Gordon
Smith,
Battle Atlas of the
Falklands War 1982 by Land, Sea, and Air, Penarth: Naval–History.Net, 2006.
140 pp., maps, illustrations, appendix, bibliography, and index.
Review by
Charles Steele
United States Air Force Academy
_______________________________________________________________________
Battle
Atlas of the Falklands War 1982 by Land, Sea, and Air is the title given to
Gordon Smith’s 2006 revision of his 1989 work, Battles of the Falklands
War. The book’s new title denotes both a
change in publishers, the original title being offered by Ian Allen Ltd., and
one might suspect a desire to reflect Smith’s success in compiling a remarkably
functional reference tool. The book does indeed provide maps detailing the
sites of key events in the war that lasted from the beginning of April to
mid-June1982. However, to consider this merely an aid to understanding the
geography associated with the conflict is to sell this book well short of its
full usefulness. While there are the obligatory maps, Smith has managed to
provide what might best be termed a concise encyclopedia
of the Falklands War that is constructed along chronological lines.
Beginning
with a synopsis of the physical geography, economic activities, and general demographics
of the Falkland
Islands
and
Argentina , Smith proceeds to offer a brief
description of the roots of the conflict between Great Britain and Argentina . His chronology dates back to the
16th century and the first European sightings of the islands, then moves on to
the increased tensions emerging in the1960s that eventually led to war in 1982.
His remarks concerning the quarrel are brief and matter of fact. The remainder
of the text follows in much the same manner—Smith highlights the relevant events
transpiring daily and then provides slightly detailed thumbnail sketches to
acquaint his readers with the significance of those events. In fact, the books
greatest value is to be found in its service as an annotated timeline of the
crisis.
While it
has great merit as a detailed chronology, it should be seen as neither a
comprehensive history of the conflict nor an expansive collection of
cartographic art. The book is not designed to provide analysis, and the author
even offers his suggestions for sources that are better suited to provide
answers to the how and why questions of the war. If one looks to gain a better
appreciation for the Herculean task that confronted Rear Admiral John “Sandy”
Woodward and the other planners of this remarkable case of expeditionary
warfare, it will come through self-directed interpretation of the details
contained in this book and not from an overarching narrative provided by Smith.
It should also be noted that even though the book has the word atlas in its title,
it suffers from a paucity of large and detailed maps. There are only 49 maps in
the book and none of them is as large as a full page. While the maps are
undoubtedly of great value, they would have been of much greater benefit if
they had been made friendlier to the eye.
Despite its
minor defects, the book serves an important function as a handy reference for
students of this conflict. Readers will find that there are numerous charts
detailing the composition of both British and Argentinean forces, as well as
pictures of many of the key British participants and hardware from both sides.
While the comments concerning any of the matters contained in this book are
brief, they are well chosen and of considerable utility. For example, Smith
details the importance of Ascension Island to securing Britain’s victory and in
so doing provides the reader with a short history of the island and such
important information as its distance between Britain and the Falklands and the
fact that there was only one jetty at Clarence Bay to assist in the servicing
of British forces (p. 43). Regardless of one’s familiarity with the Falklands
War, this book serves well as a day-to-day guide to the conflict and as a quick
reference to the actions involving its best known participants.
The Editors
International
Journal of Naval History
editors@ijnhonline.org
© Copyright
2008, International Journal of Naval History, All Rights Reserved
