Nine Battles to Stanley [Hardcover]

Nick Van der Bijl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1999

The 1982 campaign in the Falklands continues to fascinate a wide audience, both in Great Britain and beyond. Nick van der Bijl describes in detail all the major actions of the campaign and, unlike some European writers, has interviewed Argentine participants and reveals a number of key factors that were not apparent to the British at the time.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Pen and Sword (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850526191
• ISBN-13: 978-0850526196
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,104,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good picture, August 13, 2000

By 

Jon. Clarke (Burlington, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nine Battles to Stanley (Hardcover)

I found this book, although expensive, a good general review of the war. Having read approx 20 books on the subject, there were still some unknown points. However, there were a few faults! One of the main ones is that Argentine relatives were never refused permission to visit the graves of their relatives. By stating this, it made the Islanders look inhuman and uncaring, which they were not!

6 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Mighty Close Run Thing, April 16, 2003

By 

Juan Pozzi (Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nine Battles to Stanley (Hardcover)

This work investigates the British post-war myths that have grown unchallenged. The Spanish-speaking author was an intelligence officer in 3 Commando Brigade (Royal Marines) and heard 3 Commando Brigade's commander and the 3 Para battalion commander conferring by radio on the night of June 11/12 1982. THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS TEMPTATION TO WITHDRAW 3 PARA FROM MONTE LONGDON; most of the opposition coming from the 7th Infantry Regiment platoon of First Lieutenant Raul Castaneda. The Argentine platoon is recorded by the author of having 'gained a reputation for reckless courage', and forcing a temporary British withdrawal. Two platoons from 3 Para had to withdraw and leave casualties behind when it came under accurate fire from the 7th Infantry Platoon.
Van der Bijl was fortunate in being able to interview most of the Argentine regimental commanders involved in the battles of the land war. Lieutenant-Colonel Omar Gimenez said his 7th Infantry Regiment on Wireless Ridge had been overwhelmed by superior firepower. Van der Bijl also met the Commanding Officer of the 4th Infantry Regiment whose name is Diego Soria. The Argentine colonel said he and his B Company commander discussed the possibility of breaking out from Monte Harriet after the counterattack by his regiment had failed. Van der Bijl was also fortunate in being given the war diaries of the Argentine Special Forces - on one occasion the 3 Para Patrols Platoon ambushed several Army Commandos from Compania de Comandos 601 but they had not counted on the courage of the Argentine Commandos at close quarter. The Argentines charged headlong into the ambush and were able to route the Paras on this occasion! The most controversial clash occured in the early morning of Malvinas Day (June 10). During a fierce action two Argentine Commandos were killed. Major Aldo Rico from Compania de Comandos 602 was reported as having said that the battle was fought on the centre of Murrell River, and he claimed at least four Royal Marines were killed.
The author tells for the first time the true story of the Malvinas Land War, as seen through the eyes of both the British professional soldiers and the Argentine conscripts and regulars. According to Nick van der Bijl the Argentines fought well. During the attack on Cerro Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters) the 4th Regiment platoon of Second Lieutenant Marcelo Llambias-Pravaz with limited night visibility devices (2 night vision goggles) blocked 45 Commando's X-Ray Company for three hours before caving in! On the eastern end of Two Sisters the 6th Regiment platoon of Second Lieutenant Aldo Franco engaged in holding 45 Commando's Yankee Company off along the eastern ridge. The Argentine platoon conducted a spectacularly successful delaying action employing the standard leap frog tactics; one section on the ground holding the Royal Marines off, one section setting up the next fall back position and one section in movement and caused the proposed attack on Mount Tumbledown by the 45 Commando battalion commander to be aborted! And the author found that it took 42 Commando's L Company (on Monte Harriet) nearly SIX HOURS TO ADVANCE 600 METRES. The Argentine platoon which had held them up was commanded by Second Lieutenant Eugenio Bruny who was wounded and was later decorated.
It was reported in the United States that the British Artillery gave the British infantry their advantage over the Argentines. In the final count the British relied on anti-tank rocket launchers in close quarter combat.
But then the whole thing would have been different if the 2nd, 14th and 17th Airborne Infantry Regiments (from the Argentine Army 4th Airborne Brigade) had been parachuted across Wickham Heights, the Venezuelan government reportedly offering a brigade of their own parachute troops to help in Malvinas!!!

5 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get over it Juan, you lost !, February 28, 2005

By 

paul wright (france) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nine Battles to Stanley (Hardcover)

It was a close run thing yes; the British retook the Falklands on Argentina's doorstep, 8000 miles from the UK, with a fraction of the manpower employed by the Argentinians. There was never any doubt that the Argentinians could fight, but they met a more highly trained and tougher force in the British.
Democracy 1, Fascism Nil.