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Sea Harrier over the Falklands
Sharkey Ward commanded 801 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Invincible, was senior Sea Harrier adviser to the Command, flew over sixty missions and was awarded DSC. Yet had he followed all his instructions to the letter, Britain might well have lost the Falklands War. HIs dramatic first-hand story of the air war in the South Atlantic is also an extraordinary, outspoken account of inter-Service rivalries, bureaucratic interference, and dangerous ignorance of the realities of air combat among many senior commanders. As Sharkey Ward reveals, the 801 pilots were fighting not just the enemy, exhaustion, and the hostile weather, but also the prejudice and ignorance of their own side.
400 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 1992
8 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
'Sharkey' Ward
5 books3 followersRoyal Navy Top Gun and Air Warfare Instructor, Sharkey was Senior Pilot of 892 Phantom Squadron in the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal during the Cold War. He introduced the Sea Harrier Fighter Aircraft to Naval Service, Commanding the Intensive Flying Trials Squadron 700A; 899 H.Q. Squadron; then 801 Squadron in HMS Invincible in the Falklands. Senior Sea Harrier advisor to the Command on all aspects of the fast jet air war, he flew over sixty war missions by day and night, achieved three air-to-air kills (& one damaged) and was involved in/witnessed eight further kills. During the war he was awarded the Air Force Cross for Services to Harrier Aviation and then decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry. Freeman of the City of London, Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and 1st place at Greenwich Staff College, he then served in the Ministry of Defence as Air Warfare and Air Weapons Adviser to the Naval Staff and the First Sea Lord before voluntarily retiring.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 4, 2018
This is a superb book. One of the best top gun, air combat books I've ever read.
It has everything - except sex - bravado, human tragedy, human ego, bickering, jokes, detailed air duels, historical and political background on the Falklands conflict, personal stories and anectodes, slow and engagning buildup prior to the conflict, step-by-step depiction of the escalation and the eventual confrontation, naval battles, air battles, ground attack, strategic warfare, tactical warfare, the aftermath of the war, and so much more. It's almost impossible to list it all, and it's amazing the author actually managed to put everything into a relatively short book.
Now ...
The book revolves around one Sharkey Ward, the CO of 801 Sqn flying the Sea Harrier from the deck of the VSTOL carrier Invincible, one of the two sent by the UK establishment to the Falklands, to reclaim the islands from Argentina. In fact, the book narrows down to the tactical and operational differences and rivalry between 801 Sqn on board the Invincible and 800 Sqn on board the Hermes, and how these differences and petty issues cost lives.
Sharkey pulls no punches. He tells an angry story of politics, office madness, yesmanship, and bureaucracy that stood in his way, both in peacetime and during the war, and how he led this Sqn despite severe operational blunders standing in his way. He didn't bother to shave or sort out his bunk, he allowed his pilots to engage first (despite a legal-like book of rules produced by the British government that allowed the pilots to fire only if fired upon = getting killed), and he voiced his objection to how 800 Sqn handled the CAP. The other squadron had no night flying experience and didn't trust the Sea Harrier radar, so they flew visual CAP at height, allowing the Argentinian attacks to slip through and attack the carrier group, leading to a tragic loss of ships and life.
He is also quite vocal on "Whitehall mandarins", the yesmanship required for promotion, the dry rules written by people with zero flight knowledge and experience, and he ever had personal fights with the Wing commander, and refused to obey "stupid" orders when he felt they jeopardized his crew.
In between his frustration and anger you get splendid air combat.
Sharkey spares no detail - he tells all about what happened, maneuvers, cannon fire, missiles, ejections, all of it. Really cool. You feel like you're reading a Top Gun book. Speaking of Top Gun, the Sea Harrier fared superbly against most modern jets in ACM/DACM training, often with high kill ratios. Also, the UK government expected only 25% of their Sea Harrier pilots to survive, when in fact they scored 20 air kills with no losses (except ground fire and accidents), proving the dry and brutal statistics (these figures were insensitively shared with the pilots' wives by the officials while the carriers still sailed to the islands) wrong.
Sharkey is also critical of the RAF - who took all the glory and did only a fraction of the fighting. He disapproves of the "TV popular" Vulcan bombing from Ascension, which he calls a sham, as they wasted immense amount of money (fuel and support) with minimal damage. Roughly 200,000 gallons of fuel per flight, with 13 VC tankers in support, 63 bombs dropped including 21 that were not armed properly, and only margin damage to the end of the runway, at the cost of roughly 1,500 Sea Harrier sorties with 4,500 bombs.
He also believes it was a mistake to retire the Sea Harrier - it could have been kept in the service at a fraction of the cost of the Eurofighter and F-35, but of course, Sharkey ignores the fact the thriving military industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and such, but he is focusing purely on the cold, efficient side of warfare. If only the world was so simple.
Then, there's the scorn and rivalry among the squadrons, funny jokes, beautiful attention to detail, tons of stories around night flying and training, what happened in Port Stanley after it was taken back, how Sharkey was received back in the UK after the war, and more. It's an incredible story, and even though it's one's man personal say on what happened back in the 1982, it's still fascinating and poignant. It's a classic tale of war - absurb, cynical, crazy, tragic, hilarious.
Extremely recommended. I will definitely see if there's more from Sharkey.
6/5.
Igor
It has everything - except sex - bravado, human tragedy, human ego, bickering, jokes, detailed air duels, historical and political background on the Falklands conflict, personal stories and anectodes, slow and engagning buildup prior to the conflict, step-by-step depiction of the escalation and the eventual confrontation, naval battles, air battles, ground attack, strategic warfare, tactical warfare, the aftermath of the war, and so much more. It's almost impossible to list it all, and it's amazing the author actually managed to put everything into a relatively short book.
Now ...
The book revolves around one Sharkey Ward, the CO of 801 Sqn flying the Sea Harrier from the deck of the VSTOL carrier Invincible, one of the two sent by the UK establishment to the Falklands, to reclaim the islands from Argentina. In fact, the book narrows down to the tactical and operational differences and rivalry between 801 Sqn on board the Invincible and 800 Sqn on board the Hermes, and how these differences and petty issues cost lives.
Sharkey pulls no punches. He tells an angry story of politics, office madness, yesmanship, and bureaucracy that stood in his way, both in peacetime and during the war, and how he led this Sqn despite severe operational blunders standing in his way. He didn't bother to shave or sort out his bunk, he allowed his pilots to engage first (despite a legal-like book of rules produced by the British government that allowed the pilots to fire only if fired upon = getting killed), and he voiced his objection to how 800 Sqn handled the CAP. The other squadron had no night flying experience and didn't trust the Sea Harrier radar, so they flew visual CAP at height, allowing the Argentinian attacks to slip through and attack the carrier group, leading to a tragic loss of ships and life.
He is also quite vocal on "Whitehall mandarins", the yesmanship required for promotion, the dry rules written by people with zero flight knowledge and experience, and he ever had personal fights with the Wing commander, and refused to obey "stupid" orders when he felt they jeopardized his crew.
In between his frustration and anger you get splendid air combat.
Sharkey spares no detail - he tells all about what happened, maneuvers, cannon fire, missiles, ejections, all of it. Really cool. You feel like you're reading a Top Gun book. Speaking of Top Gun, the Sea Harrier fared superbly against most modern jets in ACM/DACM training, often with high kill ratios. Also, the UK government expected only 25% of their Sea Harrier pilots to survive, when in fact they scored 20 air kills with no losses (except ground fire and accidents), proving the dry and brutal statistics (these figures were insensitively shared with the pilots' wives by the officials while the carriers still sailed to the islands) wrong.
Sharkey is also critical of the RAF - who took all the glory and did only a fraction of the fighting. He disapproves of the "TV popular" Vulcan bombing from Ascension, which he calls a sham, as they wasted immense amount of money (fuel and support) with minimal damage. Roughly 200,000 gallons of fuel per flight, with 13 VC tankers in support, 63 bombs dropped including 21 that were not armed properly, and only margin damage to the end of the runway, at the cost of roughly 1,500 Sea Harrier sorties with 4,500 bombs.
He also believes it was a mistake to retire the Sea Harrier - it could have been kept in the service at a fraction of the cost of the Eurofighter and F-35, but of course, Sharkey ignores the fact the thriving military industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and such, but he is focusing purely on the cold, efficient side of warfare. If only the world was so simple.
Then, there's the scorn and rivalry among the squadrons, funny jokes, beautiful attention to detail, tons of stories around night flying and training, what happened in Port Stanley after it was taken back, how Sharkey was received back in the UK after the war, and more. It's an incredible story, and even though it's one's man personal say on what happened back in the 1982, it's still fascinating and poignant. It's a classic tale of war - absurb, cynical, crazy, tragic, hilarious.
Extremely recommended. I will definitely see if there's more from Sharkey.
6/5.
Igor
February 8, 2016
Unlike David Morgan's book, this one takes on a slightly more general view of the war. Written by Nigel Ward, commander of the 801 Naval Air Squadron aboard HMS Invincible, it has a no nonsense approach to both the operations themselves and the commanders that led them. Thus a somewhat controversial book, it hands out criticism and praise where they are due, and captures both the author's praise and sometimes outright rage at the actions of others within the British force.
One of the strengths of the book is the detailing of the prewar development of the Harrier as a carrier fighter, and, under Ward's supervision, its honing towards becoming a potent weapon actually capable of fighting a war.
One of the strengths of the book is the detailing of the prewar development of the Harrier as a carrier fighter, and, under Ward's supervision, its honing towards becoming a potent weapon actually capable of fighting a war.
September 24, 2012
The personal reflections on the Sea Harrier's struggles in the Royal Navy as told by Nigel David Ward, Commander of the 801st Squadron, stationed onboard the HMS Invincible during Operation Corporate in 1982. It is an outspoken and candid history of the 801st and its eventual deployment in the Falklands campaign. "Sharkey" explains many concepts of the Sea Harrier tactics and performance in vivid detail and the book is a real page turner if you enjoy military aviation. But it is also a book about politics, inter-services rivalry and questionable command.
The Sea Harrier had many opponents back home, political as well as military. There were those in the navy who did not believe in the future of naval aviation as well as the Royal Air Force looking after its own interests. Several punches are directed not only at the Fuerza Aérea Argentina but also in the direction of the rival branches. Operation Corporate itself was hampered by conflict of interest between the two participating aircraft carriers and their respective Sea Harrier squadrons.
I do advice the reader seek out a decent map of the Falklands since the one in the book is a bit limited. I also recommend as companion the book "Falklands Armoury" (9781854357724) which gives a good overview of many of the systems and units employed in the conflict.
The Sea Harrier had many opponents back home, political as well as military. There were those in the navy who did not believe in the future of naval aviation as well as the Royal Air Force looking after its own interests. Several punches are directed not only at the Fuerza Aérea Argentina but also in the direction of the rival branches. Operation Corporate itself was hampered by conflict of interest between the two participating aircraft carriers and their respective Sea Harrier squadrons.
I do advice the reader seek out a decent map of the Falklands since the one in the book is a bit limited. I also recommend as companion the book "Falklands Armoury" (9781854357724) which gives a good overview of many of the systems and units employed in the conflict.
August 28, 2024
Excellent account from a well respected senior naval commander
August 23, 2013
A non-fiction account of a British Royal Navy commander leading a flight of sea-harriers (the fighter aircraft which can hover, take-off and land vertically and also be equal to other jet fighters in combat) before, during and after the "Falklands war" which was fought between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
Sharkey Ward is a pretty abrasive character. He is, in his opinion, always right. This does not always go well with higher-ranked officers, particularly those who command ships rather than aircraft. The sea-harriers are housed on an an aircraft carrier and the pilots and aircraft are in the Fleet Air Arm. Interesting tensions develop at times between the two Royal Navy sections, and added to the mix is the fact that there are two aircraft carriers in the attack force, the other housing the admiral of the fleet. Sharkey at times is not a happy chappy with the Admiral's decisions.
An enjoyable read for those interested in things military and a useful review of the dispute and resultant fighting that took place in the Falklands. UK ships, soldiers, aircraft and pilots were all lost in that encounter. It was certainly no picnic for any of them.
Sharkey Ward is a pretty abrasive character. He is, in his opinion, always right. This does not always go well with higher-ranked officers, particularly those who command ships rather than aircraft. The sea-harriers are housed on an an aircraft carrier and the pilots and aircraft are in the Fleet Air Arm. Interesting tensions develop at times between the two Royal Navy sections, and added to the mix is the fact that there are two aircraft carriers in the attack force, the other housing the admiral of the fleet. Sharkey at times is not a happy chappy with the Admiral's decisions.
An enjoyable read for those interested in things military and a useful review of the dispute and resultant fighting that took place in the Falklands. UK ships, soldiers, aircraft and pilots were all lost in that encounter. It was certainly no picnic for any of them.
January 31, 2024
Frank and Fearless, Commander Ward explains how close the liberation of the Falklands Islands came to disaster. It’s told from the perspective of a professional who understands the importance and intricacies of naval air power, yet explained simply in the way only an expert can.
He pulls no punches toward the administrative branch of the navy who’s motto was “don’t rock the boat” and whose narrow mindedness cost the lives of dozens of men.
It’s exciting, descriptive, fascinating, and his passion for his job and what it could be shines through. I disagree with his analysis of the Black Buck raids as his little force of Sea Harrier fighters should not have been risked on ground attack missions, but I can’t deny the RAF was probably eager to muscle in on the column inches.
If you want to know what government mismanagement, Managed Decline, and short-sightedness does to an island nation with responsibility around the world, or just a fascinating story about the Harrier Jump Jet, look no further.
He pulls no punches toward the administrative branch of the navy who’s motto was “don’t rock the boat” and whose narrow mindedness cost the lives of dozens of men.
It’s exciting, descriptive, fascinating, and his passion for his job and what it could be shines through. I disagree with his analysis of the Black Buck raids as his little force of Sea Harrier fighters should not have been risked on ground attack missions, but I can’t deny the RAF was probably eager to muscle in on the column inches.
If you want to know what government mismanagement, Managed Decline, and short-sightedness does to an island nation with responsibility around the world, or just a fascinating story about the Harrier Jump Jet, look no further.
October 20, 2022
This one just popped up on my first page. So heres a review, this was very good indeed. Quite amusingly over the top, one gets the impression that Sharkey Wards enemies in order of priority were:
1. The admiral in the other carrier
2. RAF
3. The Argentineans
I'm sure it wasn't meant to come over like that, but it certainly makes for interesting reading. I'd love to read Hostile Skies , for a different perspective, but haven't been able to find it.
This is a terrific book, despite (or maybe because of) what i wrote above!
1. The admiral in the other carrier
2. RAF
3. The Argentineans
I'm sure it wasn't meant to come over like that, but it certainly makes for interesting reading. I'd love to read Hostile Skies , for a different perspective, but haven't been able to find it.
This is a terrific book, despite (or maybe because of) what i wrote above!
October 3, 2021
An extremely one-sided and biased description of the Falkland war from one Harrier chief pilot.
The author spends pages and pages complaining about his superiors and the chain of command, and just about any serviceman not part of his crew. Of course his own team's failings are downplayed.
It's still a generally interesting story, and I suppose the "unique" perspective does give it some flavor. But frankly, this book was almost not worth reading.
The author spends pages and pages complaining about his superiors and the chain of command, and just about any serviceman not part of his crew. Of course his own team's failings are downplayed.
It's still a generally interesting story, and I suppose the "unique" perspective does give it some flavor. But frankly, this book was almost not worth reading.
January 12, 2022
A fascinating read, and a vital one for anyone interested in the Falklands conflict to ensure they hear a very significant part of the story. I found this so easy and so entertaining to read because of Ward’s manner of writing - the way he describes events is as simple to digest as fiction. The more technical details regarding air combat were harder to follow but far outweighed by the brilliantly told account.
February 16, 2013
falling short of the "six years, 2000 tanks" of the Rudel memoir or the "100 fighter planes" of Saburo Sakai, the Royal Navy's Sharkey Ward is a cheerfully belligerent, cheerfully partisan recorder of the Sea Harrier's successes in the Falklands/Malvinas campaign. pointing out that his Harrier could have launched a dozen missions for the same fuel as the Vulcan bombers used in their anti-airfield strike, Ward continually talks up his craft and the traditions of the Royal Navy in lucid prose. for a "brief war," about as good as such memoirs go; given the short time frame, cannot stand up to the more psychedelic / esoteric lengths of the great wars. worth a read for airplane aficionados / war book readers
sharkey was proposing taking sea harriers to Buenos Aires. he said sea harriers could fight dedicated air superiority fighters, could be bombers, could fight submarines, aircraft carriers, infantry divisions. sheeet... all the Royal Navy needed was one sea harrier for every argetinian and then royal navy air would be flying from giza to battambang. sea harriers over washington bwahahahah
sharkey was a partisan. a strong arguer for the sea harrier equation
however sharkey did not stop the dassault Super Étendard did he? bit tgus '
here is a map of the war.
anyway to return to the Super Etandard vs. Sea Harrier showdown. essentially the Super Etandard (1974) was like a French F-4, "strike fighter" or even "attack plane" rather than pure air superiority fighter. it was a swept-wing mono-engine putting out 11k pounds, able to reach 1000kph, 850 km combat range, thurst-ratio .42, could carry a single Exocet or two air-to-air missiles.
the Sea Harriet jumpjet (1978) 21000 lb engine top speed 1100 kph combat radius 1000km, could carry the same weight (roughly), but with an engine twice as powerful, also had the capacity to take off vertically (vectored thrust). its Rolls Royce Pegasus engine was dramatically better than the Super Etandard's but could sustain maximum output for only 90 seconds (takeoff) after which it was "only" a 25% better engine than the Super Etandard's. so Sharkey was correct; on a 1-to-1 duel, the Sea Harriet jumpjet had the advantage over the Super Etandard in level, altitudinal, manuveur and so on.
the problem for the Royal Navy was the question of chance rather than laboratory conditions. ground clutter; low-high-low attack profiles meant the Super Etandard's could hide amongst low hills. that resulted in:
nobody, I suppose, really reads so much about the Falklands/Malvinas campaign anymore. ancient history, relegated to Margaret Thatcher and the 80s neo-con comeback.
"Empire Strikes Back" or whatnot.
anyway this 1982 war took 2.5 months, involved the Argentinians seizing the Falklands and then being evicted by the Royal Armed Forces. 900 soldiers died in total, so, in short, about 10 minutes at Ypres, or fairly "low-intensity". yet it featured such dramatic moments as the Begrano, the Sheffield, the Vulcan Raid on Stanley (which was said to be a demonstration of true long-distance strike and an obvious warning against Buenos Aires itself).
the British were keen on style, see? if you saw this coming to you, you would surrender based on looks alone.
the British were practioners of ultra-violence and wished to remind you that they retained the upper hand
they lived in council housing of this sort, and wanted you to know that they were fully capable of the UV creed
whereas Argentinians had at best Super Etandards and UH-1H Hueys. they, too, were a 'right-wing' regime.
in an earlier era, the British had even used geodetic construction to build amazingly light and durable bomber airframes, some of which could land with their entire body shot out. (interlocking triangles)
if one wishes to be a semiotician gone wild, one presumes a 'triskele' underlies Celtic-British subconsciousness?
April 2013
some two months after writing this, the US sent B-2 bombers to the Korean peninsula:
smash. well there goes my Celtic-British triangle subconsciousness theory. anyway, the world holds its breath...
sharkey was proposing taking sea harriers to Buenos Aires. he said sea harriers could fight dedicated air superiority fighters, could be bombers, could fight submarines, aircraft carriers, infantry divisions. sheeet... all the Royal Navy needed was one sea harrier for every argetinian and then royal navy air would be flying from giza to battambang. sea harriers over washington bwahahahah
sharkey was a partisan. a strong arguer for the sea harrier equation
however sharkey did not stop the dassault Super Étendard did he? bit tgus '
here is a map of the war.
anyway to return to the Super Etandard vs. Sea Harrier showdown. essentially the Super Etandard (1974) was like a French F-4, "strike fighter" or even "attack plane" rather than pure air superiority fighter. it was a swept-wing mono-engine putting out 11k pounds, able to reach 1000kph, 850 km combat range, thurst-ratio .42, could carry a single Exocet or two air-to-air missiles.
the Sea Harriet jumpjet (1978) 21000 lb engine top speed 1100 kph combat radius 1000km, could carry the same weight (roughly), but with an engine twice as powerful, also had the capacity to take off vertically (vectored thrust). its Rolls Royce Pegasus engine was dramatically better than the Super Etandard's but could sustain maximum output for only 90 seconds (takeoff) after which it was "only" a 25% better engine than the Super Etandard's. so Sharkey was correct; on a 1-to-1 duel, the Sea Harriet jumpjet had the advantage over the Super Etandard in level, altitudinal, manuveur and so on.
the problem for the Royal Navy was the question of chance rather than laboratory conditions. ground clutter; low-high-low attack profiles meant the Super Etandard's could hide amongst low hills. that resulted in:
nobody, I suppose, really reads so much about the Falklands/Malvinas campaign anymore. ancient history, relegated to Margaret Thatcher and the 80s neo-con comeback.
"Empire Strikes Back" or whatnot.
anyway this 1982 war took 2.5 months, involved the Argentinians seizing the Falklands and then being evicted by the Royal Armed Forces. 900 soldiers died in total, so, in short, about 10 minutes at Ypres, or fairly "low-intensity". yet it featured such dramatic moments as the Begrano, the Sheffield, the Vulcan Raid on Stanley (which was said to be a demonstration of true long-distance strike and an obvious warning against Buenos Aires itself).
the British were keen on style, see? if you saw this coming to you, you would surrender based on looks alone.
the British were practioners of ultra-violence and wished to remind you that they retained the upper hand
they lived in council housing of this sort, and wanted you to know that they were fully capable of the UV creed
whereas Argentinians had at best Super Etandards and UH-1H Hueys. they, too, were a 'right-wing' regime.
in an earlier era, the British had even used geodetic construction to build amazingly light and durable bomber airframes, some of which could land with their entire body shot out. (interlocking triangles)
if one wishes to be a semiotician gone wild, one presumes a 'triskele' underlies Celtic-British subconsciousness?
April 2013
some two months after writing this, the US sent B-2 bombers to the Korean peninsula:
smash. well there goes my Celtic-British triangle subconsciousness theory. anyway, the world holds its breath...
September 1, 2017
An excellent book. Sharkey Ward's style and expertise takes the reader right into the heart of the action. This is also a good study of bravery, skill, professionalism and politics in the positive and the negative. My appreciation of the Sea Harrier's capabilities and the need for aircraft carriers has more than doubled.
January 14, 2024
A great if not depressing read at times, the idea that ego's and career concern ultimately led to the deaths of so many sailors due to incompetence is sad to see. Also the RAF's dubious retelling and propaganda of how the conflict truly was fought makes you lose faith in the MOD upper echelons.
October 3, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book and keep dipping back into it quite often.
March 17, 2020
Maverick....waaaaayyyyyyy better than watching that movie. Written extremely well, plain English guide to fighting a jet and bureaucracy. Well done Sharkey.
May 29, 2022
One of the best books on aerial warfare I have read. Fascinating and moving.
January 1, 2023
A brilliant read and certainly valuable for any Naval officer. Commander Ward deserves all the respect he has, and this book shows the importance of not just being a 'yes man'.
January 29, 2019
Brilliant account of the Sea Harrier during the Falklands' War by the Royal Navy officer who wrote the book on how to use these aircraft. The operator view here is a great balance to the other accounts provided by the top brass.
May 1, 2021
This book is amazing and I couldn't put it down. Written by "Sharkey" Ward, commander of the 801 Naval Air Squadron aboard HMS Invincible, he certainly didn't pull any punches when it came to criticism of some of the faults of the Royal Navy. I am sure he has done his career no good in telling it like it was, but I was so pleased to get what I think is a pukka description of the war. What an amazing job those young airmen did, as without air superiority, the war could not have been won. To take on the supersonic Mirage fighter in this way took real guts. They had no idea before setting off to war whether the Harrier could give fair battle. This book deserves to be in any collection of British naval and military history.
December 4, 2016
Sea Harrier Over the Falklands is a somewhat contentious classic about the Sea Harrier during the Falklands War of 1982. Ward does come across as an abrasive character, and it is of no surprise that he seemed to fall out with nearly everybody, whether in the FAA or the RAF. He does seem to be especially belligerent about the RAF role in the conflict, and his scathing opinion of the Vulcan missions is the stuff legend. Brilliant.
August 10, 2010
Ward presents a passionate cockpit's-eye view of one of the last air-naval conflicts of the modern era. One should probably read other sources, but his is a terrific read!
November 8, 2012
A riveting account from the commander of 801 Squadron during the Falklands War. A must have book on what is was like from the aerial side of combat during this war.
May 14, 2015
Great insight into this iconic aircraft's service in the war. And, of course, its pilots and crew.
September 4, 2011
Intersting view point not only of the war but military politics
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews