The Battle for the Falklands [Paperback]

Max Hastings (Author), Simon Jenkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 1984

"Must be read by all our military people and anyone who wants to find out what really happened on the Falkland Islands." —James M. Gavin

Editorial Reviews

Review

A small gem of military and naval history reminiscent in many ways of Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August. The authors have two stories to tell. The first is a brilliant narration of a short, violent clash in the freezing fogs and mountainous seas of the South Atlantic. The other is an informed analysis of the political decision-making that led to the conflict, raising those larger questions of war and peace which modern man approaches on bended knee. (Washington Post Book World )

Will probably endure as the standard history of the campaign. (New York Times )

Authoritative and very readable. (Newsweek )

Stirring, impressively detailed. (Time )

About the Author

Max Hastings, a military historian and journalist, covered the Falklands war for the London Evening Standard.

Simon Jenkins is the political editor of the Economist.

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (September 17, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393301982
• ISBN-13: 978-0393301984
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating book, October 10, 2001

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Battle for the Falklands (Paperback)

This book is an in-depth study of the war fought between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands from April to June 1982. The book begins with a highly informative history of the islands, focusing on the two countries' claims to the islands. The war is recounted in excellent depth, focusing heavily on the British side. The final chapter is on the aftermath of the war, which is severely limited, due to the fact that the book was published in 1983.

Finally, there are three excellent appendices: A covers the British task force, giving everything from silhouettes of the ships and airplanes through list of the units involved complete with their commanders; B lists the honors given to Falklands veterans; and appendix C contains the Franks Report on the conflict. The maps contained in the book are excellent, as are the numerous black-and-white pictures.

This book is quite fascinating, and highly informative on the war. I found myself completely unable to put this book down, but just had to read a little more, and a little more, and a little more... I wish that it contained more information on the Argentine side, which would give the book more all-around information. However, that said, it is a great book, giving the reader a good idea of what happened both on the battlefield, and in the halls of the politicians (a great deal of the British side was run for more political, rather than military reasons).

This is a great book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this fascinating war.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive account of a largely forgotten war, August 3, 2000

By 

Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Battle for the Falklands (Paperback)

"The Battle for the Falklands" is a good overall narrative of the history of the brief war between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands. It delves into the politics that led to the war, the U.S. attempt at mediation between its two allies and, of course, the actual fighting. The whole affair seems a bit surreal as it also must have to the British soldiers who fought there. The Falklands themselves, as remote and windswept as it is possible for any inhabited location on Earth to be, were hardly worth all the trouble. But for both Britain and Argentina, national pride and honor were at stake. The irony is that by invading the islands, Argentina's military leadership made it less likely that the country will ever gain possession of them. This book is a good tribute to the men who fought what will probably be the last colonial war, and it is well written historical account.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good - if rather clinical - view of the Falklands conflict, August 16, 2000

By 

featherstonhaugh "featherstonhaugh" (Southend-on-Sea, Essex United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle for the Falklands (Paperback)

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.