Customer Reviews

Air War in the Falklands 1982 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 28)

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

 

 

I write from a modelmaker point of view. The book has an adequate but basic history of the war. However colour profiles has many bad mistakes: even the front cover pictures represents wrongly the post-war camouflaged Sea Harrier. The code of XZ451 was "006" during the hostilities. Colour plate no 4 has a same machine but a different text under it: ZA174 had a medium grey scheme. I also doubt that Argentine navy A-4 Skyhawk (plate no 8) wore Super Etendard style camouflage during the conflict (if ever). Photos are very useful even there is also pre- and post-conflict photos among them. Argentine losses are listed, British are not. But it is nice to read that Mr Chant tries to be neutral, for example, the "own goal" Gazelle loss (6th June 1982) is mentioned. I still believe this book belongs to modelmakers and historians desk but it cannot be trusted solely as an concise history of the Falklands air war.

The book is fairly good. Had a few factual errors (Rio as the capital of Brazil for example), as well as a couple of typos.

Good description of the overall event, although light on the sinking of the General Belgrano, which was a major combat event in terms of significance and loss of life (even though not air combat related).

The subject of the book, to my understanding, is the coverage of the aerial operations during the 1982 Falklands campaign. I don't know what the goal of the author was, but I took it straight forward - as the subject. So the main idea is to go through the conflict, showing different applications of the aviation and main events.

I believe Osprey format is not sufficient to cover such topics in a comprehensive way. It is simply impossible to put all the data, pictures, maps, stories, etc into the 96pp book.

The book gives general information on every aspect of the aerial operations, briefly covers the events, giving the pictures and drawings in a proportion applicable to all Osprey books.
The information and photos are the same that can be found in other sources, nothing new. Some mistakes here and there. The color plated are poor, I would wish a better quality and more of them. I would not relate to this book as a research, it is a publication of a known story in Osprey format.

The book doesn't give any value to the enthusiast researching the Falklands war, I would suggest other sources. What it gives - a very brief and general coverage of events and air ops, in a user friendly and easy reading.

Christopher Chant has written a fine account of the Falklands air war keeping a perfect balance between the British and the Argentinians and explaining in great detail the tactics, the weapons and the controversies of that campaign. The appendices at the end of the book are also a treasure of information and statistics.

No pictures of the pilots,gun cameras or the "MiG" killing Harriers.Makes mistakes like the BBC reporters at the time by calling NAVY pilots "Flight Luietenants" and vice versa for the RAF pilots, as Luietenant. No in depth look at the battles or pilot's accounts.I think Commander "Sharky" Ward will do a backflip to see that he was in Mike Blisset's squadron,800 NAS, at one stage in this book.
I really think Mr.Chant should get some tipps from Shlomo Aloni's books about the Isreali Aces.