Air War in the Falklands 1982.

Osprey Combat Aircraft #28

by Christopher Chant

Air War in the Falklands 1982 by Christopher Chant [Osprey Publishing, 2001] ...

Genres: History, Military History, Military Fiction, Aviation

Paperback

First published June 25, 2001

About the author

Christopher Chant is a successful writer on modern military matters, and has a substantial number of authoritative titles to his credit. Military history, and the history of military aviation in particular have long been his passion. Having been part of the editorial team on Purnell's best-selling 'History of the First World War' and 'History of the Second World War', he became a full-time writer and editor in 1974, working extensively on military and aviation subjects. He is also a regular contributor to specialist journals.

Reviews

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does what it says on the cover. I wanted to see more in depth images of the Falklands War after finishing my previous book. Oddly enough this one doesn’t have a ton of side profiles but side profiles supplemented with color photos.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another monograph in the impressive range of military history books published by Osprey, Air War in the Falklands 1982 is a comprehensive text that will certainly satisfy the interests of those wanting to learn more about the subject. Written with academic rigour and a desire for accuracy by Christopher Chant, this is a rather erudite text that draws more of the readers’ engagement through the copious illustrations, rather than through the historical narrative. Published, undoubtedly, for those who are more into the specifics of the subject, and the need for precise data on who did what where, when and how, Air War in the Falklands 1982 is not going to find an audience outside the ‘military aviation geek’ market.

Cant offers the reader, a steady stream of facts and data that are important if one wants to get a fulsome exploration of the British and Argentine aerial operations during the Falklands War. Considering that this is a text written by a British author and published by British publisher, it’s commendable there is plenty of coverage of the Argentine side of the air war. Individual pilots and their specific sorties are given to you recognition, and one certainly gets an informed view of how the campaign over the disputed islands unfolded for both sides. Chant is not so focused on trying to elicit an impression of how the pilots and other combatants experienced the war in the air. Instead he is almost entirely devoted to presenting an objective review of how the British and Argentine aviation elements operated. It might be argued this is a problem, however I am sure if one wants a more personal understanding of how the men who flew during the war responded to their situation there are more relevant books out there.

The author is also keen to examine the capabilities of the various aircraft deployed during the war, and the BAe Sea Harrier certainly receives Chant’s plaudits. The Argentine A-4 Skyhawks are well recognised by the author, whereas he is less laudatory of the Mirage III/Dagger types as flown in attacks on the British task force. There is a complete list of all fixed and rotary wing aircraft units flown during the war in an appendix at the end of the book, as is a list of all aircraft lost on operations.

As stated previously, the illustrations in Air War in the Falklands 1982 are key to the appreciation of the publication. With almost every page, carrying a photo of the aircraft, units and/or flight and ground crew flying during the Falklands War, the reader has plenty to look at, and help inform his understanding of the history. There are also some very nicely presented colour plates, illustrating aircraft flown by both sides during the war. These are a welcome supplement to the black and white photos that dominate the book.

It goes without saying that this book has a very narrow audience. Kennel readers will not be that engaged by the title nor the text. If one is a military aviation history addict then yes, Air War in the Falklands 1982 will be the book for you. If, you have little to no interest in the subject, and there is virtually zero chance for you to be transformed into an avid follower of the topic. Chant and Osprey have done what they aimed to do; supply a niche market with a concise and comprehensive historical monograph. The mission has been fulfilled with minimum fuss and all engaged will be satisfied with the results of their efforts.

[Michael Toleno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would probably be interesting for a modeling enthusiast or an extremely detail-oriented historian, somewhat interesting for someone with general aviation or military history interest, but they are really just informal reference books for specialists and catalogs of events, with a few interesting episodes.