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Sir Max Hastings

Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins

The Battle for the Falklands Paperback – September 17, 1984

by Max Hastings (Author), Simon Jenkins (Author)

4.5 771 ratings

Part of: Pan Military Classics (5 books)

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"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

Part of series

Pan Military Classics
Print length

422 pages
Language

English
Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date

September 17, 1984
Dimensions

6.1 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches
ISBN-10

0393301982
ISBN-13

978-0393301984
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company (September 17, 1984)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 422 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393301982
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393301984
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.36 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #486,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #298 in South American History (Books)
- #12,672 in Military History (Books)
- #12,928 in World History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 771 ratings

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Sir Max Hastings

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Max Hastings is the author of twenty-seven books, most of them about war. Born in London in 1945, he attended University College, Oxford before becoming a journalist. In 1967 he was a World Press Institute Fellow in the United States, then stayed to report the 1968 US election. Thereafter he worked as a reporter for BBC TV and British newspapers, covering eleven conflicts including Vietnam, the 1973 Yom Kippur war and the 1982 South Atlantic war. His first major book was BOMBER COMMAND, published in Britain and the US in 1979. He has since authored such works as VIETNAM, CATASTROPHE, ARMAGEDDON, RETRIBUTION, WINSTON'S WAR, THE KOREAN WAR AND INFERNO. Between 1986 and 2002 he served as editor-in-chief of the British Daily Telegraph, then editor of the London Evening Standard. He has won many awards both for his books and his journalism, including the 2012 $100,000 Pritzker Library prize for lifetime achievement, and the 2019 Bronze Arthur Ross medal of the US Council For Foreign Relations for VIETNAM. He lives in Berkshire, UK, with his wife Penny and has two grown-up children, Charlotte and Harry. Max says: 'I am lucky enough to have been able to earn my living doing the things I love most: travelling and hearing incredible stories from people all over the world, then writing about their experiences in war, when mankind is at both its best and worst'. Among the scariest moments of his career as a war correspondent, he cites following the embattled Israeli army on the Golan Heights in October 1973, and reporting the last weeks in Vietnam in 1975, before flying out of the US Embassy compound in its final evacuation.

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Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins

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R. E. Statham

An excellent book, very well researched, that's stood the test of time

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2018

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This excellent book has well stood the test of time. It's hard to believe that this small war back in 1982 could so impact the world stage-- and to demonstrate British resolve-- so well and for so long. The two authors divide their responsibilities to both the political as well as the military doings, and both are equally interesting and contain well researched first hand accounts that were obviously gleaned from face to face interviews.

The Argentine Military Junta made the fatal mistake of believe that the British Lion would file a formal complaint but ultimately do nothing. The Royal Navy, with a long tradition of excellence, showed them otherwise.

The switch in the book between the political and the military doings is flawless, and the writing style of the two authors are, from my perspective, identical. Chocked full of facts, anecdotes and what was going on behind the scenes as well as what actually happened. If the book has any flaw, it's that there were few from the Argentina side that could have been interviewed when the book was written, and so the books is somewhat one-sided.

In my opinion, this book really brings out the ego and ineptitude of American Secretary of State and retired US Army General Alexander Haig, who let his ambition get in the way. Rather than quietly work behind the scenes to try to broker peace between the participants, he ended up making a fool of himself to both sides in the conflict by publicly demonstrating the famous Haig ego and his own ineptitude. History has not been kind to General Haig, and based on my own brief dealings with him for a few minutes in the US Army 28 years ago, I wasn't sorry to see him leave the world stage. I've been told that he was a good NATO commander and a snappy dresser. Let's let it go at that.

I purchased the audio book version of this, which came as two MP3 disks, and the content and delivery are excellent. I had recently read books about the air war version of this as well as the submarine that sunk the Argentine Cruiser Belgrano, but I was extremely pleased with the information presented-- as well as how it was presented. I put mine into my CD player in my pickup and listened to it as I drove. Much to listen to and think about.

f you're looking for an excellent book on the Falkland Islands war of 1982, buy this one.

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D. Samuel Coles

... War in graduate school I repeatedly referred to this excellent book. To get an excellent view for the ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2016

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In the course of writing a campaign analysis of the 1982 Falklands War in graduate school I repeatedly referred to this excellent book. To get an excellent view for the “other side of the hill,” I suggest taking a look at Ruben Moro’s “History of the South Atlantic Conflict.” It is not well reviewed on Amazon, but without also considering the Argentine side one is bound to have a lopsided understanding of the political-strategic, operational, and tactical considerations of this fascinating war.
In their foreword, Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins forthrightly explain their perspectives in writing The Battle for the Falklands. Max Hastings, then a correspondent from the London Evening Standard, was with the U.K. forces from the time they set sail from England and remained embedded with the Royal Marines and British Army throughout the campaign in the Falklands. Simon Jenkins, the political editor of The Economist magazine at the time, wrote from the vantage point of close intellectual proximity to the political and diplomatic context in London, Washington, the U.N. in New York, and to a lesser extent, Buenos Aires.
Published the year following the British and Argentinian war over the Falkland Islands in 1982, The Battle for the Falklands captures a contemporary snapshot of the politics and battlefield experience from a distinctly British viewpoint. The book doesn’t claim to be an operational or tactical analysis of the war, or a critique of government decision or preparation. However, sprinkled throughout the work are all of the above, and these occasions are some of the best insights offered in the work. For instance, in the opening chapter the authors describe the public debate concerning the strength and composition of the Royal Navy. As the British Empire continued to lose global military influence in the aftermath of World War II, the procurement and maintenance of an aircraft carrier and an amphibious force grew increasingly unaffordable and irrelevant. According to the authors, most policy makers and military strategists at the time concurred that the main threat posed by the Soviet Navy was from under the sea. The capability to put an opposed land force ashore from the sea was no longer required. Furthermore, there was no need for a carrier battle group that would provide air superiority to the land force, and ultimately, no requirement for a surface navy. Admirals and supporters of the naval establishment in Parliament fought this prevailing opinion, and these naval forces went on to provided indispensable capabilities during the Falkland campaign.
In another hindsight, the authors praise the wisdom of the decision by operational commanders and headquarters staff to put the land force ashore at San Carlos Water on East Falkland over other positions. However, Hastings and Jenkins gloss over how the decision was actually made on San Carlos. This was the most important decision for the amphibious British force, and it is unclear how consensus was achieved. The scattering of participants in the decision -- from the British war cabinet in London, to the Naval Headquarters in Northwood, UK, to the afloat battle group commander Admiral Woodward in HMS Hermes sailing south, and to the separate amphibious force under Commodore Clapp and landing force led by Royal Marine Brigadier Julian Thompson embarked in HMS Fearless -- may have led the authors to decide this deliberation was outside the scope of their work. Or maybe they sought to spare readers from what was too convoluted a process. The reader feels the authors’ sigh of relief that San Carlos was chosen and ends up being a superb choice for the British, as Hastings and Jenkins say all persons “contributed critically to victory by their shrewd assessment and final decision.”
Despite this coming together of minds on San Carlos, bad blood between the landing force and supporting naval commanders are a common thread in this history. The recurring friction between the carrier task force commander Admiral Woodward and the land force commander Brigadier Thompson, and also the friction between Thompson and the political leadership at Northwood and London, displayed a sour weakness in the overall British command from the onset. When both elements of the British force leave for the Falklands, Admiral Woodward held the conviction that once the landing force was put ashore it would essentially be on its own to finish the mission. Previous to the landing force arriving, though, the underlying assumption by the U.K. force was that the carrier battle group and the three submarines that had sailed to the Falklands in advance would have already defeated the Argentinean Navy and Air Force in the surrounding battle space. This did not end up being the case. Unfortunately, as the authors succinctly put it, during the execution of Operation Sutton, “at no stage was Thompson formally told that the navy’s promise of decisive air superiority could not be fulfilled.” Further demonstrations of the bad blood include Woodward sending a signal to Thompson’s staff as they deliberated the choice of landing sites, stating “there are 4,700 square miles of Falklands and only 10,000 Argentinians…what’s your problem?”
Though the authors assess the Falklands of little “strategic value” to the U.K., there is a sense that British pride was at stake when contemplating their loss. Rarely, if ever, do you sense the authors are critical of those who waged this battle for the British. Hastings and Jenkins are very apologetic for the commanders and soldiers they cover. On this account, it appears the authors wrote this book for the people that fight wars and the politicians that make such choices, but most specifically for the British military members who fought this war. Perhaps trying to answer for them the questions, “what did we just do? Did we do well?” Though unapologetically British, The Battle for the Falklands treats relatively fair their Argentinean opponent. There are moments of respect for the enemy, particularly for the determination of the Argentinian Air Force to press home their attacks.
As for the structure of the book, the authors oscillate between a dichotomy of content –political/diplomatic and military operations–to knit together a more complete story of the Falklands than they would have alone. What results is a rich mutually supportive context. Appendixes are included that list the chronology of the conflict, a short glossary, a friendly order of battle, an honor list of awards bestowed on British service members and civilians, and an official report on the conflict released by the British government six months after the war. What’s missing are endnotes. Footnotes are few and irregular. A spot check on many acronyms came up with missing explanations in the glossary. Perhaps most disappointing was the discovery that someone distinctly pointed out, in fact the first person pointed out, as recipient of an award for valor in the text (Lieutenant Ian Stanley on pg. 128) wasn’t listed in the dedicated appendix.
The authors had ended their foreword with the ambition that the work would be considered more than “instant journalism, if necessarily less than instant history.” This they achieved through the character development of the persons involved on the battlefield and at-sea. The authors deftly craft believable personas of commanders that match style and action, though too many ships’ captains are described as “short and balding.” Less developed are the characters in the political background and their motivations. Despite this unevenness, as well as a lack of maps to cross reference important positions, and some lapses in editorial attention-to-detail mentioned earlier, this is an artfully crafted resource capturing the Falklands War from the British perspective.

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DaMacGuy

A detailed history, from the British perspective, of the Battle for the Falklands.

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2014

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This is a very comprehensive and detailed history of this small and unusual conflict. This book gives you a really good feeling for the battle and the struggles of the sailors, soldiers, and pilots of the British side. Not as much detail on the Argentine side, though the heroism of the Argentine pilots shines through. Military operations takes up only about 1/3 of the book, with the other 2/3 taken up by diplomatic maneuvering and decision making on the British side and the triumphal return of the British military after the battle.

It's characterized as the last colonial war, with Great Britain mobilizing to "defend" its far flung colonies in the Falklands and South Georgia. Hastings and Jenkins go into great detail on the history of the Falkland Islands and conflicting historical claims of Argentina and Great Britain to these forlorn islands almost a stones throw away from Antarctica. There were years of diplomatic discussions about "returning" the Falklands to Argentina, but these did not result in any progress before the Argentine military junta led by Galtieri decided to reclaim the Isla Malvinas to bolster their tottering regime. That more or less forced the British to mount their expedition to retake the islands. The unprepared and sometimes poorly equipped Royal Navy and British Army were able to prevail thanks to poor logistics and spotty leadership of the Argentine forces. Nonetheless, it was sometimes a close-run thing for British units, who were often outnumbered and outgunned by the Argentines. The outnumbered, but better trained, led, and motivated British forces ended up winning.

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MRMLEM

One of the best reviews of the Falkland war

Reviewed in Canada on November 13, 2016

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Very detailed and authentic

Peter Bayley

A good story told with ‘cheap’ language at times

Reviewed in Australia on April 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

Well researched with considerable interesting detail. The background leading to war was very informative. Unfortunately the author’s descriptions contained loaded language and ‘throwaway’ lines revealing the writers’ biases. I prefer non-judgemental and precise language for history, not a journalist’s quick reach for a loaded adjective.

A. S. Hunt

Truly excellent.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

Hastings and Jenkins combine their efforts to report on the Falklands conflict, in this book. It is of excellent quality, making a good reading companion to Woodward's Hundred Days, with Hastings' laser-sharp focus on the military side of the conflict, which he examines with a balanced, but surprisingly sympathetic eye to all parties in the conflict. In particular, the authors experiences of the ground war, as a correspondent, give the reader a good feel for the conflict at ground level, as Woodward's book did for the sea. This is one of Hastings' better works, written to much the same style and quality as his work on Korea; unsensationalist, fact-based reporting forming the basis of realistic conclusions on the conduct of the war.

Jenkins, meanwhile, chronicles the frenetic efforts at diplomacy of the British, of the Americans; and impact of the war in Whitehall, which at time take on the appearance of a farce, featuring Americans both traitorous and noble, bumbling civil servants, an admiral in full regalia, Dennis Healy's remarkable capacity for hypocrisy, and of course, the grandest joke of all, Margaret Thatcher. John Nott plays an excellent Fool to Thatcher's Lear. At times, as you may have guessed, the goings and venalities of the Establishment are a bit infuriating, particularly the strange obsession of both parties with doing away with aircraft carriers, for reasons loosely established as an unhealthy phobia of Soviet submarines.

Anyway, I digress, and considerably more than the authors. It's a good, solid book on the conflict, and if you ever wanted a single, unitary account of the war, this is it.

23 people found this helpful

VERNIER

Excellent ouvrage : vision politique et militaire fine et passionnante

Reviewed in France on June 1, 2014

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Passionné par le conflit des Falkands/Malvinas, j'ai lu de nombreux ouvrage sur le sujet, et celui-ci est le plus complet et le plus passionnant en langue anglaise. Je l'ai même préfére à l'ouvrage de Martin Middlebrook (que pourtant j'adore!) car exclusivement tourné vers l'histoire militaire. A ne pas manquer ! Ainsi que La guerre des Malouines (Docavia) et The Land that Lost its Heroes de Jimmy Burns.

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MPD

Still good 30 years after

Reviewed in Germany on June 11, 2013

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When the Falklands actually happened, I was living as a civilian in W. Germany (as indeed I do now) with almost no access to British News or Newspapers (No Internet then!). I picked up this book, printed originally very soon after the Union Jack started flying over Port Stanley, in order to try and understand more of what had happened, what had been at stake, and how the British Government (neé Margaret Thatcher) and the British Press had dealt with the whole episode. 30 years on, I have purchased the Kindle Version and read it once more. An excellent read, with perceptive informative articles on Westminster/Éuropean/World politicians's roles, and excellt dispatches from the front. Irrespective on what one might think of this war and of Britain's having to fight it at the time, an excellent, entertaining, also highly informative book about either "a great Moment in Britain's history", or "a scurrilous Episode in Britiain's post war downspiral", depending on your own view of the matter under discussion. Recommended.

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