FALKLANDS TASK FORCE PORTFOLIO
Parts 1 & 2
Maritime Books - £9.99 each
In the twenty five years since April 1982, when Britain mobilised an armada of ships – from both the Merchant and Royal Navy – millions of words have been penned about the Falklands Campaign, each book bringing an insight from a slightly different standpoint.
In recognition of the anniversary in June, these two photographic records have been re-issued, giving credence to the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words. For those involved, the images will bring the memories flooding back, whilst anyone with an interest in the role ships play in our day-to-day lives will be fascinated by the pictures of the preparations for the journey to the South Atlantic, of the conflict itself and of the home-comings in ports around the country. There are also lists of honours bestowed on personnel and a roll of those who died, together with numerous facts and figures pertaining to individual ships and the conflict as a whole.
Whilst there are coloured photographs included, those in black and white somehow evoke the period to better effect, and the accompanying captions and text tell the story of the crisis succinctly, often including the ships’ logs, which adds a distinctly personal touch.
With the Iraqi conflict played out daily in the press and on television, events that took place 8,000 miles away and a quarter of century ago seem almost ancient history - particularly the ability of the merchant fleet to assist in such an operation today. We can all learn something from history…