Julian Thompson is described as the "man of the match"by Jenkins and Hastings.This was so true,as commander of 3 commando brigade he was the tactician that made the british victory happen,this book is a must read for all soldiers everywhere.Get the details of the amazing feat that was the greatest air/sea battle since WW2.

Writen by the Head of the (Royal) Naval Historical Branch, The Royal Navy and the Falklands War is quite simply the finest account of the naval war yet written. With detailed access to official documents and widely illustrated with photographs form both official and private sources, the book traces the history of the campign from the naval perspective in a day by day, blow by blow account.
The narrative is easy to follow, either as a cover to cover read or a book to dip into for specific information about key events. There is a seperate chapter dealing with ships taken up from trade, (STUFT), and appendices listing all ships from both navies that took part in the war. An excellent read and a "must have" book for the serious reader.

Somewhere about two thirds of the way through this book I put it down & said to myself "these people are crazy!" Then I picked it up again and said "But Gosh, I wish I could have been there". A good chunk of the book is background to clipper ships in general & specifically the history of the "last American Clipper" but there is also the riveting account of a group of "crazies" who find the remains of SNOWSQUALL abandoned and rotting at a dock in the South Atlantic and do their best to save at least part of her for a maritime museum back in the States. That they succeed (at least in part) frankly left me a little teary-eyed. Those of you who aren't at least a little bit "odd" when it comes to Tall Ships may say "why bother?" My guess is that after reading this book you may begin to understand. For those of us who already have the disease, you will be rooting for the authors and their friends the whole way. Nicely written, nicely illustrated, a real "keeper".

It is quite unfortunate that only two books by Pierre Boulle are generally available in the U.S.: Bridge on the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes. However, The Whale of The Victoria Cross shows how wonderfully fertile a writer's imagination can be. Boulle gives us a most unusual premise involving a naval battle and the critical involvement and influence of marine mammals. I also recommend Ears of the Jungle by the same author -- a Vietnam War story told from the main character's perspective, who just happens to be a high level North Vietnamese strategist. Fabulous!

After several months in which former Parliament member Harry Richmond remaines missing at sea, his wife Ellen accepts the official ruling that he is presumed dead. Her upper-class friends and his political cronies presume Ellen is a grieving widow and treat her accordingly, though she knew her marriage was in trouble. At Harry's funeral service, a former military associate of Harry during the Falkland Islands War, Richard Moreland attends.

As Ellen thinks suicide due to amateur seaman Harry going out on a yacht in dangerous weather, the police wonder if murder occurred. Already worried about the future of her two children with the mountain of debt her dead husband left her with, Ellen learns more about Harry's questionable financial dealings, alleged wrong doings as a soldier, and perhaps sexual abuse of his adopted oldest daughter. Only Richard seems to be on Ellen's side in seeking the truth of what happened to Harry, but she questions his agenda.

Though the tale starts off a bit slow as Clare Francis introduces the cast including a dead Harry and their relationships, once the story line shifts into gear it never slows down. Readers will find Ellen a delightful enigma until the climax. Is she the victim only trying to protect her children or is she the killer trying to hide her own misdeed? Fans will take tremendous satisfaction trying to determine who the real Ellen is, but Ms. Francis cleverly hides the truth in plain sight and it is not revealed until the taut climax.

Harriet Klausner

I got this book on a friend's recommendation and it wasn't until I began to read that I realized I had seen this story done as a made-for-British-TV-movie on BBCAmerica. I thought it was an especially good thriller on TV but I wasn't sure I wanted to read the book after the fact, especially since I knew "whodunit", but I gave it a try and armed with the image of Francesca Annis ("Reckless") as Ellen, I waded in. It was a good idea. There are so many story nuances and side plots that simply can't make it into a TV movie, either from time constraints or the known attention span of viewers, and it was like reading a richer version of the movie. The ending was still the same, but delivered in a much more compelling (and less screen-worthy) manner. I hadn't read Clare Francis before, but I certainly will read her again.

"Deceit," by the British author Clare Frances, is a beautifully written novel that builds in intensity until its surprising conclusion. Ellen Richmond's husband, Harry, has mysteriously disappeared while on his yacht. Months later, neither Harry's body nor his yacht has been recovered and he is presumed dead. Ellen's top priority is protecting her children, Katie and Josh, from anything or anyone who may hurt them.

Protecting the children and herself will be quite a challenge for Ellen. It seems that Harry had quite a few secrets, both of a personal and professional nature, and he has left the family emotionally devastated and almost penniless. Harry had hurt Ellen in many ways and her marriage was in deep trouble at the time of her husband's disappearance. She is hoping that after Harry's memorial service, she will be able to forget the past and get on with her life.

Unfortunately, as further revelations come out about Harry and his death, Ellen's peace of mind is shattered and her family's security is threatened. Clare Frances does a masterful job of creating memorable and fully developed characters. Ellen is a complex woman who has been guilty of being too trusting and passive, but who now must call on all of her inner strength to survive emotionally from day to day. Other memorable characters include Richard Moreland, a kind and honorable man who befriends Ellen and her son, and Jack, Harry's sleazy business partner, whose attentions to Ellen are unwelcome and unwanted.

As more terrible truths emerge, Ellen's world starts to fall apart. The last quarter of the book will have you on the edge of your seat until you finally reach the surprising conclusion. Lovers of British suspense novels will adore "Deceit," a first-rate thriller.

Richard Thornton's book is an important study for understanding the diplomatic machinations of the Cold War era in general and the Reagan-Thatcher partnership within it in particular. Hitherto, the British-Argentine conflict has been treated either as a sideshow in the history of international relations or as a symbolic reassertion of British power in what seemed to be its imperial sunset. Thornton's approach is entirely new and original, setting the conflict sqaurely where it belongs in the chronology of Cold War history. With substantial support the author argues that the conflict was a sting designed to divest Argentina of its military government and nuclear weapons program (a little-known fact, the details of which are only recently being elaborating) while strenghthening America's strategic relationship with Thatcher's Britain. Thornton gives great care to relate the nature of the divisions existing within the various (American, British, Argentine) leaderships and how they influenced the outcome of the war. Particularly relevant to Cold War students is his treatment of the machinations behind Thatcher's ability to make a necessary war and Reagan's ability to support her. Thornton exposes the attempts of Alexander Haig and the "wet" foreign ministers Lord Carrington and Francis Pym to sideline the military solution, secure Thatcher's political defeat, and implement a renewed detente relationship with the Soviet Union. The Reagan-Thatcher defeat of the detente cabal is of crucial importance to understanding the origins of the war and the place of its outcome in Reagan's strategy of renewed containment. Barring a few factual errors of the minor sort, Thornton's analysis is a true example of what American scholarship of the Cold War should be. It is a proud refutation of the left-wing view that international relations are simplistic or irrelevant and that the broad social trend is what should concern historians most.

This book is GREAT!!!

It shows how three National Governments define their foreign policies working from/amongst/within their internal disputes. The 3 nations involved are Argentina, Great Britain and the United States. The issue at stake is the Argentine claim, and 2nd April 1982 take-over, of the Malvinas (for Great Britain: Falkland) Islands. I guess it could be just anything else...

So it goes:
1) In the US: Haig vs Weinberger
2) In the UK: Nott vs Thatcher
3) In Argentina: Galtieri vs Viola

The books even reveals how Argentina lost the islands because of the steps taken by General Viola (de facto president ousted by General Galtieri) to make sure that the take-over was anticipated, which in turn gave the UK the time-window they needed (badly) to perform the re-taking.

This is a fascinating work of detailed scholarship. Thornton has put together a compelling retelling of the War, and by giving us hitherto undisclosed details as to the political infighting within Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United States he has managed to give meaning to so many unanswered questions which other writers simply dismiss as being 'illogical' or 'unexplicable' behaviour. Piecing together a wide web of inter-related intrigue, Thornton has put the entire conflict into a whole new light. Highly recommended.

I met Rick Jolly during the Falklands war and have some knowledge of the goings on of the medical teams during the conflict. I believe this book to be a factual account of the events that took place, the authors style does not really convey the emotion of the whole affair. It is written in a very "matter-of-fact" manner. The real story is of course the men behind the facts and sadly this treasure is skimmed over. Overall it is a good read and although I read it some 18 years after having been there it made it all seem like yesterday. I particularly remember the author on during the "walk" across Ascension Island, borrowing an SLR to pose for a photo with some of the boys. He said and I quote "I want to look mean"....this for me sums up Rick Jolly pretty well. Credit to him he came out very well and of course in one piece.

Having spent the night in the refrigeration plant at Ajax bay (post 82), reading this book brings home the horrors of war. I read this book some eight years ago but it still sticks in my memory, the UXB and the EOD officer that slept with it, the death of people he knew, the compasion shown to Argentinian casualties also the British press trying to get photographs of our dead heros. Rick Jolly a unsung hero of our time.

I read the book a year before I left for Desert Storm. Our military can learn from the Brits. Many of our leaders suffer from CRS and NIH-Not invented here. Doctor Jolly and his men did an outstanding job. The photos in the book were fantastic.

Jolly ranks with Nick Vaux, Royal Marines in his first person style of reporting. Not professional authors, but men retelling their stories.

Having served with the RAF in'87 REFORGER, this book makes my appreciation for the British stronger. Okay, they made mistakes down there, show me a flawless operation. Can't? See, I told you.

Simply a true account of what actually happened. Honest and unbiased - a must read for anyone with an interest in the conflict.

Excellent. Of the many books I have read about the Falklands War and Goose Green and this is the most readable, informative and concise read. The book goes into great details about the individual movements of soldiers, the death of Col 'H', and the real problems they faced, quite an eye-opener. Great Maps, great narrative, couldn't put it down. I'm now looking for another book by the same author!

Great book. I truly admire the young Argentine conscripts. The majority in the Falklands fought with courage and valour. After reading Nick van der Bijl's "Nine Battles to Stanley" (Leo Cooper Limited, 1999)I have nothing but admiration for the young teenage soldiers of Colonel Mohammed Seineldin's 25th Commando-trained Regiment. No wonder it took the Paras 12 hours to crush Task Force Mercedes. Mark Adkin's book read with Bijl's book proves that conscripts can fight well in battle providing their platoon commanders are made of the right stuff. A well written book about the battle. But I must stress that it should be read along with Bijl's book who establishes that the 25th Regiment of Argentina was indeed a crack formation (the equivalent of a regiment of the Hitlerjugend during the battle for Normandy in WW2 in esprit de corps and fighting spirit).

This 480 page tome is a thoroughly researched document of the military conflict in 1982 between Great Britain and Argentina. Especially useful to an historian or enthusiast, it has detail of the history of every individual aircraft involved, on both sides of the war. Comprehensive accounts of the sorties are included. The naval and ground conflict is only covered tangentially. This book nearly rates five stars, but due to the lack of an index, extracting information from the detail is cumbersome.

A painstakingly researched, thorough and detailed account covering both sides, the most professional I have seen. Unbiased style. Fundamental to any research in the field.

This is a good overall narrative account of the Falklands War, as well as the diplomatic events leading up to it. Like most military writing however it does suffer from being too clinical, in spite of the fact that Max Hastings shared the same hazards and privations as the ground level soldier. For a more complete picture of what it was like being involved in the actual conflict, at the squaddie's level, you should read The Battle for the Falklands in conjunction with Ken Lukowiak's superb "A Soldier's Song" (Orion Books, 1993). Disjointed, reflective, ambivalent, irreverant, Lukowiak's account of the conflict must rank alongside "All Quiet on the Western Front" as a testament to the pointlessness of war in general. Interestingly, it does lay bare the British media's manipulation of events for maximum emotional effect -- a shining example of this being the myth that Colonel Jones, who died leading the attack at Goose Green, was affectionaly known as "H" to his men; to the ordinary squaddies of 2 Para, the Colonel was respected but only the officers referred to him as "H" - the sqaddies called him "Jonesie" or somesuch. It's also interesting how Lukowiak was repelled when The Sun ran its "Gotcha" headline on the sinking of the General Belgrano - he and many others fighting the war felt that the UK media, safe behind their word processors in Wapping, London, had no right to be so belligerant and jingoistic as they weren't the ones up to their necks in sheep ... in the trenches fighting the actual war! He has another great anecdote about how a Brit journalist desirous of wiring home a news story, attempted to queue-jump a line of paratroopers who were themselves waiting to call home to their loved ones on a satellite phone and was very nearly bashed for his trouble! You get the feeling somehow that the reporters weren't particularly respected by the squaddies. All in all, for the bare facts & analysis I'd read Hastings, but for the authenticity of the experience, I'd stick to Lukowiak anytime.

The Falkland Islands War was a strange event. I was only 12 at the time, but even so, I remember thinking it was very unusual that a war could start and end so quickly, between nations you would not consider traditional enemies. As the authors point out, it was the last of Britains colonial wars - fought maintain prestige more so than because of the worth of the territory. Argentina invaded the Islands on the assumption that Britain would not fight for them. Obviously they underestimated the will of the British people, and especially that of the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who quickly dispatched the largest task force she could muster to reclaim the islands. This book starts well before the war and explains the colonial situation and the history of Argentina's attempts to win sovreignty over the islands they can the Malvinas. It then moves to the details of the actual invasion and attempts to rationalise the motives behind the Argentine junta's decision. The book really hits its stride with the dispatch of the task force and the battles that then took place on land and at sea.

The book was written shortly after the end of the war. Max Hastings is a journalist that accompanied the task force, and brings a level of authenticity that only a first-hand experience can give. Simon Jenkins's contribution was on the home front, detailing the cabinet and parliamentary discussions and direction of the war. That these two parts seamlessly mesh is a credit to the editor.

Even though there was little time between the end of hostilities and the release of the book, the conclusions of the authors have stood the test of time. Unfortunately, we will likely never know all the details about the Argentine side (due to the instability of the government at the time), so most of the commentary and description of events is from the point of view of the British forces. The authors are careful not to "cheerlead" the British side, and condemn both sides equally for failing to resolve the dispute peacefully.

Most importantly, the book is very easy to read, and tells an exciting story besides. The conclusions are inescapeable - the British won due to superior training, tactics, and motivation of the footsoldier on the ground. Full marks go to the Argentine Air Force for their spirited conduct during the hostilities, but air power alone cannot win a war. The authors also blame the situation on the lack of human intellegence (as opposed to signal or satellite intel) that totally missed the imminent threat to the Falklands from Argentina. They further argue for balanced armed forces because, as we rediscovered on Sept. 11, you never know what kind of threat you will face. These conclusions are applicable today, which tells for the universality and timelessness of this fine account.

This book is truly the full account of the falklands conflict. It charts the history of the islands, from the initial discovery, to the lives lost in its defence. Being British, I did not find it looking for patriotic sympathy. Neither does the author force an opinion on the ethics of war. The fact thet Max Hastings was on the islands, with the troops only adds to the authenticity of the book.