Essential reading about the Air War in the South Atlantic

[+Dante-JT]

Books

 

Diario de Guerra del Radar Malvinas, by Mr. Miguel Angel Silva, about the TPS-43 radar installed in the islands and was used to guide the air attacks over the fleet, warning about SeaHarrier CAPs, helped with the release of the ground-based Exocet that hit HMS Glamorgan, was damaged by a Shrike in Black Buck 5 but repaired and back to work until end of the war.

http://www.radarmalvinas.com.ar/

 

 

FALKLANDS THE AIR WAR by BURDEN, Rodney A, et al, a comprehensive study of air combat during the 1982 Falklands War. Every detail is included in this history with illustrations throughout in the form of photographs, drawings, three-view drawings of aircraft, and even a small colour section of the squadron crests.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetail...%2BWar%26x%3D71

 

(thanks IvanK!)

 

Desde El Frente (From the Front) a detailed account about the intervention of the BATALLÓN DE INFANTERÍA DE MARINA Nº5 (translation would be 5th MARINE INFANTRY BATTALLION), in Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, in 1982. Written by the commander of the battallion and the collaboration of his Encargado de Batallón (it is roughly the person in charge of the battallion). Spanish only as far as I know.

(thanks Pablo Diez!)

 

Air War in the South Atlantic, by Ethell and Jeffrey L., with first-hand accounts from both British and Argentian pilots.:

http://www.biblio.com/books/39793989.html

 

 

 

 

Hostile Skies, by David Morgan, my favourite Sea Harrier book, it is not as technically in-depth as Ward's book but is more tense and dramatic:

http://www.amazon.com/Hostile-Skies-David-...2742845-4539309

 

Sea Harrier over the Falklands, by commander Nigel 'Sharkey' Ward, technically in-depth and also a good read:

http://www.amazon.com/Harrier-Falklands-Ca...TF8&s=books

 

Dios y los Halcones, ('God and the Hawks'), by Comodoro Pablo Marcos Rafael Carballo, in '82 was commanding officer of argentinean Grupo 5 de Caza, responsible for heavy losses inflicted in the Task Force, like HMS Coventry and the Fitzroy attack:

http://www.argentinidad.com/libros/malvinas/carballo.htm

Unfortunately only in spanish language and so far released only in Argentina, together with its 'brother' book Halcones de Malvinas, it's the most comprehensive and complete account of the air war through the argentinean pilots perspective - Halcones also is built like a series of chronicles describing missions from A-4 Skyhawk pilots, as well as Mirage V Dagger, Pucará, Camberra, C-130 Hercules, helicopter and even air defense garrisons. I got my copy through a friend who travelled in vacations to Buenos Aires. Seems quite rare outside of South America.

http://www.ediciones.argentinidad.com/

 

Vulcan 607, by Rowland White, The Epic Story of the Most Remarkable British Air Attack since WWII

http://www.amazon.com/Vulcan-607-Ambitious...TF8&s=books

 

Yo fui piloto Aviador Naval, ('I was a naval aviator') by Capitan de Navío(R.E.)Rodolfo Alberto Castro Fox

http://www.fuerzasnavales.com/monog_c_fox.html

Also only in spanish language and unseen outside of Argentina so far.

 

La Guerra Inaudita, by Ruben Oscar Moro (thanks Baco!)

http://www.tematika.com/articulo/detalleAr...Articulo=118872

 

One Hundred Days, by Sandy Woodward (thanks AWL_Spiner!)

http://www.amazon.com/One-Hundred-Days-Fal...t/dp/1557506523

 

 

Bomb Alley: Falklands 1982, by David Yates

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bomb-Alley-Falklan...2/dp/1844154173

 

Through Fire and Water: HMS "Ardent", by Mark Higgitt

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Through-Fire-Water...s/dp/184018356X

 

Four Weeks In May - The Loss of HMS Coventry - "Four Weeks in May is a riveting account of how men prepare for a war they never expected to fight and how they endure its privations, terrors and, finally, its horrors."

http://www.hmscoventry.co.uk/fourweeksinmay.html

 

Last three books are naval warfare-focused but also on our subject since these warships suffered air attacks during the conflict.

 

**two interesting books added by forum member Manocruel

Exocet, by author Emilio Villarino, Abril Books S.A.

 

Los Dos Lados del Inferno ('the two sides of hell'), author Vincent Bramley, Planeta Books S.A.

 

 

 

Websites

 

Royal Air Force official page on the Falklands war:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/falklands/index.html

 

Official Argentinean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina) website on the subject:

http://www.fuerzaaerea.mil.ar/conflicto/op...nes_aereas.html

(in spanish language)

 

Honor Regained - comprehensive website in english about South Atlantic Conflict

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/

 

BATTLE ATLAS of the FALKLANDS WAR 1982

http://www.naval-history.net/NAVAL1982FALKLANDS.htm

 

Re-look at the Falkland Islands War: Lessons to be re-learned

http://www.geocities.com/usnavyindanger/fa...snotlearned.htm

 

Falklandkrieg air power dot at

http://www.airpower.at/news02/0410_falklands/fleetattack.htm

(in german language, but very complete too)

 

Interesting posts in this forum, some material is extracted and translated to english from previous mentioned books about argentinean pilots perspective:

http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4177

 

 

Movies

 

Iluminados por El Fuego (Blessed By Fire)

http://www.iluminadosporelfuego.com/ilumin...ash.php?lang=en

(focused in ground war, drama movie with war frashbacks from a Malvinas veteran. It's a high budget, well rated movie).

 

1982 Estuvimos Ahi

http://www.creavision.com.ar/malvinasesp.htm

(It's a low budget movie with the polemical CG scene of the attack on HMS Invincible)

 

Documentaries

 

Line of Fire - Goose Green

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Line-Fire-Goose-Gr...2/dp/B0000BXBZV

 

Line of Fire - the Fall of Port Stanley

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Line-Fire-Fall-Por...y/dp/B0000BXBZW

 

Two good documentaries, although focused in the ground war, but worth neverthless.

 

War In The Falklands - 25th Anniversary

http://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Falklands-25th...=UTF8&s=dvd

 

The Falklands War - A Military History (thanks Vince!)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Falklands-War-Mili...=UTF8&s=dvd

 

Going Critical: The Sinking of HMS Coventry - a Channel 4 documentary, well made with step-by-step CG re-criation of the attacks by the Zeus and Volcano Skyhawk flights against HMS Broadsword and HMS Coventry which caused its loss.

http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites...l/hms_coventry/

 

 

 

I will keep the list updated about new material.

 

edit: added "Desde el Frente" (thanks Pablo Diez!)

Edited May 2, 2007 by Dante-JT

[Planejunky]

To add to this list I would throughly recommend RAF Harrier Ground Attack Falklands by Squadron Leader Jerry Pook RAF. It gives the reader a great insight into RAF Harrier GR.3 operations from HMS Hermes during the conflict, as well as the internal conflict between No 1 (F) Sqn and certain senior Naval officers who tried to hinder them.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/RAF-Harrier-Ground-Attack-Falklands/dp/184415551X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254012888&sr=1-1