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Harrier 809: The Epic Story of How a Small Band of Heroes Won Victory in the Air Against Impossible Odds
‘A COMPELLING, FAST-PACED NARRATIVE THAT THRUSTS US INTO THE COCKPIT. A MUST-READ!’ Dan HamptonApril 1982. Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.In response, Britain dispatches a naval Task Force. Eight thousand miles from home, its fate hinges on just twenty Sea Harrier fighters against the two hundred-strong might of the Argentine Air Force.
The odds against them are overwhelming.
British Defense Chiefs’ own estimates suggest that half the Harriers will be lost within a week. Against this background, 809 Naval Air Squadron is reformed, trained and sent south to fight.
Not since WWII had so much been expected of such a small band of pilots...
Combining groundbreaking research with the pace of a thriller, Rowland White reveals the full story of the fleet’s knife-edge fight for survival for the first time, and shows how the little jump jet went from airshow novelty to writing its name in aviation legend. And of how a small band of heroes won victory against impossible odds.
‘A military adventure, written with expertise…a tale of initiative, skill and courage, of pushing beyond the rules.’ THE SPECTATOR
‘Harrier 809 reads like a fast-paced military adventure novel only better because every word is true. White has brought us an up-close, inside-the-cockpit saga of a band of heroes. Riveting.’ ROBERT GANDT, author of Skygods
‘Utterly thrilling and totally absorbing. White conveys brilliantly the spirit of a great aircraft - and the men who flew it.’ PATRICK BISHOP
‘Utterly brilliant. The very best kind of narrative history, Harrier 809 is a fantastically exciting book. It reads like a thriller and has some of the best aerial action sequences I’ve ever read. A page-turner from start to finish.’ JAMES HOLLAND, author of Normandy ‘44
‘Set against the broader context of the Falklands War, Harrier 809 brings the squadron’s story to life in fine and highly readable detail.’ GARTH ENNIS, author of The Boys, Preacher and Hellblazer
The odds against them are overwhelming.
British Defense Chiefs’ own estimates suggest that half the Harriers will be lost within a week. Against this background, 809 Naval Air Squadron is reformed, trained and sent south to fight.
Not since WWII had so much been expected of such a small band of pilots...
Combining groundbreaking research with the pace of a thriller, Rowland White reveals the full story of the fleet’s knife-edge fight for survival for the first time, and shows how the little jump jet went from airshow novelty to writing its name in aviation legend. And of how a small band of heroes won victory against impossible odds.
‘A military adventure, written with expertise…a tale of initiative, skill and courage, of pushing beyond the rules.’ THE SPECTATOR
‘Harrier 809 reads like a fast-paced military adventure novel only better because every word is true. White has brought us an up-close, inside-the-cockpit saga of a band of heroes. Riveting.’ ROBERT GANDT, author of Skygods
‘Utterly thrilling and totally absorbing. White conveys brilliantly the spirit of a great aircraft - and the men who flew it.’ PATRICK BISHOP
‘Utterly brilliant. The very best kind of narrative history, Harrier 809 is a fantastically exciting book. It reads like a thriller and has some of the best aerial action sequences I’ve ever read. A page-turner from start to finish.’ JAMES HOLLAND, author of Normandy ‘44
‘Set against the broader context of the Falklands War, Harrier 809 brings the squadron’s story to life in fine and highly readable detail.’ GARTH ENNIS, author of The Boys, Preacher and Hellblazer
630 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
December 5, 2020
I should preface this review with a few facts. First, I'm an RAF veteran, second, I was on Ascension Island throughout the conflict and third, up to 1982 I served with the Harrier Force as part of 4 Sqn at RAF Gutersloh. In other words, I have some insight into both the events covered in the book and the world of the Harrier.
With that in mind, this book isn't about the RAF per se, and having read Vulcan 607 I approached it with some trepidation. It surely couldn't be that good could it? In all honesty, no it isn't. But it's close. Very close.
As others have already mentioned, there are a few oversights and a couple of minor errors and if you're looking for a definitive account, this isn't it. That said, only those who have an intimate knowledge of the conflict and the Harrier will spot those and the truth is that this is as good an account of the Sea Harrier's role in the conflict as anyone will ever need. More importantly, it's a fantastic read. For as with Vulcan 607 (one of the great aviation books in my opinion) it's written in a style that perfectly captures the tension and excitement of the operation as it unfolded.
Brilliant stuff.
With that in mind, this book isn't about the RAF per se, and having read Vulcan 607 I approached it with some trepidation. It surely couldn't be that good could it? In all honesty, no it isn't. But it's close. Very close.
As others have already mentioned, there are a few oversights and a couple of minor errors and if you're looking for a definitive account, this isn't it. That said, only those who have an intimate knowledge of the conflict and the Harrier will spot those and the truth is that this is as good an account of the Sea Harrier's role in the conflict as anyone will ever need. More importantly, it's a fantastic read. For as with Vulcan 607 (one of the great aviation books in my opinion) it's written in a style that perfectly captures the tension and excitement of the operation as it unfolded.
Brilliant stuff.
February 19, 2022
This is excellent, and explores a slightly less well trodden aspect of a story that has been covered by an growing number of books as time has gone on and particularly as we approach the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War. Rowland White comments that, "This is a story I've wanted to write for a long time. I was eleven years old when Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. The heroic exploits of the 'Sea Harrier fighter-bomber aircraft' so meticulously and memorably described by Ian McDonald, the bespectacled civil servant charged with sharing news of the war, made a big impression on me...The two frontline Sea Harrier squadrons that travelled south with the Task Force, 800 and 801, have been well served by books written by pilots who flew with them, and both Sea Harrier Over the Falklands by 801' s Commanding Officer, Sharkey Ward, and Hostile Skies by 800' s David Morgan are recommended. I've read and reread and enjoyed them many times. But I kept finding myself drawn to 809 Naval Air Squadron. Hurriedly pulled together after the invasion and sent south barely three weeks later, their story looked like the most interesting and unusual of the lot."
The story of 809 is a remarkable one, and White tells it along with the story of the acquisition and preparation of Atlantic Conveyer and story of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, including the planned dispatch of Canberras to Chile. This is simultaneously the books strength, and its key weakness. It is refreshing and interesting to read these lesser known stories, but the book can tend to be slightly disjointed and White struggles at times to tie all these disparate threads into a coherent narrative. There is also a lot of assumed knowledge about the background to the Falklands War, the departure of the task force, the land campaign, and the broader air campaign outside of 809's contribution. White hasn't set out to write a general history of the war, but it does mean that you will need to look elsewhere for this kind of wider background context.
The big strength of the book, apart from the relatively new ground it covers, is Whites writing ability and style. Like all his books, this one gallops at high pace and reads quite like a thriller. In many ways the story he is telling lends itself to this kind of narrative style, as seen when White recounts the establishment of 809: "When Tim Gedge arrived at Ted Anson's office at FONAC HQ the following morning, 6 April, the Admiral's brief was straightforward and expansive. 'Go into Yeovilton,' he told Gedge, 'and find yourself an office and some aeroplanes, form another squadron, work it up for air defence and attack, and be ready to go in twenty-one days.'" Like his earlier book on Vulcan 607, many of the details in the story of 809's working up are almost unbelievable. The RAF pilots pulled out of the officers mess and sent off without ever having carried out a carrier take off / landing, the American pilot denied a place in 809 at the 11th hour, and many others are remarkable. And the anecdote of painted models on a Portakabin roof to test camouflage colours is both hilarious and very, very British!
The story of the aircraft itself is also extraordinary, and White provides a brief history of the development and deployment of the Harrier. The fact that BAE also rushed through prep of some jets for 809 to take south mirrors the scramble to find pilots, and is a corrective to the temptation to read back the success and speed of the land campaign into the planning process. The UK armed forces were stretched to the limit by the Falklands campaign, and particularly by the distance at which the war had to be fought.
It's an odd thought that the Falklands War was closer in time to the Second World War than it is to today, but it's also fair to say that it was the last war the UK fought that stood in a continuum with the Second World War. This was a war of the direct and personal projection of power by land, sea, and air, and many of the senior officers were Second World War veterans. Even aesthetically, the Type 42 Destroyers that fought with the Royal Navy look very much like their WW2 predecessors, and not at all like their Type 45 successors. It's hard to imagine a war exactly like the Falklands happening today, as it would be fought largely by drones and cruise missiles. It's equally hard to imagine destroyers, and their crews, being seen as an expendable asset; our world of social media and 24 hour news cycles would never stand for it.
While it was hard fought and there were some notable losses of capital ships, the air campaign in the Falklands resulted in a comprehensive and crushing victory for the RAF and Fleet Air Arm by late May 1982. White comments that, "The weight of sorties launched against the British had collapsed, from claims of sixty-five on D- Day to a planned twenty-two on the 25th. The CIA estimated that Argentina had lost a third of its combat aircraft in a little over three weeks. And yet they'd failed to prevent the British from either establishing or consolidating the beachhead at San Carlos. Over 5,500 British troops were now ashore, their positions defended by a ring of Rapier surface-to-air missile Fire Units that would make any attempt to attack from the air almost suicidally risky. The Argentine Navy still chose to confine itself to coastal waters. Now the Air Force too had been forced to reconsider its position. They had been beaten in air combat on 1 May then depleted by the Sea Harrier CAPs and SAM missiles as they mounted brave but unescorted attacks against the ships in Falklands waters. Unable to displace British land forces nor, with the SHARs ascendant over the islands, able to support their own ground forces, they were out of targets. No longer capable of meaningfully obstructing the British from the mainland, Argentine commanders' hopes of holding on to the Malvinas now rested on the 15,000 troops dug in around Stanley."
From there the land campaign progressed quickly to a British victory, and again with a strange parallel to the Second World War. The hope of conducting an air mobile campaign sank along with most of the task force's helicopters when Atlantic Conveyor was lost, so the ground advance was predominately on foot from San Carlos Water to Port Stanley. Following the end of the war, 809 squadron was quickly disbanded. However, the reputation of British Forces, and particularly of the Harrier, was boosted irreversibly: "Success in the Falklands War completely changed the way the jump jet was regarded. Having earned its spurs in difficult circumstances it had won the right to be taken seriously, no longer dismissed as an airshow novelty, but respected as a warplane. Reliability and flexibility were virtues that attracted fewer headlines than speed, endurance and weaponry, but victory in battle trumped them all, sealing a reputation that would endure."
Fittingly, the first Royal Navy squadron to be equipped with the F-35 will be 809 NAS - the "Immortals" - and this book is a fitting tribute to their immediate predecessors.
The story of 809 is a remarkable one, and White tells it along with the story of the acquisition and preparation of Atlantic Conveyer and story of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, including the planned dispatch of Canberras to Chile. This is simultaneously the books strength, and its key weakness. It is refreshing and interesting to read these lesser known stories, but the book can tend to be slightly disjointed and White struggles at times to tie all these disparate threads into a coherent narrative. There is also a lot of assumed knowledge about the background to the Falklands War, the departure of the task force, the land campaign, and the broader air campaign outside of 809's contribution. White hasn't set out to write a general history of the war, but it does mean that you will need to look elsewhere for this kind of wider background context.
The big strength of the book, apart from the relatively new ground it covers, is Whites writing ability and style. Like all his books, this one gallops at high pace and reads quite like a thriller. In many ways the story he is telling lends itself to this kind of narrative style, as seen when White recounts the establishment of 809: "When Tim Gedge arrived at Ted Anson's office at FONAC HQ the following morning, 6 April, the Admiral's brief was straightforward and expansive. 'Go into Yeovilton,' he told Gedge, 'and find yourself an office and some aeroplanes, form another squadron, work it up for air defence and attack, and be ready to go in twenty-one days.'" Like his earlier book on Vulcan 607, many of the details in the story of 809's working up are almost unbelievable. The RAF pilots pulled out of the officers mess and sent off without ever having carried out a carrier take off / landing, the American pilot denied a place in 809 at the 11th hour, and many others are remarkable. And the anecdote of painted models on a Portakabin roof to test camouflage colours is both hilarious and very, very British!
The story of the aircraft itself is also extraordinary, and White provides a brief history of the development and deployment of the Harrier. The fact that BAE also rushed through prep of some jets for 809 to take south mirrors the scramble to find pilots, and is a corrective to the temptation to read back the success and speed of the land campaign into the planning process. The UK armed forces were stretched to the limit by the Falklands campaign, and particularly by the distance at which the war had to be fought.
It's an odd thought that the Falklands War was closer in time to the Second World War than it is to today, but it's also fair to say that it was the last war the UK fought that stood in a continuum with the Second World War. This was a war of the direct and personal projection of power by land, sea, and air, and many of the senior officers were Second World War veterans. Even aesthetically, the Type 42 Destroyers that fought with the Royal Navy look very much like their WW2 predecessors, and not at all like their Type 45 successors. It's hard to imagine a war exactly like the Falklands happening today, as it would be fought largely by drones and cruise missiles. It's equally hard to imagine destroyers, and their crews, being seen as an expendable asset; our world of social media and 24 hour news cycles would never stand for it.
While it was hard fought and there were some notable losses of capital ships, the air campaign in the Falklands resulted in a comprehensive and crushing victory for the RAF and Fleet Air Arm by late May 1982. White comments that, "The weight of sorties launched against the British had collapsed, from claims of sixty-five on D- Day to a planned twenty-two on the 25th. The CIA estimated that Argentina had lost a third of its combat aircraft in a little over three weeks. And yet they'd failed to prevent the British from either establishing or consolidating the beachhead at San Carlos. Over 5,500 British troops were now ashore, their positions defended by a ring of Rapier surface-to-air missile Fire Units that would make any attempt to attack from the air almost suicidally risky. The Argentine Navy still chose to confine itself to coastal waters. Now the Air Force too had been forced to reconsider its position. They had been beaten in air combat on 1 May then depleted by the Sea Harrier CAPs and SAM missiles as they mounted brave but unescorted attacks against the ships in Falklands waters. Unable to displace British land forces nor, with the SHARs ascendant over the islands, able to support their own ground forces, they were out of targets. No longer capable of meaningfully obstructing the British from the mainland, Argentine commanders' hopes of holding on to the Malvinas now rested on the 15,000 troops dug in around Stanley."
From there the land campaign progressed quickly to a British victory, and again with a strange parallel to the Second World War. The hope of conducting an air mobile campaign sank along with most of the task force's helicopters when Atlantic Conveyor was lost, so the ground advance was predominately on foot from San Carlos Water to Port Stanley. Following the end of the war, 809 squadron was quickly disbanded. However, the reputation of British Forces, and particularly of the Harrier, was boosted irreversibly: "Success in the Falklands War completely changed the way the jump jet was regarded. Having earned its spurs in difficult circumstances it had won the right to be taken seriously, no longer dismissed as an airshow novelty, but respected as a warplane. Reliability and flexibility were virtues that attracted fewer headlines than speed, endurance and weaponry, but victory in battle trumped them all, sealing a reputation that would endure."
Fittingly, the first Royal Navy squadron to be equipped with the F-35 will be 809 NAS - the "Immortals" - and this book is a fitting tribute to their immediate predecessors.
January 13, 2021
I think I'm being kind of generous even giving this two stars but 1 seems a little harsh. I have never read a book in my life that had such an uneven focus and incomplete narrative. For starters this book assumes you've already read every book there is about the Falklands and want some supplemental material about the air war. The ground war is neglected to the point that I kept forgetting there even was one. I understand the focus of the book is on the Harriers (though not too focused as I'll explain) and it's not going to go into the finer points of the ground war but they don't even give you enough information about it to give the air war any context. I was a 1 year old American when the Falklands happened and went to school at a time where it wasn't old enough to really be history or new enough to be a current event... in America at least, so my knowledge was limited to something a saw on the History Channel probably 15 years ago and the Top Gear Patagonia special. I was hoping this book would remedy that, though it was focused on the air war I'd hopefully/probably get the broad strokes of the entire war but I had to do a lot of Google searches just to figure out what all was happening. The sinking of the Belgrano was barely mentioned and the only mention of the Argentine surrender or the end of the war at all was an offhand mention in one of the photo captions: "After the Argentine surrender on 14 June, HMS Hermes sailed close to the islands for the first time". I don't even know how or why they surrendered or how it came about, and after reading a book THIS size about the Falklands War that's pretty amazing.
If the author were just laser focused on the Harriers or 809 I could understand but a good 1/3 of this book could have been completely cut because it had nothing to do with the narrative or it just went nowhere. Like Operation Folklore, this operation and the people on the ground trying to make it happen plus the personnel whose names I had to learn all end up just not happening. It's like the second biggest focus for a good portion of the book then they just cancel it and I think they ended up spending the war on Easter Island or Hawaii or something. I can understand mentioning it but going into so much detail was pointless filler and it wasn't even that interesting. The author would rather talk about ANYTHING but the Falklands sometimes. He goes into the whole history of the Hurricat plane just because there's a similarity (in so much as it's similar to launching any plane from a carrier I suppose) to a proposed plan to launch one of the Harriers from Atlantic Conveyor... an operation which also doesn't happen. So I got the history of a WWII plane that has nothing to do with this and all for the sake of an operation that doesn't take place. Near the end he goes into more detail about Mike Tyson's 1981 Junior Olympic fights (just to compare him to the Sidewinder missile because I guess it was also dangerous or some crap) than the ground war and Belgrano combined. Those are just two examples, he covers a wide variety of topics that have nothing to do with it while ignoring so much that was not just relevant but vital to telling the story. While this guy was talking about everything under the sun he could have painted a more complete picture of what was going on. It's hard to care about the missions these guys are flying when it's not always clear why they're flying them. Oh it's a ground support mission? Supporting who doing what? I have no clue what happened on those islands except that overhead there were jets and out to sea there were boats.
And as others have mentioned, even the air war focus is kind of uneven. The title implies the focus is on the 809 but as I said it covers things like Operation FOLKLORE, various refueling efforts and just about anything a plane did in the war. It's only when they talk about the Harrier pilots that the focus is on 809. Which is kind of a weird focus given their late arrival but I'll admit their struggle to get operational and moving in time was extraordinary. However while the book focuses on the administrative work, training and new paint jobs being applied the Harrier pilots who were already in the fight take a backseat to everything. Which once again I could understand if it were focused solely on the 809 but they take a backseat to the Operation Folklore people who spent the war on some far off island.
Lastly though the author didn't make me care much for any of these people. With the exception of Tim Gedge and Ian North most of them are just names in a book with too many names to keep track of. It's all just very dry and more about airplane minutiae than the people who flew them or even the war they flew in.
If the author were just laser focused on the Harriers or 809 I could understand but a good 1/3 of this book could have been completely cut because it had nothing to do with the narrative or it just went nowhere. Like Operation Folklore, this operation and the people on the ground trying to make it happen plus the personnel whose names I had to learn all end up just not happening. It's like the second biggest focus for a good portion of the book then they just cancel it and I think they ended up spending the war on Easter Island or Hawaii or something. I can understand mentioning it but going into so much detail was pointless filler and it wasn't even that interesting. The author would rather talk about ANYTHING but the Falklands sometimes. He goes into the whole history of the Hurricat plane just because there's a similarity (in so much as it's similar to launching any plane from a carrier I suppose) to a proposed plan to launch one of the Harriers from Atlantic Conveyor... an operation which also doesn't happen. So I got the history of a WWII plane that has nothing to do with this and all for the sake of an operation that doesn't take place. Near the end he goes into more detail about Mike Tyson's 1981 Junior Olympic fights (just to compare him to the Sidewinder missile because I guess it was also dangerous or some crap) than the ground war and Belgrano combined. Those are just two examples, he covers a wide variety of topics that have nothing to do with it while ignoring so much that was not just relevant but vital to telling the story. While this guy was talking about everything under the sun he could have painted a more complete picture of what was going on. It's hard to care about the missions these guys are flying when it's not always clear why they're flying them. Oh it's a ground support mission? Supporting who doing what? I have no clue what happened on those islands except that overhead there were jets and out to sea there were boats.
And as others have mentioned, even the air war focus is kind of uneven. The title implies the focus is on the 809 but as I said it covers things like Operation FOLKLORE, various refueling efforts and just about anything a plane did in the war. It's only when they talk about the Harrier pilots that the focus is on 809. Which is kind of a weird focus given their late arrival but I'll admit their struggle to get operational and moving in time was extraordinary. However while the book focuses on the administrative work, training and new paint jobs being applied the Harrier pilots who were already in the fight take a backseat to everything. Which once again I could understand if it were focused solely on the 809 but they take a backseat to the Operation Folklore people who spent the war on some far off island.
Lastly though the author didn't make me care much for any of these people. With the exception of Tim Gedge and Ian North most of them are just names in a book with too many names to keep track of. It's all just very dry and more about airplane minutiae than the people who flew them or even the war they flew in.
March 3, 2021
Intriguing fast paced air war vignette
This is air war and overcoming details that plagued bad planning decisions that cost men their lives on both sides. It is a technical, yet human story that is actually exciting.
This is air war and overcoming details that plagued bad planning decisions that cost men their lives on both sides. It is a technical, yet human story that is actually exciting.
August 2, 2021
In 1982 as the British task force sailed for the Falklands, it took with it the Fleet Air Arm's only two squadrons of Harrier jump jets - the aircraft that would be key to liberating the islands following the Argentine invasion.
In just three weeks the navy needed to scrape together pilots and planes to create a third force - 809 Naval Air Squadron - to head south along with the RAF's ground attack Harriers on the merchant ship Atlantic Conveyor, hastily converted into a makeshift carrier.
White tells the story of putting together 809 NAS and it's subsequent role in the conflict with the pace of a thriller and the detail of a history. There's a lot of jargon which will have you scrambling for the glossary, but that doesn't detract from a great read charting a remarkable achievement.
In just three weeks the navy needed to scrape together pilots and planes to create a third force - 809 Naval Air Squadron - to head south along with the RAF's ground attack Harriers on the merchant ship Atlantic Conveyor, hastily converted into a makeshift carrier.
White tells the story of putting together 809 NAS and it's subsequent role in the conflict with the pace of a thriller and the detail of a history. There's a lot of jargon which will have you scrambling for the glossary, but that doesn't detract from a great read charting a remarkable achievement.
December 26, 2021
It was the Falklands War that got me to start listening to NPR back in 1982. Something about the endeavor to oust the Argentines from a remote archipelago 8,000 miles away from the the shell of the British Empire. And that the nature of the war had echoes of the great amphibious campaigns of the Pacific with modern weapons but far fewer forces. Following the conflict appealed to my already well-honed sense of history.
In the years that followed I read some of the popular press books that came out including The Falklands War and One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander but in the last twenty years or so I have not touched this subject, perhaps feeling I knew as much as there was to know.
With that as background, I saw a recommendation for this book, published in 2020, and the book's premise seemed sufficiently novel that I gave it a go.
And .... I was pleasantly rewarded. The book is about the third Harrier squadron sent to reinforce the fleet carriers which had already departed Southampton for the Falklands. It is a story of how the Navy (and RAF) rapidly mobilized every spare bit of plane, kit, pilots, and transport to get the much needed air defense down to the carriers. If the British lost the carriers, the invasion would fail. And CAP was how they were going to protect the carriers and the invasion fleet.
But the mobilization is only just the first 25% of the book, the remainder is about what happens once 809 Squadron gets down to the Falklands and engages the Argentine air strikes. You get rather thrilling descriptions of air combat told from both the British and Argentine pilots stories. You realize how close run the whole battle was for the British.
What makes the book even more interesting is that the fitting out of the Atlantic Conveyor, a container ship that became the third flattop is fully described along with its voyage and ultimate sinking. You also get a very fine appreciation of the skills and talents of the Argentine Air Force and all of the resources they brought to bear to win. They were not the hapless foe that the British press liked to portray.
And, it gets even better - there's a whole set of chapters on British efforts to use Chile as a source for intelligence including as a staging location for airborne early warning assets - something I was not aware of.
Terrific maps (including a detailed map of Ascension Island - something I've never seen before). The maps help the reader follow along every CAP mission and every Argentine air strike.
While not a comprehensive history of the war (the land campaign is mentioned only in conjunction with its relation to close air support raids by 809 Squadron), you get enough so a new reader would not be entirely lost.
Once the pilots got into the air, I found this book hard to put down.
In the years that followed I read some of the popular press books that came out including The Falklands War and One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander but in the last twenty years or so I have not touched this subject, perhaps feeling I knew as much as there was to know.
With that as background, I saw a recommendation for this book, published in 2020, and the book's premise seemed sufficiently novel that I gave it a go.
And .... I was pleasantly rewarded. The book is about the third Harrier squadron sent to reinforce the fleet carriers which had already departed Southampton for the Falklands. It is a story of how the Navy (and RAF) rapidly mobilized every spare bit of plane, kit, pilots, and transport to get the much needed air defense down to the carriers. If the British lost the carriers, the invasion would fail. And CAP was how they were going to protect the carriers and the invasion fleet.
But the mobilization is only just the first 25% of the book, the remainder is about what happens once 809 Squadron gets down to the Falklands and engages the Argentine air strikes. You get rather thrilling descriptions of air combat told from both the British and Argentine pilots stories. You realize how close run the whole battle was for the British.
What makes the book even more interesting is that the fitting out of the Atlantic Conveyor, a container ship that became the third flattop is fully described along with its voyage and ultimate sinking. You also get a very fine appreciation of the skills and talents of the Argentine Air Force and all of the resources they brought to bear to win. They were not the hapless foe that the British press liked to portray.
And, it gets even better - there's a whole set of chapters on British efforts to use Chile as a source for intelligence including as a staging location for airborne early warning assets - something I was not aware of.
Terrific maps (including a detailed map of Ascension Island - something I've never seen before). The maps help the reader follow along every CAP mission and every Argentine air strike.
While not a comprehensive history of the war (the land campaign is mentioned only in conjunction with its relation to close air support raids by 809 Squadron), you get enough so a new reader would not be entirely lost.
Once the pilots got into the air, I found this book hard to put down.
March 12, 2021
Hmm nominally finished, well, I got more than two-thirds in and I had a rest then this morning tried again… Tom can have his copy back. Sometimes, quite often in fact, I thought I was reading a racey novel the hyperbole just overwhelmed me. Modern non-fiction bookstore shelves are replete with these vox-pop treatments of wartime adventures and I suppose sales would confirm that market exists and maybe growing but it is not for me. Last month I had a go at Lancaster by an author who I had time for John Nichol but while I applaud his intentions I could not finish that either. But unlike that work which has a fair bit in common with other recent treatments of the heroes of WW2, the Flaklands gets less shrift. Plus, I enjoyed RW's Vulcan book et seq. Yes, I was disappointed or maybe it is just my mood and concern about time running out with so many other books calling out to me. I lived through this war and have even examined the flak guns mentioned here not to mention seen other machinery at airshows back then so I have a soft spot for those events while all the time the feeling persists of a "war" we should not have had to fight and for that I blame the politicians and others in military intelligence for bringing about the demise of so many fine young men on both sides. Not least those exceptional men who took to the air in machinery that was clearly inferior to the opposition. It is outrageous to make our young warriors keep having to honour such political commitments without proper support and equipment. Here, this book provides good coverage so maybe in time I will get my own copy and finish it as I hate leaving books unfinished...
However, one last point of irritation for me, oh, that and G instead of the lower case letter (misused in too many "serious" books)... anyone who uses or rather misuses the word “shrapnel” is not worthy of my reading time... it should IMHO be "splinter"... shrapnel is balls!
However, one last point of irritation for me, oh, that and G instead of the lower case letter (misused in too many "serious" books)... anyone who uses or rather misuses the word “shrapnel” is not worthy of my reading time... it should IMHO be "splinter"... shrapnel is balls!
February 3, 2021
This book is fast paced and reads quickly. White is focused on telling the story and does not let this book get bogged down by analysis or other factors. There are some parts of this book that I enjoyed - White kept the book fast paced. I think his focus on 809 squadron was an interesting way to tell the larger story of the Fleet Air Arm's role in the Falklands War. I also appreciate that he worked to tell the story of the Argentine Air Force and Navy flyers.
In my view, there are also some drawbacks to this book. To keep it fast paced, White changed perspectives and story lines frequently. Much like a movie, you have to be careful because at some point if you cut too often and too quickly between perspectives, you can lose the audience (in this case the reader). At times for me, it felt like the book would be clearer if White stuck with some of the perspectives for longer.
Another issue in my view is that while 809 Squadron is an interesting focus to tell the story, you have to provide perspective and context from outside events. Sometimes this worked well; other times, I wasn't sure I understood the outside context.
Finally, understand this book for what it is - an enjoyable, interesting book that is very focused on the narrative with limited analysis.
In my view, there are also some drawbacks to this book. To keep it fast paced, White changed perspectives and story lines frequently. Much like a movie, you have to be careful because at some point if you cut too often and too quickly between perspectives, you can lose the audience (in this case the reader). At times for me, it felt like the book would be clearer if White stuck with some of the perspectives for longer.
Another issue in my view is that while 809 Squadron is an interesting focus to tell the story, you have to provide perspective and context from outside events. Sometimes this worked well; other times, I wasn't sure I understood the outside context.
Finally, understand this book for what it is - an enjoyable, interesting book that is very focused on the narrative with limited analysis.
December 30, 2022
This one was a real gem.
While I purchased it because it looked interesting it way exceeded my expectations!
It tells the story of 809 squadron formed to travel to the Falklands on the Atlantic Conveyor to reinforce the Task Force.
Everything is so alive: the members of 809 squadron; the ship's captain, the events, the losses, the heroism, the political background, and also some strong insights from the Argentinian perspective.
The author had me feeling that I was sitting in the cockpit of an amazing Harrier jump jet, or standing on the heaving deck of the Atlantic Conveyer as it travelled in the stormy South Atlantic.
The 'strange' happenings and disasters are felt as though the reader is there.
The Falklands War was a truly amazing story as the British sent a battle group to the other end of the earth to take back the land invaded by a late twentieth century version of today's Russians.
This a real great read.
Highly recommended.
Bruce
While I purchased it because it looked interesting it way exceeded my expectations!
It tells the story of 809 squadron formed to travel to the Falklands on the Atlantic Conveyor to reinforce the Task Force.
Everything is so alive: the members of 809 squadron; the ship's captain, the events, the losses, the heroism, the political background, and also some strong insights from the Argentinian perspective.
The author had me feeling that I was sitting in the cockpit of an amazing Harrier jump jet, or standing on the heaving deck of the Atlantic Conveyer as it travelled in the stormy South Atlantic.
The 'strange' happenings and disasters are felt as though the reader is there.
The Falklands War was a truly amazing story as the British sent a battle group to the other end of the earth to take back the land invaded by a late twentieth century version of today's Russians.
This a real great read.
Highly recommended.
Bruce
November 10, 2020
What a exciting and informative book this proved to be. Well written and well researched.
The information provided in relation to the operational level is intriguing. I always find the logistic element of any war interesting. The author provides a indepth insight into the planning and organization that went into 809sq and the wider task force. I loved all the information that was devoted to the Atlantic conveyer. As well highlighting the British task force shortcomings, of Radar, gun sights and up to date weapon systems.
During the action, the book becomes exciting and at times I was unable to put it down. Telling the story perfectly from both the Argentine and British points of view, it really is gripping stuff.
This book is definitely one that should be read if you have a interest in fleet air arm, the RAF and Falklands conflict. You won't be disappointed.
The information provided in relation to the operational level is intriguing. I always find the logistic element of any war interesting. The author provides a indepth insight into the planning and organization that went into 809sq and the wider task force. I loved all the information that was devoted to the Atlantic conveyer. As well highlighting the British task force shortcomings, of Radar, gun sights and up to date weapon systems.
During the action, the book becomes exciting and at times I was unable to put it down. Telling the story perfectly from both the Argentine and British points of view, it really is gripping stuff.
This book is definitely one that should be read if you have a interest in fleet air arm, the RAF and Falklands conflict. You won't be disappointed.
October 21, 2023
Fantastic, very enjoyable read. Although the title suggest it is about Harrier squadron 809 it’s about much much more than that, it actually just uses 809 as a vehicle to discuss and explore the air battles of the Falklands War and to a lesser extent the naval battles. If you are looking for something covering the land portion of the conflict you’re going elsewhere as that is outside the scope of the book. That being said if you do not know anything about the Falklands conflict you’ll appreciate this book much more if you read something like “The Battle for the Falklands,” by Max Hastings first for an overview.
The use of interviews and quotes from actual participants makes for a very exciting read. It covers so much more than just the Harriers, not to much to be superfluous, but enough to put everything into context in a great way.
The use of interviews and quotes from actual participants makes for a very exciting read. It covers so much more than just the Harriers, not to much to be superfluous, but enough to put everything into context in a great way.
April 27, 2021
I've read a number of books on the Falklands War. While the ones covering the war from a broad perspective covered the problems with defending the task force sent to retake the Falklands from aerial attack, it did so from an upper-level view. Harrier 809, instead, is more of a micro view of the Falklands from 809 Squadron's perspective. It tells the story of how 809 Squadron was put together from scratch in a very short amount of time and how they fit into the Falklands air war. It also tells the story of that air war from the Sea Harrier and Harrier community's point of view, warts and all. For those interested in the history of the Falklands War, Naval History, or the history of Air Combat, this is definitely a book to read; I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 14, 2023
Quite an eye opener
I am very interested in military history, so I was keen to know more about the Falklands conflict especially as it’s something I remember well.
The book goes into depth about characters involved at the time and explains the details of the engineering issues that were encountered in order to get the task force to a state where it would make the biggest impact on the enemy.
It also covers the political scenarios being played out, most of which were unknown to the public, in order to prevent Argentina getting their hands on extra Exocet missiles plus the necessary engineers to fit them to their aircraft.
The book proved far more interesting than I expected and I’d recommend it to anyone with an interest in the military.
I am very interested in military history, so I was keen to know more about the Falklands conflict especially as it’s something I remember well.
The book goes into depth about characters involved at the time and explains the details of the engineering issues that were encountered in order to get the task force to a state where it would make the biggest impact on the enemy.
It also covers the political scenarios being played out, most of which were unknown to the public, in order to prevent Argentina getting their hands on extra Exocet missiles plus the necessary engineers to fit them to their aircraft.
The book proved far more interesting than I expected and I’d recommend it to anyone with an interest in the military.
February 20, 2021
I had already read Vulcan 607 and Into The Black by Rowland White so my decision to read his latest book was based on those two books which were excellent reads, Vulcan 607 being my favourite.
If you enjoy reading Rowland White's books, you won't be disappointed by Harrier 809 and you'll know what to expect. His books are well researched.
My only criticisms are that I had expected a bit more detail into the development of the Harrier in the first part of the book, and I had expected there to be a mention of the attack on the Sir Galahad by Argentine Skyhawks on 24th May and this wasn't mentioned at all.
Overall, this is still a good read and I would recommend it.
If you enjoy reading Rowland White's books, you won't be disappointed by Harrier 809 and you'll know what to expect. His books are well researched.
My only criticisms are that I had expected a bit more detail into the development of the Harrier in the first part of the book, and I had expected there to be a mention of the attack on the Sir Galahad by Argentine Skyhawks on 24th May and this wasn't mentioned at all.
Overall, this is still a good read and I would recommend it.
July 14, 2022
The Falkland war is a fascinating story. The book, however, only tells it in fragments, as it intersects with 809 squadron, which is kind of a shame. And even the specific details of 809's sorties are sometimes hard to follow. It feels like the book isn't quite sure whether it wants to tell the story of the Falkland campaign, or the story of the air war over the Falklands, or just follow the men of 809. It feels like it lacks focus.
Still, the story itself is interesting, even in its current form.
Still, the story itself is interesting, even in its current form.
February 18, 2021
An amazing story with a nice happy-ending twist at the end. If you’re into learning about a small naval task force supported by Air Force and Army sailed 8,000 miles and took on a fight inside the WEZ of their enemy, this is a good book. I’d say there are five main areas, Sea Harrier history, status of the RAF/RN harrier force and larger air forces of the time, outfitting of the Atlantic Conveyor, and the fight off Argentina. If those interest you, you’ll like the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2021
An interesting and fascinating read covering the Falklands conflict from the point of view of the Harrier Squadron (and seconded RAF planes) created to provide backup to the two existing Harriers squadrons based on the Navy's two aircraft carriers. Inter-service rivalries, international politics and secret and unofficial support from allies add a new dimension to the details of the conflict. Sad in parts, this is a warts and all tale.
January 3, 2021
First became of the book via the ‘We have ways’ Podcast and hearing Mr White talk about the conflict and the preparations to go to war. I found it absorbing and was completely astounded by some of the clandestine activity to ensure success. I would thoroughly recommend the book. It made me nostalgic for the days of the Sea Harrier and the GR3.
May 14, 2022
A very interesting book. Whilst it is about the role of the Sea Harrier in the Falklands War, it is also the story of the Atlantic Conveyor, the loss of which deprived the land forces of the helicopters required. The book also explains how important early warning radar is in such a conflict and how the lack of it, due to defence cuts contributed to the loss of ships.
March 15, 2021
Just brilliant . It is what I have come to expect from Rowland White . His books proudly sit on my bookshelf amongst titles by Hastings , Ambrose, Bishop, Arthur and Holland as an equal . Keep them coming .
April 25, 2021
Wow - What an epic page-turner!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Exceedingly well written, fast paced and chock-a-block full of excellent details, Mr. White has produced a highly detailed account of the air war as seen from the SHAR's contribution. Highly recommended!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Exceedingly well written, fast paced and chock-a-block full of excellent details, Mr. White has produced a highly detailed account of the air war as seen from the SHAR's contribution. Highly recommended!
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June 13, 2021Excellent
What a wonderful story full of detail and daring do from participants. I worked on Sheffield before she sailed and was upset upon her demise less than a month after I got off her .
What a wonderful story full of detail and daring do from participants. I worked on Sheffield before she sailed and was upset upon her demise less than a month after I got off her .
June 19, 2021
Couldn't put it down. Reading it brought back all the memories of watching the Falklands War unfold on the TV and the pride I felt in my country and the servicemen and women that took part in the war.
Expertly written and very informative. Highly recommended.
Expertly written and very informative. Highly recommended.
June 23, 2021
Enjoyable but not as good as the earlier 'Vulcan 607.'
Very in depth but a dry read. Good on the facts but a little lacking in excitement.
I think something about the land war in the Falklands next for me.
Very in depth but a dry read. Good on the facts but a little lacking in excitement.
I think something about the land war in the Falklands next for me.
October 26, 2022
Long and very slow in many parts. The book took longer to read than the entire Falklands battle. It is a true story but man does it draaaaag out. But the good guys win and the islands are back into Brit hands again.
December 30, 2020
An amazing book, as an ex RAF Officer I've served in the Falklands and read several books on the subject, this along with his previous work Vulcan 607 blurs the line between fact and fiction. It delivers a page turner that I was devastated to finish. Superb.
February 15, 2021
A well written account of 809 getting to the war with some nice pictures included to compliment the text.
February 21, 2021
Great book. Reads like thriller. It needed an improved timeline for specific events in greater narrative, but that’s a quibble.
June 3, 2021
Great book that 'fills in the corners' in a lot of the history. Theme remains positive when it could easily take a very negative spin on the state of RN/RAF readiness at the time.
July 7, 2021
Enjoyed this - a good narrative, well referenced and well researched. Some good description of the tempo of the work that went into standing up a squadron and getting it to war.
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