerous accounts of the British Victory very little has been said from the perspective of the soldiers who wore the Argentine Unform. This book changes all that, and thru what where obviously some pretty intense interviews as you read this book you start to get a feeling and even an understanding of the passions and emotions of the young soldiers facing the Brits. In the western press we hear about the superiority of the British War machine during the conflict; however the Argentines did put up a spirited if ineffective defence of the Falklands. Another thing that I thought was very interesting about this book is that we get to see how and why misinformation was distributed in the fog of war. I suppose the difference between the British and Argentine governments is that we laid open the books after the conflict to the public versus the Argentines who outright lied to preserve face. Then there are the issues of the foot soldiers on the Argentine side who despite facing what is arguable the best trained army in the world, displayed uncommon gallantry far and above what the pro British press has previously reported. About the only thing I wish Mr Middlebrook had fleshed out a little more is politcs of the Argentines on the mainland.



3. A good book covering the angles from a different side - detailed in some areas but silent on others especially as a cross reference against the very British publications (eg Max Hastings etc).
   A very good book on the individual stories and very well worth the read if nothing more than on the very different perspective from the Argentine side.



4. This is an excellent book, compelling and well written. The author clearly went to tremendous efforts to research and understand the Argentine perspective. The many quotes from the Argentine military help one get an understanding of the rather miserable experiences they had fighting the British. Rather worryingly, the author gently suggests they might try again, even though the current Argentine govenment has allegedly ruled out the military option.

5 comments about The Battle for the Falklands.

1. The 1983 British bid to recapture the Falkland Islands is one of the most important and least studied military undertakings of recent history. Hastings' book has been around for a long time and it's probably the best known work about the short-lived campaign. It's well researched, well written, and well edited and the order of battle appendix is a nice addition too. The epic foot march across East Falkland (in artic conditions) by the Marines and Paras of the Commando Brigade is only one of a host of impressive accomplishments by British forces. This is a veritable cornucopia of "lessons learned" from infantry operations, to air defense conundrums, to fleet tactics, to logistical problem-solving, it's all in here. If you're a military professional, this is a must read. It's too bad there are not more titles available on this topic.



2. A superb collection of the players and events leading up to the Falklands conflict. The comparisons between the infamous 1983 South Atlantic war and today's headlines are not accidental. Hastings and Jenkins lend a broad stage to the conflict and protray it well as it unfolded among the nations of the world. As the book unfolds, the challenges of an ill equipped force against an uncertain enemy and the politics of every move are made clear. One of the most telling lines was the reference to the revelation of the assault on Goose Green by the BBC prior to the actual attack, a revelation which cost the British and Argentinians additional lives and casualties.
   
   Although there is some treatment of Argentina's perspective, this is largely a book about the UK effort. I was very impressed with the detail, honesty and flow of the work. And nary a mention of Prince Andrew!



3. I was in college when the Falklands war broke out and never really understood what actually happened and why.
   
   I bought "The Battle for the Falklands" as a way of finding out and whilst this book is easy to read and well written I found it lacked a certain personnel perspective. I researched other titles and ended up seeking out "9 battles to Stanley" by Nicholas Van De Bijl.
   
   This told me more of what I wanted to know in terms of how hard both sides had actually fought and the reality of battle. It showed, in several cases, how close the British forces came to defeat and ultimately that victory was a result of superior training, ability and a certain amount of luck. Despite the rhetoric the Argentineans weren't a walk over and although this book only deals with the land base forces I think it is more realistic and informative.
   
   It certainly helped me understand the sacrifices each side made and the futility of war.



4. The Falklands War has been described as the last of the old style conflicts, indeed a throw back to 19th century colonial wars. That being said it was also a classic example of warfare being politics by other means. Few other modern wars provide such a strong example of events influencing the political situation on a almost daily basis.
   
   This book was consdiered at the time of its writing one of the best on the Falklands War. Max Hastings was the original embedded journalist. He managed to gain the trust of many British commanders because of the quality of his reporting, and thus was given access to events that others did not have. That having been said I was surprised that his book did not have more insights into the commanders of the conflict. When all is said and done this book reads pretty much like a standard history of the conflict.
   
   The origins of the war are discussed by his co-writer. This account was not as clear as I would have wished. A lot was implied on the part of the reader in terms of being familier with the very intricate and protracted political dealings that lead up to the war. As is often the case with such a complicated process one tends to find diferent emphasis depending on who is writing. The lead-up was certainly complete, but different personages were mentioned in this book as being important as compared to others. The general impression is that while the British were playing for time in the on-going Falklands negotiations, the Argentine side was rapidly running out of it. The British Foriegn Office should have seen the writing on the wall, but didn't and so when the invasion took place some heads had to roll in Thatcher's government.
   
   The military aspects of the war are described decently but without the kind of detail I was expecting from this highly regarded book. Still, the reader will find a nice and concise description of the action. In particular the 2nd Para's action at Goose Green is given the attention it deserves. This, the first land portion of the campaign was deffinitely infleunced by the daily political situation in London, with near fatal results. Not only was 2nd Para's impending attack announced in the British media just hours before it was launched, but the whole attack nearly fell afoul of bad intelligence work. Argentine strength was woefully underestimated and it was only the skill and determination of 2nd Para itself which prevailed. The battalion commander was himself killed in the attack. Had he lived he would have sued the BBC for their negligence.
   
   The ongoing action in San Carlos Bay could have been a calamity for the Royal Navy had the Argentines fused their bombs more effectively. As it was the few air-launced exocet missiles came close to causing massive damage. Many British vessels were damaged, and not a few sunk, but fortunately not either of their two carriers. The Argentine Air Force, unskilled, though brave, could not sustain the high losses from the effective British aerial defenses.
   
   The author provides a lenghy chatpter on the series of mishaps which lead to the Welsh Guards disasterous landing near Port Stanley. This could have been prevented had various commanders not stepped in when they did, but this was partly because of the passive Argentine defense so far. The British became reckless and fortunately for the them they did not lose more men than they did.
   
   The final land battles in the mountains around Port Stanley show that once the British got on land with the better part of a division the Argentines were doomed. Their poorly trained troops simply could not stand up to the amazing professionalism of the British. Still, we must regard the Falklands conflict as a near run thing for the British on both land and sea. Had the Argentines fought with more coodination within their services, and with aggression they could have caused the British infinitely more loss, and perhaps won. Overall one is astonished by the relatively low casaualty counts. The fighting was certainly intense, but the losses were low consdiering this. Several factors may explain this: one that most of the land fighting was conducted at night time, and at sea many of the Argentine ordinance failed to explode on impact.
   
   Still, the war cost almost a thousand lives, and with another equal number wounded as well. In the USA this conflict remains little known, at the time Americans were surprised at the reality of the situation. President Reagan was caught napping, and Haig stacked his career on trying to replicate Kissenger's shuttle diplomacy to prevent war at the last minute. On this 25th Anniversary of the conflict we should reflect on how even remote political situations can easily become military confrontations. The performance of the British army and navy was supurb throughout. At the time the US had stumbled in several low-level conflicts where the odds were overwhelmingly in our favor. Here in the Falkands the British made-do with the limited resources they had.
   
   Max Hastings' book provides a good, but by no means deffinitive understanding of the war. More recent works can no doubt provide that, as well as fill out the Argentine side more. Still, this is a good basic work to start any serious study of that fascinating, and innane conflict. Like many I was just a kid at the time, but the memory of this war in the news brings to life many of the events discussed here. Worthwhile.



5. The Falklands war was one of the most peculiar wars of the 20th century.
   Argentine`s Galtierei was a gambler who lost against the determined Mrs Thatcher and her "crew". But today he would perhaps have got away with it.
   
   The authors have described the development of the conflict very thorougly,
   with interesting descriptions of the considerations on both sides, and of the battles. Exciting subject - well written!

5 comments about Ghost Force.

1. I usually look forward to reading the newest Patrick Robinson book when it hits the shelves. So when I received Ghost Force in the mail (I'm stationed in the Middle East right now) I was excited to see how Admiral Arnie was going to save the world this time. About an hour into the book I had to check the cover again to see if Patrick Robinson's name was on the cover. That's how horrible I found this book to be. I hoped it would get better the more I read; It didn't! I've read all of Robinson's previous books and enjoyed them, however Ghost Force was a disappointment!!



2. I liked Patrick Robinson's earlier submarine warfare novels but I left the author years ago. Out of desperation for some new books I picked up three of his recent novels, including this one.
   
   I am very tired of Mr. Robinson's sidebar negative comments or hints about the left wing and on-going praise for the right along with the current administration. It distracts from the story and just comes across as unprofessional and childish.
   
   And this adulation for the retired Admiral Morgan saving the day, over and over and over is just riduculous and laughable. There are so many inaccuracies in this novel that suspending disbelief becomes nearly impossible.
   
   This was my last Patrick Robinson novel.



3. I read a review prior to purchasing this book. I've read many Robinson books so I was very surprised at the vitriolic review which was very nasty and personal. After reading the book, and it was a real thriller, I can only guess that the nasty review I had read was from someone who abhored the obviously passionate conservatism of the writer. His respect for Maggie Thathcher and disgust for the liberal labor gov't. in England was hardly veiled. Nor should it be. This book is one you won't easily put down. Much, much better than the Clancy Psuedos of late. I give it a double thumbs up!!!



4. In the Author's note it says "I decided to accept no direct advice or instruction from anyone",and it shows.
   The military tactics are flawed with what feels like lazy writing, not the standard of the earlier books.
   Will someone explain why Falklanders would collaborate with Argentinians, the Royal Navy sail to certain defeat and the Prime Minister be such a complete waste of time (ok that bit was funny, but...).
   Will someone tell Patrick Robinson that a Super Cobra is NOT a troop carrying helicopter - a mistake he seems to make repeatedly in all his recent novels.
   The strength of a techno-thriller is that it should be based in reality, this isn't and the basic errors stood out.
   
   Whilst I appreciate this has more than a little justifiable poke at the state of the UK's armed forces, and that Patrick Robinson writes US SEAL & submarine fan books, a little more balanced reality would be nice.
   
   Not sure I'll buy his next book based on this one.



5. Patrick Robinson breaks so many basic rules of good writing that I've lost count. Roughly 90% of the book is telling what happens rather than showing. The dialogue is overly long, unrealistic and, in most cases, clearly written for the benefit of the reader. But what breaks this book more than any other single thing is the lack of any well-rounded, realistic, likable characters.
   
   For example, Admiral Morgan is an attempt at the working class, "I know better than those stuffed shirts in Washington" type - like Bruce Willis' character in Armageddon. Except that Morgan is also a connoisseur of fine wines and is rich enough to travel to the Caribbean and France in the same month. In the end, he just comes across as arrogant.
   
   Jimmy Ramshawe, as far as I can tell, spends his entire day reading newspapers, talking to himself, and calling other characters about plot information. The story would be no different if he did not exist.
   
   The Russians, Argentineans, and other bad guys are sad clichés. You can almost hear the maniacal laughter as they discuss their poorly-conceived plan to get more oil from the Falklands. (You want to take British territory and US oil fields illegally and by force, and you think America *won't* get involved? Way to think ahead, guys.)
   
   Finally, Rick Hunter, Doug Jarvis, and the twenty-some other Special Forces guys remind me of the dwarves from The Hobbit in that there's a lot of them and I can't tell one from the other. They are generic soldiers, though surprisingly unprofessional for Special Forces ("Jesus Christ, guys! These are the airplanes we've come to destroy. Can you believe it? I hope everything comes out okay in the end!").
   
   The closest this book every comes to a realistic character is when Vanislav, the Russian submarine captain who secretly torpedoes Britain's only aircraft carrier, sees what he has done and regrets it. Unfortunately nothing ever comes of this, and the captain is killed by the good guys without a second thought.
   
   The resulting story is predictable, uninteresting, and often annoying. This is the first Robinson book I've ever read, so it's possible that his other books are actually well-written, but I don't think I'll have the patience to find out.