The Falklands War, 1982 by Martin Middlebrook

[PointMan]

This is one of the most readable and engaging military histories concerned with modern conflict that I've read in a long time! He combines a fast-paced conversational narrative with all the factual accuracy found in Anthony Beevor's works.

I'd not previously read anything that was specifically about the Falklands War; remembering it unfolding on the news, and even though I was only young at the time, I wasn't convinced I'd get anything out of reading it.

This wasn't because I felt it was irrelevant, far from it, rather I felt that historically it was way too recent, too contemporary, to be able to look at it objectively. I was wrong. This book is an excellent view over the military campaign and doesn't get embroiled with the political climate of the day. As such it doesn't matter that the UK's relations with the UN/US/France still bear similarities to those at the time.

The book is definitely a soldier's guide to the battles and conditions of the conflict and well worth a read

[Ruth]

All Martin Middlebrook's books are the same high quality - I've never been disappointed in any of them. His first was "The First Day on the Somme" - he gave up the day job after that (he wasn't a professional writer), and has gone on from strength to strength. His WW2 ones are excellent as well, especially those about some of the key air raids, like Hamburg and Schweinfurt.

[PointMan]

This was the first of his that I'd read, but I certainly going to be reading a few more as soon as I can. At the moment, I'm stuck in the middle of Churchill's 'The Second World War' - absolutely amazing, and what an extraordinarily gifted leader he was.