One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander [Hardcover]

Sandy Woodward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1992

Contains the personal reflections of Admiral Sandy Woodward, during the hours up to the surrender at Port Stanley, of the repulse of the Argentinian navy and defeat of their air forces, of the sinking of the "Belgrano" and of the landing at Carlos Water, 8000 miles from home.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Pr (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557506515
• ISBN-13: 978-1557506511
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,013,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Falklands war from the Admiral's bridge, August 6, 2000

By 

David Dearborn (Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander (Bluejacket Books Series) (Paperback)

This fine naval autobiography takes us behind the scenes of the Falklands sea/air (not ground) war and modern battle management in general. Admiral Woodward didn't exactly know what he was sailing into back in 1982, and makes no attempt to hide his personal sense of vulnerability as Britain's first fighting admiral in high-tech warfare. In fact, the entire book is refreshingly down-to-earth. Woodward is quick to note that he was tapped for the job because he happened to be the navy's closest flotilla commander at the time (in Gibraltar)--and confides that his superiors almost replaced him with a higher-ranking officer even as he led the task force into danger. This is no stuffed-shirt memoir.

Woodward and co-author Patrick Robinson weave accounts of grand strategy and military politics through a genuinely absorbing narrative of men and machines in heavy weather, incessant tactical maneuvering, and flashes of terrifying combat. Along the way, there are plenty of 'what-if's to chew on. We learn that Woodward had to manipulate London to get HMS Conqueror to sink the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano (British subs weren't under his tactical command). He explains why the sinking was both necessary and tragic, and how Conqueror watched but spared Argentine ships coming to Belgrano's aid. He also reveals that his ships almost shot down a Brazilian airliner mistaken for a pesky Argentine recon jet; he personally gave the order to withhold fire. And Woodward's character shines through his account of ordering HMS Alacrity on a potential suicide mission to scout mines--in an exceptionally gracious mea culpa of command, he praises the captain's sterling courage while faulting his own mundane direction.

Also fascinating are the individual stories of the high number of British ships damaged or sunk, and Woodward's frustration with underperforming anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems. This was more of a close call than the world knew at the time, as he makes abundantly clear. Ultimately, his modest approach on paper belies the fact that he and his task force pulled off a truly impressive naval feat. And it's a credit to Woodward the author-analyst that 'One Hundred Days' transcends the Falklands War to give an illuminating, first-person view of campaign and tactical battle coordination. It could find a home on bookshelves of Fortune 500 executives as well as students of naval and air operations. The style is also breezy (and occasionally humorous) enough for the casual reader. I've never seen it in a U.S. store, so thanks, Amazon.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a navy commander at modern war, January 28, 2000

By 

"tamaracm" - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander (Bluejacket Books Series) (Paperback)

In this book Admiral Woodward has provided the reader with an informative and candid view of a task force commander at war. His myriad of concerns; logistics, weather, technology, numbers, and the interference of politics and the modern media in the campaign are presented in a very readable format. It was interesting to read his asessments that Argentina could have won the war by concentrating their air attacks on the 2 British carriers (fortunately the Brits hadn't sold them) or the amphibs. As a naval officer, and a student of military history, it was refreshing to see a modern commander admit that such things as acceptable losses and expendable commands really do exist in the conduct of warfare. His humor and leadership style, warts and all, are a primer in command and control under fire. The book presents dramatic descriptions of many tragic episodes, such as the sinkings of the HMS Coventry and the Atlantic Conveyor. Unfortunately, since the book was written from a naval officer's point of view, the land campaign was given rather short notice therefore leaving out an important portion of the fight. I highly recommend the book for professionals and buffs alike.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for anyone studying naval history, October 20, 1999

By 

Kevin P. Schultz ""The sun now rose upon ... (Ashburn, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander (Bluejacket Books Series) (Paperback)

I read this book as a midshipman in my efforts toward professional development as a future naval officer. This is an EXCELLENT book. Admiral Woodward provides insight into some very important lessons learned from the Falklands War - the first time the Royal Navy went to war since WWII and using weapons systems that had not been tested in battle and the first war in the age of instant satellite news networks. I couldn't put the book down.