Product Description

In March 1982, Argentina surprised the world by invading the Falkland Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The tiny islands had long been the subject of a fierce territorial dispute between Argentina and the UK, and the occupation quickly escalated into a terrifying full-blown conflict between the two countries. Often referred to as a forgotten war, the Falklands conflict was, in actual fact, the first war of the modern age, using satellite surveillance, night observation devices, and all the very latest weaponry military technology had to offer. It was also the first real media war - the public's perception of this far-off conflict mediated by what they saw on their television screens and read in their newspapers. Objective analysis on both sides took a back seat to the politics of expediency and crude appeals to nationalism. Drawing upon the vast resources of the Imperial War Museum's Sound Archive, and containing previously unpublished material, "Forgotten Voices of the Falklands War" presents the first complete oral history of the Falklands War. From the initial invasion of the islands to the British landings to the Argentinean surrender and its aftermath, the book is a unique and essential chronicle of the conflict from all sides and perspectives, told in the participants' own voices. Hugh McManners, who himself fought in the Falklands War, has created the definitive oral history book on the subject.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #256055 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 496 pages

Synopsis
In March 1982, Argentina surprised the world by invading the Falkland Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The tiny islands had long been the subject of a fierce territorial dispute between Argentina and the UK, and the occupation quickly escalated into a terrifying full-blown conflict between the two countries. Often referred to as a forgotten war, the Falklands conflict was, in actual fact, the first war of the modern age, using satellite surveillance, night observation devices, and all the very latest weaponry military technology had to offer. It was also the first real media war - the public's perception of this far-off conflict mediated by what they saw on their television screens and read in their newspapers. Objective analysis on both sides took a back seat to the politics of expediency and crude appeals to nationalism. Drawing upon the vast resources of the Imperial War Museum's Sound Archive, and containing previously unpublished material, "Forgotten Voices of the Falklands War" presents the first complete oral history of the Falklands War.

From the initial invasion of the islands to the British landings to the Argentinean surrender and its aftermath, the book is a unique and essential chronicle of the conflict from all sides and perspectives, told in the participants' own voices. Hugh McManners, who himself fought in the Falklands War, has created the definitive oral history book on the subject.

From the Publisher
The latest in the landmark Forgotten Voices series marks the 25th anniversay of the Falklands war, giving a unique perspective on this pivotal but often overlooked conflict

From the Back Cover
The Falklands War was a turning point in modern British history. On the one hand, it was what some considered to be the 'last of the great Elizabethan adventures', with the Royal Navy pulling off an incredible feat of maritime warfare, under the most appallingly risky circumstances. On the other hand, it was the first war of the modern age, using satellite surveillance, computer-driven missiles, night observation devices, and the very latest in modern weaponry. It was also a conflict that could so easily have gone terribly wrong for British forces. Instead, it was a resounding military success.

And yet, the conflict's significance is often overlooked. Drawing upon the vast resources of the Imperial War Museum's sound archive, which contains thousands of interviews with both soldiers and civilians, both British and Argentinean, Forgotten Voices of the Falklands War redresses the balance, presenting the first complete oral history of the Falklands War. From the initial invasion of the islands to the British offensive to the Argentinean surrender and its aftermath, the audiobook is a unique and essential chronicle of the conflict from all sides and perspectives, told in the participants' own voices. It includes the visceral and often terrifying experiences of the combatants as well as the poignant and sometimes surreal recollections of the islanders caught in the middle.

Utilising all the qualities that have made the Forgotten Voices series so popular, Hugh McManners, who himself fought in the Falklands War and witnessed its brutality first-hand, has created the definitive audiobook on the subject.

Customer Reviews

Disappointing - and not exactly "Forgotten"
I wanted to like this one, but it has too many faults.

The most basic is that so many of the voices in this one are far from forgotten, with many very familiar names appearing, retelling stories that have been seen in print and other media many times before.

Sweep those aside and you are left with a remarkably small number of people, and remarkably little of any serious interest. There are numerous errors, some of which are the author's, some of which are from the people interviewed. Where these are obvious errors of recollection, it would be nice to have a note from the author stating this - as it is, it comes across as poorly researched.

The most interesting aspect of the book for me was the author's own experiences, and his feelings regarding a particular incident - I'll leave it to other readers to find it and see if they agree.

Who knows what Hugh McManners did "down south"?
I have no intention of rubbishing anybody's opinions of his book, but if any one has read any of his others,like I have, such as "The Scars of War", "Falklands Commando" etc, I think Hugh McManners writes a damn good book.He served as an Artillery Forward Observation Officer in the Campaign with 148 Battery of 29 Commando Regiment R.A,at times calling fire down on his own position,as enemy forces where that close to him and his comrades.He is a man who knows EXACTLY,what the war was like,he was there,at the extreme sharp end of it."The Scars of War",for example,is about the effects of PTSD on those that go into battle for their nation,something Hugh himself suffered from after the conflict.
He is emminently qualified to comment on this war and the "ordinary" soldier,(though as a serving, regular soldier myself, I have no idea what that phrase,beloved of civilians NOT the military,actually means).
I have yet to read this book but I think the author deserves great respect, for what he did 25 years ago alone.

Poor example of the Forgotten Voices series
This is a classic example of how not to write a book in the Forgotten Voices series.

When around half way through reading, I was puzzled why I thought this book didn't "feel" right. I then realised that there was not one comment from an ordinary UK soldier/sailor/airman.

Flicking through the book I saw Major this, General that, Captain this, Colonel that. As a result, the difference between this and other books in the series is striking. It reads like a tactical overview of the conflict rather than an in the trenches one.

Of all the thousands involved, it is the officer classes that are included, again and again. I am not interested in an officer sat behind the lines, I want to know how the ordinary serviceman fought and died on both sides of the conflict.

Ironically it is left to an Argentine Private to decribe what life was like during the conflict, our own Privates appear to have been silenced in favour of the officers to present their version of the truth.

Go and read other books in the Forgotten series, skip this one.