Customer Reviews

ARGENTINE FIGHT FOR THE FALKLANDS (Pen & Sword Military Classics (Series))

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nope, not the Russians. I found this book to be balanced reporting. It gave me a way to tie in the Skyhawk I had known in Long Beach with the 1981 world 3 years after i left.

This is a truly unique perspective of the 1982 Falklands war. The author succeeds in showing the Argentine side of the war in a very detailed, honest and balanced fashion. While deliberately avoids a discussion of rights and wrongs of the Argentine's cause he makes it clear that the Argentine servicemen believed strongly (and still believe) that the Falklands (Malvinas) belong to to their country. A belief that was exploited by the Military Junta at great cost to Argentina, Britain and the Falkland Islanders. The many personal recollections make for very interesting and readable book.

Recommend you also read the authors book from the British perspective (Fight for the Falklands.

I would have reviewed this book much better if the author would have not changed statements and thohgts at the end.

I have a great impression when at the very begining of the book he stated that he would like to provide just an exact historical review without getting into political issues and providen a thourough review of both sides of the conflict.

At the very end, he became jugmental about the argentinian claims and he became jugmental by discribing the argentinina campain as a disaster. I really belive it, it was a disaster very bad planned. However, he failed to dicribed theBritish disaster, that is the reason I rate this book as "POOR". The british disaster that he "forgot to tell to keep his neutrality, need to be described.

The british task force disaster included a sunk battelship for every week of the war, total of eigths. That also included at least the same number of very bad damaged ships. He also fails to tell that the economics aspect of the conflit. The argentina losses very old military equitment including aircraft and ships, whereas the british losses where all new an expensive equitment. Needless to tell that the average cost of fuel for a battelship was at this time of millons of galons and millos of dolors every day.

In other words, analizing the war by only the miliary actions and the recovery of the islands is a very narrow view. I would like the author to tell us the "numbers = money" from both sides. Then the public will find the reall catastrophy of task forse.

The author reminf neutral almost the whole time, but at the end he did not. He failed to give a more complete evaluations of the war including the economic disaster inflicted to the british Navy and England.