Customer Reviews (3)

Flawed Analysis of the Peace Process
Let me begin with a quibble. The book is filled acronyms. Ms. Juhn makes an attempt to identify these with a beginning listing but may acronyms are omitted. The same problem is repeated with the names of the persons involved. These problems result perhaps because the author is too familiar with her subject matter. It makes for opaque reading at times.

The book would also benefit from additional critical analysis or more exposition of the forces at work on people at an individual level. But, this information may not have been abundantly available.

My biggest problem is with the author's cavalier minimization of the social forces at work and the implications of not addressing these in the final peace accords. For example the author says "There are no villains and no heroes in this story. History is the procession of people fighting to preserve a way of life or to change it. This is no less true in El Salvador than it was in the United States during its own civil war."

I suppose the author would not be an admirer of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. There is a powerful vector in human history that is propelled by people's being marginalized and humiliated. Individually a person may be made to feel worthless or deficient. When many people experience this emotion together, as a result of the same causes, powerful social forces may be set in motion.

Too what extent is the current gang violence in El Salvador the result of the failure of the peace process to hold accountable those responsible for the death squads? What will be the long term consequences of the continued concentration of wealth in a few hands?

I appreciate the author's efforts but must express my reservations.

A superb behind the scenes analysis
The peace process in El Salvador was very difficult to understand for outsiders, even Salvadorans like me.This book succeeds in claryfing not only the actual events, but also the underlying motives and incentives for each of the parties involved.

The book begins with a good historical analysis, which puts into perspective all the decisions taken during the actual peace negotiations.Once the historical motivation is clear, the actual strategies for the negotiation begin to make perfect sense.

All in all, this book really shines at explaining the underlying interests of the parties and the tactics they resorted to in achieving a truly remarkable agreement.

The Inside Story of the Salvadoran Peace Process
This book is an excellent study of the behind-the-scenes policy making during the Salvadoran peace process. The author obviously had access to many of the persons involved in the process.It is also lacks theleft-wing bias found in much of the U.S. literature on El Salvador. Irecommend this book for anyone interested in the Salvadoran Civil War aswell as for those who study the topic of negotiated settlements to civilconflicts. ... Read more

Book Description
This is the untold story of the Falklands War as experienced by a below-decks seaman on one of the most important ships to be dispatched to the South Atlantic. It is a no-holds-barred account as seen through the eyes of a Royal Navy matelot who shared the terror of the first encounter with Argentinean forces when South Georgia was retaken from the invaders in Operation Paraquat.HMS Antrim lead the first attack into the North Falklands Sound where she destroyed enemy defenses and later became part of the main force anti-aircraft defenses in the infamous 'Bomb Alley' or San Carlos Water. During one of the many air attacks the ship was struck by a bomb that destroyed her defensive missile system, but through pure chance the bomb did not explode and remained aboard wedged in the aft 'heads'. All around the stricken ship other RN vessels were taking extreme punishment from the almost continuous onslaught from low-flying Argentinean jets. HMS Antelope, HMS Coventry and the Atlantic Conveyer were all lost within a short period whilst the army was trying to establish a bridgehead. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

His story is a vivid re-enactment of the military encounters of his times.
David Yates' BOMB ALLEY; FALKLAND ISLANDS 1982 ABOARD HMS ANTRIM AT WAR tells of the Falklands War as experienced by a below-decks sailor who participated in the first encounter with the Argentinean forces when south Georgia was retaken from the invaders in Operation Paraquat. His ship lead the first attack into the Falklands and destroyed enemy defenses, and came repeatedly under attack. His story is a vivid re-enactment of the military encounters of his times. ... Read more

Book Description
Falkland Islanders were the first British people to come under enemy occupation since the Channel Islanders during the Second World War. This book tells how islanders' warnings were ignored in London, how their slim defenses gave way to a massive invasion, and how they survived occupation.

While some established a cautiously pragmatic modus vivendi with the occupiers, some Islanders opted for active resistance, using banned radios to transmit intelligence and confuse the Argentines. Others joined advancing British troops, transporting ammunition and leading men to the battlefields. They often came under Argentine fire.

Islanders' leaders and 'trouble makers' faced internal exile, and whole settlements were imprisoned, becoming virtual hostages. Those who remained in besieged Stanley found themselves in the same dangerous situation as their enemy, enduring British naval shelling, artillery attacks and bombing raids. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An engrossing account of a modern war
This is an engrossing account of the occupation of the Falklands by an invading Argentine force and the subsequent liberation by the British military.There are numerous POV's featured in the book, including those of Falkland Islanders, Argentine officers and British soldiers.The book recounts the daily threats the Islanders endured from the occupying Argentines.In 1982 Argentina was controlled by a Junta responsible for the deaths of its own citizens, and some of the Argentine officers threatened to quash the Islander's resistance by using the same tactics employed in Argentina's Dirty War.The book details the heroic efforts of one Argentine officer who stepped in to protect the Islanders and diffused tense situations that could have devolved into serious loss of civilian lives.Still, several Islanders died during the war along with hundreds of Argentine and British soldiers.Twenty years on the wounds are still fresh, but this book offers reflection, solace and even laughter to those who lived through the conflict. But more importantly it gives a voice to the Falkland Islanders, their history and their community at long last.

War and the expereince of those who were there
For me what was so deep about this book was that it not only reaccounted the miltary aspect of what occured during the Falkland war but it also shared the expereince of the people of the Falkland islands.Some parts were sad and brought tears other were funny and brought gasps of laughter.The style of writing enabled you to gain a window to what the war was like.For me, as a woman I found this approach of writing about the war, including the human aspect of how people thought and felt was what enabled me to read it.From my expereince most war stories are written just from the battle prospective without any reference to the individuals experience, emothions.

I think the writer was able to bring to life the horrows of war, the horrows of what it must have been liked to be occupied, espcially by the regime that was then in power in Argentine and the silent pains that war leaves.

I look forward to reading many more books by this writer.A writer that has recognised that when writing about a war you need to also remember to think and write about the expereince of all that were there.

Patricia Proudfoot-Omeresten ... Read more

Book Description
From the moment the author gave his famous order 'To the South Atlantic - Quick March' to the final return home he describes what going to war with 42 Commando was like. Here are the authentic details of danger, frustration, fatigue, courage and endurance - just some of the emotions experienced during those fateful weeks and months of 1982. We learn too of the Argentine enemy whose leaders put them in such danger only to abandon them. It was the men of 'Four-Two' that took part in the re-capture of South Georgia and, later, South Thule. They also had to hold Challenger Ridge in atrocious conditions and went on to seize Mount Harriet in a daring night assault. All this is superbly described in this delightful book along with the fascinating array of characters, be the military, civilian, journalist etc all thrown together to achieve a common cause - namely the restitution of British rule over a remote corner of the globe. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1916 edition by Tomas Nelson and Sons, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and New York. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Battalion level view of Combat
Nick Vaux's memoir of his experiences as a Commando (battalion level) commander during the Falklands Island War should be mandatory reading for anyone aspiring to tactical command.His book, well written and entertaining, provides valuable insight into the stresses and strains that affect the commander.Battle focused training, hasty planning, and the effects of the environment on combatants are also topics that he addresses.

Outstanding narrative of leadership during Falklands.
Nick Vaux commanded the 42 Commando during the Falklands campaign and has written about it in this non-fiction work.This engaging, fast read follows his command from England to the Falkland Islands where the unit suffers appalling conditions and undergoes horrendous demands but has a spectacular fight in the final liberation of the island.This is highly recommended for members of the profession of arms and provides other readers a sense of the desperate conditions of modern war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

War in Detail
This book is the third of a series of four books chronicling modern conflict.

Vol 1. The Arab Israeli Conflicts 1973-1989. Vol 2. The Iran-Iraq war. Vol 3. The Falklands and Afghanistan. Vol 4. The Gulf war.

These books provide an in depth analysis of the various forces engaged in the conflicts and the losses sustained by both sides. The authors have studied the weapons systems employed and the tactics used, and from these have drawn their conclusions on what was the route cause of success or failure in these modern military conflicts.

The authors conclusions are hardly mind shattering but they are sensible. Based on what happened and without an agenda.

Aside from errors concerning the Blowpipe missile (which manages to make an appearance in nearly all the wars) and its vulnerability to flares, (it isn't vulnerable at all) and the failure of this type of missile against crossing targets. (The operator's not the system itself) The books are quite accurate and thoroughly researched.

These series of books are a valuable tool for any student of modern conflict. ... Read more

Book Description
The war fought between the United Kingdom and Argentina in 1982, for the possession of the Falkland Islands was probably the last 'colonial' war that will ever be undertaken by the British. This book shows how the key to British success was the speed with which the British gained and then maintained air superiority over the islands and the waters around then with their small force of Sea Harrier STOVL warplanes, which operated from two aircraft carriers. Though subsonic, the Sea Harrier and its Sidewinder AAM were a combination altogether superior to Argentina's mix of supersonic and subsonic warplanes with older weapons, and this advantage was emphasised by the significantly greater tactical acuity of the British pilots. The Argentine pilots fought with considerable piloting skill and enormous courage, and scored a number of stunning successes against British warships, but ultimately they could not prevent the British landing and the following land campaign that resulted in complete Argentine defeat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not among the best of Osprey's
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.

Mr.Chant should put more effort in
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.

Well balanced and accurate
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.

Fairly good book
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). ... Read more

Book Description
The 1982 Falklands War was not only one of the most extraordinary military confrontations of recent years but also a turning point in the politics of Britain and Argentina. This unusual book makes it possible for us to follow the development of the war from both sides, as two leading experts from the belligerents present an integrated, authoritative, and engrossing account of its origins and course. The work unravels the complex series of events leading to the occupation of the Falkland Islands on April 2, 1982 by Argentine forces and then follows the conflict through to their surrender to the British on June 14. The authors weave together the development of the military confrontation with the attempts by Americans, Peruvians, and the United Nations to help find solutions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not for hard core military history reader.
If you want to know every detail about diplomatic efforts and negotiations surrounding Las Malvinas (Falkland Islands) conflict, this is the right book. But if you are a hard core military history reader, this is not thebook for you. The narrative doesn't have the magic to make you feel likeyou were there. It doesn't trigger the movie in your mind. There are nopersonal accounts of the soldiers who took part in the action. How theyfelt, what they saw and what they did. It doesn't have the details of theoffensive and defensive actions for the battles. If you have read the booksof Stephen E. Ambrose, you will understand what I'm talking about.

Excellent account of the war
This book tells the history of the Malvinas Battle of 1982 betweenArgentina and Great Britain. The tale of what happened in Buenos Aires,London, Washington and New York as the conflict unfolded is veryinteresting. Must be read by anyone who wants to have a clear understandingof the Battle and of the political motives behind the actors (Argentina'smilitary junta, Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government and the ReaganAdministration). ... Read more

Book Description
June 1982, and in the middle of a South Atlantic winter, the Falklands War is at its height. The Parachute Regiment has already been in action - 2 Para securing a hard fought victory at Darwin-Goose Green at a heavy price in killed and wounded including their CO, Lieutenant Colonel 'H' Jones, later awarded a posthumous VC.

Now, two weeks later, as they look up at the long, frost shattered spines of rock which stab the air from the summit of Mount Longdon on the outer ring of the Stanley defences, the 'toms' of 3 Para know it is their turn. As they prepare to assault their objectives - features code named 'wing forward', 'fly half' and 'full back'- the men of 3 Para know they are in for a fight. Just before 'zero' some of them are simply told to pray.

This, the first in a new series on Special Operations, tells the story of 3 Para and the often-neglected struggle for Mount Longdon. It was a battle which tested the discipline, comradeship and professionalism of the paras to the limit; it was a battle which witnessed another posthumous VC; it turned out to be the bloodiest battle of the entire Falklands Campaign. ... Read more

Book Description
As the 21st century dawns, the world is experiencing a firestorm of local and regional wars. But these wars are significantly different from other such wars during the past hundred years. The two major differences are the current advanced state of weaponry and the presence of big mediasimultaneously constructing different and contradicting realities. National identity mobilization is the driving force behind these disputes which UN seems unable to resolve. The Falklands-Malvinas War between Argentina and the United Kingdom is particularly instructive for understanding of regional and local wars. The participants were from different continents, cultures, military strengths and possessed vastly different basic assumptions. The author examines this war as a case study crucial to a clearer understanding of national self-images; mobilization of national identity, and aggressive decision-making ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Essential reading forthe Falklands and Gulf wars
This is one of the most readable personal accounts of the Falkland and Gulf wars that I have encountered.Chris Craig commanded the frigate HMS Alacrity during the Falkalnds war.Alacrity was in the thick of action -searching for blockage runners (sinking one), was near-missed by anArgentine submarine, and carried out many fire support missions.Navaloperations during the Gulf war have been overshadowed by the land campaign, even though it is unlikely that Desert Storm would have beenpossible without command of the sea. This book partly redresses thatinbalance. Craig commanded the royal navy squadron during the conflict andthis book provides much insight into naval operations. ... Read more