Soldier Roger Field led his tank crew into Port Stanley during the Falklands War of 1982. This is an interesting first-hand account of the little-known armored advance during the conflict.

An excellent telling of one officer’s war.
An insightful view, delivered in an honest and calm manner.
Neatly ties together many of the strands from other books with a regimental or battle site focus.
A must read for anyone who has a genuine interest in the events of 1982.

I have just finished reading a delightful and surprisingly insightful text, provided to me in the form of an ARC by its publishers, Pen and Sword, entitled "Scimitar Into Stanley: One Soldier's Falklands War" by Roger Field. The author was a young officer in the British expeditionary force sent to repel the Argentinian invaders in the Falklands
War. The book is based largely on the author's notes, taken during his service in the war. As this genre of literature goes, and largely because of the author's insights into the context of this war and his role in it, examined both contemporaneously through his "diary" and through his long life since then, it is a remarkably candid and well informed look at his experiences and how they fit into a specific time and place as well as what he has made of them since that time. The key here is both the importance of this conflict to the United Kingdom and the sardonic and often enormously amusing point of view of the young officer and the man he has become. I found his elucidation of British military traditions in the deep shadows of a lost empire both funny and often poignant. Further, while the text is no traditional military history of the Falklands campaign, and if that is what you are looking for this is not the place to start, it is, nonetheless, enormously and rather startlingly enlightening in its discussion of one mans experience of a very unique military campaign. Although Field goes to some lengths not to make too much of his own role in this bit of history as theater, it is worth keeping in mind that his role in these events and contribution to the British victory is significant indeed. He was very well placed in events on the ground to chronicle the efforts of the various components of the British military as a kind of inside observer of their struggle, and this, as much as anything else, gives the text its uniquely prescient importance as an historical document. It is a quick read, and one very situated in the late twentieth century, but the author's humanity shines through on every page, and it truly is a delight.

A well done account of the war in the Falklands. It was interesting to read of the events that occurred. The story was well told and held my attention. A definite must read for those who enjoy this type of story.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.