How things change!, 06 Oct 2008
I was looking forward to reading this book as I have served with a couple of lads from both 2 & 3 Para who fought in the Falklands and have worked with many other Paras in more recent years.
The book started off pretty dull about his life at school but soon got on track once he decided to join the Army, the story of life in the Army, his trip down south and what happened on his return was excellent, but then it went back to being dull again, why he chose to write about his trip to Belize is beyond me and didnt add anything to the book, I nearly stopped reading there, but then it picked up again at the end.
His attitude towards the rest of the Army is now very dated, and although there is still inter Regiment rivalry the whole whole way that we view each other has changed since his day, due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanstan where all capbadges are working and fighting together there is a lot more mutual respect and quite rightly too, check out the number of gallantry awards awarded to all Regts and Corps of the British Army.
Mark, like all who have been involved in armed conflict went through a lot both mentally and physically and I salute all who have done so, but as you read the latter part of the book, he is still in the mindset that everyone who isnt airborne is a hat and the Paras hate them, on that issue he is very much a dinosaur and out of touch.

10 out of 10. Read this Book!, 08 Sep 2008
I devoured "Sod that" in just three sittings, and that doesn't often happen to me. During the Falklands battles I was lost in the pages, until my wife told me to turn the bloody light out. I looked across and it was four o'clock in the morning!

I thought it was brilliantly and truthfully written from the heart. Mark has not tried to big himself or his buddies up, he told it like it was in every gory and moving detail, and that's what makes this account so much more readable.

Buy it. Read it, then if you have never served under fire, you may just get a hint of what it's like. You may then begin to understand why so many men struggle when they come back from war.

This doesn't apply just to the lads from 1982. Try to imagine what hundreds or maybe even thousands of very young men are going through when they come back from Afghanistan, or Iraq.

A lot though, like many of Marks friends, don't come back. This will remind you that they are not just numbers you hear on the evening news. They are people, young men with families, wives and children, someone's son. This book should put things in perspective, in order of importance in your life.

Tony

Sod that, real story-real life., 13 Feb 2008
I feel i have to write in a retort to Jayetee's reveiw. The comments about the authour being rude and abusive, although being his/her personnel opinion should not stand.
I have recently laid the book down after what i can describe as one of the most moving accounts that i have ever digested.
Mark Eyles-Thomas served with the Parachute Regiment, calling all other members of the armed forces who did not earn the Maroon beret as HATS, is what is best described as banter, mickey taking and having a massive sense of self pride. What the Paras and other elite units do is not normal, these people are close, because of what they are asked to do; by people sat in their living rooms and cosy offices. Is the reviewer so naive as to think those HATS do not have their own colourful language to describe those who call them HATS?
I can give this informed statement, as i served as a Hat for nearly ten years, i am immensley proud of my military sevice, like Mark i joined the Army as a sixteen year old, and also lost a friend during operations in Bosnia.
People should not be put off from reading this book because of Marks description of non Paras, Mark tells it like it is, sometimes people tell you the truth can hurt, read the book and understand that this is about normal young men asked to do a very abnormal job, its consequences and what makes our British Army the best on the planet.
You will not be disapointed

Excellent, 22 Jan 2008
Excellent read.
Forget the history books,this book brings home the true reality of the Falklands War as experienced by the young soldiers of 3 Para.
It brings home the true horrors and emotions of warfare.
A must read for all.
Thanks Mark for telling your story and helping us remember those who gave thier lives and those who still suffer today.

Sod That For A Game Of Soldiers, 13 Jan 2008
I found this author to be rude and abusive to any other person who was not a Para. Not at all amusing hearing other Military and civilian personel being slagged off.

How things change!, 06 Oct 2008
I was looking forward to reading this book as I have served with a couple of lads from both 2 & 3 Para who fought in the Falklands and have worked with many other Paras in more recent years.
The book started off pretty dull about his life at school but soon got on track once he decided to join the Army, the story of life in the Army, his trip down south and what happened on his return was excellent, but then it went back to being dull again, why he chose to write about his trip to Belize is beyond me and didnt add anything to the book, I nearly stopped reading there, but then it picked up again at the end.
His attitude towards the rest of the Army is now very dated, and although there is still inter Regiment rivalry the whole whole way that we view each other has changed since his day, due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanstan where all capbadges are working and fighting together there is a lot more mutual respect and quite rightly too, check out the number of gallantry awards awarded to all Regts and Corps of the British Army.
Mark, like all who have been involved in armed conflict went through a lot both mentally and physically and I salute all who have done so, but as you read the latter part of the book, he is still in the mindset that everyone who isnt airborne is a hat and the Paras hate them, on that issue he is very much a dinosaur and out of touch.

10 out of 10. Read this Book!, 08 Sep 2008
I devoured "Sod that" in just three sittings, and that doesn't often happen to me. During the Falklands battles I was lost in the pages, until my wife told me to turn the bloody light out. I looked across and it was four o'clock in the morning!

I thought it was brilliantly and truthfully written from the heart. Mark has not tried to big himself or his buddies up, he told it like it was in every gory and moving detail, and that's what makes this account so much more readable.

Buy it. Read it, then if you have never served under fire, you may just get a hint of what it's like. You may then begin to understand why so many men struggle when they come back from war.

This doesn't apply just to the lads from 1982. Try to imagine what hundreds or maybe even thousands of very young men are going through when they come back from Afghanistan, or Iraq.

A lot though, like many of Marks friends, don't come back. This will remind you that they are not just numbers you hear on the evening news. They are people, young men with families, wives and children, someone's son. This book should put things in perspective, in order of importance in your life.

Tony

Sod that, real story-real life., 13 Feb 2008
I feel i have to write in a retort to Jayetee's reveiw. The comments about the authour being rude and abusive, although being his/her personnel opinion should not stand.
I have recently laid the book down after what i can describe as one of the most moving accounts that i have ever digested.
Mark Eyles-Thomas served with the Parachute Regiment, calling all other members of the armed forces who did not earn the Maroon beret as HATS, is what is best described as banter, mickey taking and having a massive sense of self pride. What the Paras and other elite units do is not normal, these people are close, because of what they are asked to do; by people sat in their living rooms and cosy offices. Is the reviewer so naive as to think those HATS do not have their own colourful language to describe those who call them HATS?
I can give this informed statement, as i served as a Hat for nearly ten years, i am immensley proud of my military sevice, like Mark i joined the Army as a sixteen year old, and also lost a friend during operations in Bosnia.
People should not be put off from reading this book because of Marks description of non Paras, Mark tells it like it is, sometimes people tell you the truth can hurt, read the book and understand that this is about normal young men asked to do a very abnormal job, its consequences and what makes our British Army the best on the planet.
You will not be disapointed

Excellent, 22 Jan 2008
Excellent read.
Forget the history books,this book brings home the true reality of the Falklands War as experienced by the young soldiers of 3 Para.
It brings home the true horrors and emotions of warfare.
A must read for all.
Thanks Mark for telling your story and helping us remember those who gave thier lives and those who still suffer today.

Sod That For A Game Of Soldiers, 13 Jan 2008
I found this author to be rude and abusive to any other person who was not a Para. Not at all amusing hearing other Military and civilian personel being slagged off.

Brilliant, 03 Dec 2007
This book came into my hands after I asked an Australian friend of my mum's generation if he could recommend any good general introductions to Australian history. He said he'd think about it, and then a couple of weeks later this book (and some others) arrived in the post as gifts. Reading Phillip Knightley's fascinatingly informal history of the Australian nation, I wonder if there isn't something characteristically Australian about this act of generosity. Knightley's book is not a solid piece of academic history, and it doesn't pretend to be; it's part memoir, part narrative history, part journalism, part argument. He is exercised by the conflicts that have kept Australian history on the move: the paradox of a self-consciously democratic country that refused for years to recognise the rights of Aboriginals; the difference of outlook between Australians who considered themselves British and those who tried to establish a specifically national identity; the remarkably bitter divisions between left and right. Until I read this book, I had never imagined how close the country had come, during the 1930s, to civil war. According to Knightley, secret right-wing armies lasted well into the 1970s and some may still be lurking in Oz today. His own sympathies are refreshingly evident throughout; against racial discrimination, against corruption, against bigotry, against exploitation, he's an old-school left-liberal, one of the last of a rare breed.

At first the mixture of personal reminiscence and historical narrative seems a bit confusing, as if the author can't make up his mind what sort of book he wants to write, but it comes to seem like a fitting way to talk about a remarkable country. 'Biography of a Nation' is a good title; it's about the development of Australian nationhood, which for better or worse dates back to the prison settlements. A true history of Australia would have to cover the many thousands of years before the white man ever set foot on the country. And it's hard to imagine any one person being qualified to write such a book.

Defining the National Character, 25 Oct 2003
Far too many history books are deadly dry, a compilation of facts and dates that often leave out the human element and with little sense of drama. This book does not fall into that trap, being something of a mix of memoir, short vignettes of many, many people, both famous and ordinary, and the more normal recounting of the happenings of history. Often the people stories are insightful, sometimes humorous, and do much to help illustrate Knightley's main thesis of just what an Australian really is.

The downside of this method of narration is that it is easy to lose objectivity, something I'm afraid Knightley is guilty of in at least a few places. His political bias is very much in evidence throughout this book, most glaringly in his depiction of the various Prime Ministers and the battles between the working man and the rich landholders/business executives. At the same time, his depiction of the items that have gone into the making of the essential Australian character is well told, forming a mosaic of events and people that put this character into clear focus. Having lived in Australia myself (a very long time ago, but I don't think there has been any basic change in this item since), I can testify that the traits of wishing everyone to 'have a fair go' and mateship really do seem to be defining items of that character.

One item that would definitely have improved this book would have been the inclusion of some maps of the country. Unless one is intimately aware of the geography of this continent-country, the references to literally hundreds of place names and towns can be daunting without some way to place them spatially. I would have also liked to see a little greater treatment of the early period of its settlement, as the emphasis of this book is very much the twentieth century, and even more so on the last half of that century. Often the narration is told from the strictly political point of view, with little reference to the great resource finds and their development that had quite an influence on how Australia developed.

On the other hand, Knightley does a very good job of portraying and documenting the treatment that the Aborigines have been subjected to, from the earliest settlements to the latest landmark court decisions dealing with their land rights. More than any other item, this one area shows just how much Australia has changed from a blatantly racist and xenophobic nation to one that has at least begun to recognize its past failings and find its place in a truly multi-cultural world.

Superb. A must read, 06 Mar 2003
It's hard to describe this book without gushing about how well written it is. What can I say other than "Superb!".

It covers all the topics you'd expect to find in a history of the young country continent and it's clear the author has done his research. Controversial issues and events are explained from both sides of the argument and the author doesn't force an opinion of his own, but he does hint at which explanation he finds most plausible. He also shares stories from his life in Oz and does a fine job of describing his life as a kid during the great depression.

A week before starting this book I'd read "A Concise History of Australia" by Stuart Macintyre, an academic's view of Oz history. With that fresh in my mind I thought there wouldn't be much extra that Phillip Knightley could add. Boy was I wrong. The writing styles are so different that it's as if Macintyre is painting in black and white (not even greyscale), while Knightley creates his own colours. Knightley brings the stories and history to life and keeps your attention. It'd take a man with a heart of stone not to be affected by his description of the policy of removal of Aboriginal children from their parents in the middle part of the 1900s. Others explain it in terms of policy, Knightley brings life to it.

I could go on, but shouldn't.

Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Superb exploration of a country and its people, 03 Feb 2002
To mark Australia's centenary of federation, Phillip Knightley, himself an ex-pat Australian, set out to write a book about the country of his birth, to explore the idea of what it is to be Australian and to analyse what it is that has made Australia such a successful nation despite the fact it was set up by convicts and their jailors. Why is it that Australia and Australians turned out so differently from America and Americans given that both countries were settled in similar ways? Knightley's book not only answers these questions (and more), it is a superb exploration and thought-provoking warts-and-all account of Australia's recent history. As an Australian who has spent the past three-and-a-half years living in London, Knightley's main question has often plagued my thoughts: what is an Australian, and, more recently, why is it that we seem to be taking over the world (Kylie, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Peter Carey, et al)? Through a clever combination of historical anecdotes and personal memoir, Knightley's "biography of a nation" is a superb, hard-to-put-down story that spans everything you thought you knew about Australia and everything you didn't. If you've never been Down Under or don't know who Gough Whitlam is or have never heard of Mabo, this book will expand your knowledge and have you dying to get on the next plane to Sydney. And if you're Australian you might just find out something you didn't know about your country or had forgotten you knew. This book is a must read for potential travellers and citizens alike. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Great Introduction to Australian History, 29 Jan 2002
Knowing near to nothing about Australia but planning to spend some time there, I found this book a great summary of Australian history over the last 100 years. Objectively, analytical written, with lots of anecdotes keeping it very readable. Really enjoyed it.

How things change!, 06 Oct 2008
I was looking forward to reading this book as I have served with a couple of lads from both 2 & 3 Para who fought in the Falklands and have worked with many other Paras in more recent years.
The book started off pretty dull about his life at school but soon got on track once he decided to join the Army, the story of life in the Army, his trip down south and what happened on his return was excellent, but then it went back to being dull again, why he chose to write about his trip to Belize is beyond me and didnt add anything to the book, I nearly stopped reading there, but then it picked up again at the end.
His attitude towards the rest of the Army is now very dated, and although there is still inter Regiment rivalry the whole whole way that we view each other has changed since his day, due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanstan where all capbadges are working and fighting together there is a lot more mutual respect and quite rightly too, check out the number of gallantry awards awarded to all Regts and Corps of the British Army.
Mark, like all who have been involved in armed conflict went through a lot both mentally and physically and I salute all who have done so, but as you read the latter part of the book, he is still in the mindset that everyone who isnt airborne is a hat and the Paras hate them, on that issue he is very much a dinosaur and out of touch.

10 out of 10. Read this Book!, 08 Sep 2008
I devoured "Sod that" in just three sittings, and that doesn't often happen to me. During the Falklands battles I was lost in the pages, until my wife told me to turn the bloody light out. I looked across and it was four o'clock in the morning!

I thought it was brilliantly and truthfully written from the heart. Mark has not tried to big himself or his buddies up, he told it like it was in every gory and moving detail, and that's what makes this account so much more readable.

Buy it. Read it, then if you have never served under fire, you may just get a hint of what it's like. You may then begin to understand why so many men struggle when they come back from war.

This doesn't apply just to the lads from 1982. Try to imagine what hundreds or maybe even thousands of very young men are going through when they come back from Afghanistan, or Iraq.

A lot though, like many of Marks friends, don't come back. This will remind you that they are not just numbers you hear on the evening news. They are people, young men with families, wives and children, someone's son. This book should put things in perspective, in order of importance in your life.

Tony

Sod that, real story-real life., 13 Feb 2008
I feel i have to write in a retort to Jayetee's reveiw. The comments about the authour being rude and abusive, although being his/her personnel opinion should not stand.
I have recently laid the book down after what i can describe as one of the most moving accounts that i have ever digested.
Mark Eyles-Thomas served with the Parachute Regiment, calling all other members of the armed forces who did not earn the Maroon beret as HATS, is what is best described as banter, mickey taking and having a massive sense of self pride. What the Paras and other elite units do is not normal, these people are close, because of what they are asked to do; by people sat in their living rooms and cosy offices. Is the reviewer so naive as to think those HATS do not have their own colourful language to describe those who call them HATS?
I can give this informed statement, as i served as a Hat for nearly ten years, i am immensley proud of my military sevice, like Mark i joined the Army as a sixteen year old, and also lost a friend during operations in Bosnia.
People should not be put off from reading this book because of Marks description of non Paras, Mark tells it like it is, sometimes people tell you the truth can hurt, read the book and understand that this is about normal young men asked to do a very abnormal job, its consequences and what makes our British Army the best on the planet.
You will not be disapointed

Excellent, 22 Jan 2008
Excellent read.
Forget the history books,this book brings home the true reality of the Falklands War as experienced by the young soldiers of 3 Para.
It brings home the true horrors and emotions of warfare.
A must read for all.
Thanks Mark for telling your story and helping us remember those who gave thier lives and those who still suffer today.

Sod That For A Game Of Soldiers, 13 Jan 2008
I found this author to be rude and abusive to any other person who was not a Para. Not at all amusing hearing other Military and civilian personel being slagged off.

Brilliant, 03 Dec 2007
This book came into my hands after I asked an Australian friend of my mum's generation if he could recommend any good general introductions to Australian history. He said he'd think about it, and then a couple of weeks later this book (and some others) arrived in the post as gifts. Reading Phillip Knightley's fascinatingly informal history of the Australian nation, I wonder if there isn't something characteristically Australian about this act of generosity. Knightley's book is not a solid piece of academic history, and it doesn't pretend to be; it's part memoir, part narrative history, part journalism, part argument. He is exercised by the conflicts that have kept Australian history on the move: the paradox of a self-consciously democratic country that refused for years to recognise the rights of Aboriginals; the difference of outlook between Australians who considered themselves British and those who tried to establish a specifically national identity; the remarkably bitter divisions between left and right. Until I read this book, I had never imagined how close the country had come, during the 1930s, to civil war. According to Knightley, secret right-wing armies lasted well into the 1970s and some may still be lurking in Oz today. His own sympathies are refreshingly evident throughout; against racial discrimination, against corruption, against bigotry, against exploitation, he's an old-school left-liberal, one of the last of a rare breed.

At first the mixture of personal reminiscence and historical narrative seems a bit confusing, as if the author can't make up his mind what sort of book he wants to write, but it comes to seem like a fitting way to talk about a remarkable country. 'Biography of a Nation' is a good title; it's about the development of Australian nationhood, which for better or worse dates back to the prison settlements. A true history of Australia would have to cover the many thousands of years before the white man ever set foot on the country. And it's hard to imagine any one person being qualified to write such a book.

Defining the National Character, 25 Oct 2003
Far too many history books are deadly dry, a compilation of facts and dates that often leave out the human element and with little sense of drama. This book does not fall into that trap, being something of a mix of memoir, short vignettes of many, many people, both famous and ordinary, and the more normal recounting of the happenings of history. Often the people stories are insightful, sometimes humorous, and do much to help illustrate Knightley's main thesis of just what an Australian really is.

The downside of this method of narration is that it is easy to lose objectivity, something I'm afraid Knightley is guilty of in at least a few places. His political bias is very much in evidence throughout this book, most glaringly in his depiction of the various Prime Ministers and the battles between the working man and the rich landholders/business executives. At the same time, his depiction of the items that have gone into the making of the essential Australian character is well told, forming a mosaic of events and people that put this character into clear focus. Having lived in Australia myself (a very long time ago, but I don't think there has been any basic change in this item since), I can testify that the traits of wishing everyone to 'have a fair go' and mateship really do seem to be defining items of that character.

One item that would definitely have improved this book would have been the inclusion of some maps of the country. Unless one is intimately aware of the geography of this continent-country, the references to literally hundreds of place names and towns can be daunting without some way to place them spatially. I would have also liked to see a little greater treatment of the early period of its settlement, as the emphasis of this book is very much the twentieth century, and even more so on the last half of that century. Often the narration is told from the strictly political point of view, with little reference to the great resource finds and their development that had quite an influence on how Australia developed.

On the other hand, Knightley does a very good job of portraying and documenting the treatment that the Aborigines have been subjected to, from the earliest settlements to the latest landmark court decisions dealing with their land rights. More than any other item, this one area shows just how much Australia has changed from a blatantly racist and xenophobic nation to one that has at least begun to recognize its past failings and find its place in a truly multi-cultural world.

Superb. A must read, 06 Mar 2003
It's hard to describe this book without gushing about how well written it is. What can I say other than "Superb!".

It covers all the topics you'd expect to find in a history of the young country continent and it's clear the author has done his research. Controversial issues and events are explained from both sides of the argument and the author doesn't force an opinion of his own, but he does hint at which explanation he finds most plausible. He also shares stories from his life in Oz and does a fine job of describing his life as a kid during the great depression.

A week before starting this book I'd read "A Concise History of Australia" by Stuart Macintyre, an academic's view of Oz history. With that fresh in my mind I thought there wouldn't be much extra that Phillip Knightley could add. Boy was I wrong. The writing styles are so different that it's as if Macintyre is painting in black and white (not even greyscale), while Knightley creates his own colours. Knightley brings the stories and history to life and keeps your attention. It'd take a man with a heart of stone not to be affected by his description of the policy of removal of Aboriginal children from their parents in the middle part of the 1900s. Others explain it in terms of policy, Knightley brings life to it.

I could go on, but shouldn't.

Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Superb exploration of a country and its people, 03 Feb 2002
To mark Australia's centenary of federation, Phillip Knightley, himself an ex-pat Australian, set out to write a book about the country of his birth, to explore the idea of what it is to be Australian and to analyse what it is that has made Australia such a successful nation despite the fact it was set up by convicts and their jailors. Why is it that Australia and Australians turned out so differently from America and Americans given that both countries were settled in similar ways? Knightley's book not only answers these questions (and more), it is a superb exploration and thought-provoking warts-and-all account of Australia's recent history. As an Australian who has spent the past three-and-a-half years living in London, Knightley's main question has often plagued my thoughts: what is an Australian, and, more recently, why is it that we seem to be taking over the world (Kylie, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Peter Carey, et al)? Through a clever combination of historical anecdotes and personal memoir, Knightley's "biography of a nation" is a superb, hard-to-put-down story that spans everything you thought you knew about Australia and everything you didn't. If you've never been Down Under or don't know who Gough Whitlam is or have never heard of Mabo, this book will expand your knowledge and have you dying to get on the next plane to Sydney. And if you're Australian you might just find out something you didn't know about your country or had forgotten you knew. This book is a must read for potential travellers and citizens alike. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Great Introduction to Australian History, 29 Jan 2002
Knowing near to nothing about Australia but planning to spend some time there, I found this book a great summary of Australian history over the last 100 years. Objectively, analytical written, with lots of anecdotes keeping it very readable. Really enjoyed it.

A Great Military History Book, 14 Nov 2007
One can almost feel himself in the ships ongoing to the South Atlantic, on the battlefields of the Falklands or in the corridors of power, witnessing the political maneuvering.Of course it is written strictly on the british perspective of the conflict, but apart from that is a great piece of work.

Still the best account of the war, 30 Jul 2007
Max Hastings is a journalist who has an unerring knack of writing for publications that I would normally walk a thousand miles to avoid. Notwithstanding this, however, I have to say that he has done an absolutely sterling job with this book.

Although first published in the immediate aftermath of the war it has withstood the test of time well and, as a general history of the conflict, it will probably not be surpassed.

If you want to read the best written, most accessible account of the Falklands war then, without doubt, this is the book you should buy.


Surely You mean 3 Days?, 29 Apr 2007
Max Hastings was there so in a way this is a historically accurate account. The stuff back home in Blighty is also entralling, but leaves out the much later analyses such as MI6 buying up the world's supply of exocet missiles to prevent Argentina getting anymore than the 5 they posessed and used, showing up the Royal Navy's lack of readiness for such attacks (even though they possessed such missiles themselves!).

This book gives a broad picture too, that NATO was also threatened by the Falklands conflict (when a partner is away, the Soviets saw the weakness exposed in Europe), and the Americans apparently disapproved. The British Government are shown to have made quick decisions, but with communication letting really everyone down (as it does in all relationships). The problems of a war 8000 miles away are also covered, and what became then the longest bombing mission in history is mentioned.
The air battles were clearly what caused the British to come close to losing what was a morally important conflict to up-hold internbational law. The whole problem of the Falklands stemmed from an ambiguous history involving France, Britain, Spain and then Argentina by default. Still, Hastings makes it clear that the law is the law, and The Falklands were lawfully British. Another case of the law condemning us. I appreciated the comment that when Thatcher wsa told that the Task Force would take 3 weeks to sail tere, she shot back to the Admiral "Surely you nmean 3 days?", thus showing the ignorance at the top as well.
The interseting deployment of Harriers in all their British versions against not only the highly formidible Mirage/Daggers and Skyhawks, but also lumbering Canberras and Pucaras is noted. The invaluable latest Sidewinder air to air missiles from teh States also put the British at an advantage over the Argentinians, as well as the US "forgetting" to inform the Argenitinians that their (US made) bombs could be set to 0 feet detonation also spared many British soldiers, some not too far distant from the Author.
The book gets going down in the mud of the island when the troops were ashore after their baptism of fire thriough accurately delivered bombs on the Sir Galahad and various troop ships. From then on the SAS and Para's routed the Argentinians from teh islands, though not without lack of grace from the enemy (when surrendering troops were shot in the back) and the worst yomps they had until then undertaken.
A complete account really, with technical and political cdetails to round of the effort. One learns that the conflict brewed up relatively slowly, on South Georgia through to the Falklands themselves. What the Military Junta were thinmking would be their end-game though is not said. The fact that the war caused Argentina to undergo a fgreat fall in pride and become a nation that sought God in humility afterwards is also not covered.

A freak event in history, 10 Jan 2006
That’s what Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins call the battle between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Their rather thorough study on the 1982 conflict makes a fascinating read.

The authors start off with covering the history of the Falklands, which is quite useful background. Simon Jenkins does a good job detailing the political developments right up to the invasion. It would appear that the conflict was as much a result of the fallacies of modern diplomacy as a perceived need by the Argentinean regime to deflect the population from the domestic situation. That’s at least the message I took home from reading the authors’ account of the Seventeen Years’ War and Galtieri’s Gamble.

The actual war is recounted in quite some detail, but largely from the British point of view as Argentinean sources were not freely available at the time of publication (1983). The book also gives the impression that the British were in a bit of trouble quite a number of times during the conflict, but that as a result of a lack of co-ordination (or call it rivalries) between the different services of the Argentinean forces, they got away with their own shortcomings. The authors note that if the different services had better co-ordinated their efforts, the British task of regaining the Islands would have been much harder if not impossible.

At the end of the narrative, there are three excellent appendices on the Falkland Islands Task Force, the Honours List and the ‘Frank Report’ examining the ‘why it hadn’t been prevented in the first place’ issue.

This is an excellent book on the subject.

A fascinating book, 25 Nov 2003
This book is an in-depth study of the war fought between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands from April to June 1982. The book begins with a highly informative history of the islands, focusing on the two countries' claims to the islands. The war is recounted in excellent depth, focusing heavily on the British side. The final chapter is on the aftermath of the war, which is severely limited, due to the fact that the book was published in 1983.

Finally, there are three excellent appendices: A covers the British task force, giving everything from silhouettes of the ships and airplanes through list of the units involved complete with their commanders; B lists the honors given to Falklands veterans; and appendix C contains the Franks Report on the conflict. The maps contained in the book are excellent, as are the numerous black-and-white pictures.

This book is quite fascinating, and highly informative on the war. I found myself completely unable to put this book down, but just had to read a little more, and a little more, and a little more... I wish that it contained more information on the Argentine side, which would give the book more all-around information. However, that said, it is a great book, giving the reader a good idea of what happened both on the battlefield, and in the halls of the politicians (a great deal of the British side was run for more political, rather than military reasons).

This is a great book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this fascinating war.

How things change!, 06 Oct 2008
I was looking forward to reading this book as I have served with a couple of lads from both 2 & 3 Para who fought in the Falklands and have worked with many other Paras in more recent years.
The book started off pretty dull about his life at school but soon got on track once he decided to join the Army, the story of life in the Army, his trip down south and what happened on his return was excellent, but then it went back to being dull again, why he chose to write about his trip to Belize is beyond me and didnt add anything to the book, I nearly stopped reading there, but then it picked up again at the end.
His attitude towards the rest of the Army is now very dated, and although there is still inter Regiment rivalry the whole whole way that we view each other has changed since his day, due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanstan where all capbadges are working and fighting together there is a lot more mutual respect and quite rightly too, check out the number of gallantry awards awarded to all Regts and Corps of the British Army.
Mark, like all who have been involved in armed conflict went through a lot both mentally and physically and I salute all who have done so, but as you read the latter part of the book, he is still in the mindset that everyone who isnt airborne is a hat and the Paras hate them, on that issue he is very much a dinosaur and out of touch.

10 out of 10. Read this Book!, 08 Sep 2008
I devoured "Sod that" in just three sittings, and that doesn't often happen to me. During the Falklands battles I was lost in the pages, until my wife told me to turn the bloody light out. I looked across and it was four o'clock in the morning!

I thought it was brilliantly and truthfully written from the heart. Mark has not tried to big himself or his buddies up, he told it like it was in every gory and moving detail, and that's what makes this account so much more readable.

Buy it. Read it, then if you have never served under fire, you may just get a hint of what it's like. You may then begin to understand why so many men struggle when they come back from war.

This doesn't apply just to the lads from 1982. Try to imagine what hundreds or maybe even thousands of very young men are going through when they come back from Afghanistan, or Iraq.

A lot though, like many of Marks friends, don't come back. This will remind you that they are not just numbers you hear on the evening news. They are people, young men with families, wives and children, someone's son. This book should put things in perspective, in order of importance in your life.

Tony

Sod that, real story-real life., 13 Feb 2008
I feel i have to write in a retort to Jayetee's reveiw. The comments about the authour being rude and abusive, although being his/her personnel opinion should not stand.
I have recently laid the book down after what i can describe as one of the most moving accounts that i have ever digested.
Mark Eyles-Thomas served with the Parachute Regiment, calling all other members of the armed forces who did not earn the Maroon beret as HATS, is what is best described as banter, mickey taking and having a massive sense of self pride. What the Paras and other elite units do is not normal, these people are close, because of what they are asked to do; by people sat in their living rooms and cosy offices. Is the reviewer so naive as to think those HATS do not have their own colourful language to describe those who call them HATS?
I can give this informed statement, as i served as a Hat for nearly ten years, i am immensley proud of my military sevice, like Mark i joined the Army as a sixteen year old, and also lost a friend during operations in Bosnia.
People should not be put off from reading this book because of Marks description of non Paras, Mark tells it like it is, sometimes people tell you the truth can hurt, read the book and understand that this is about normal young men asked to do a very abnormal job, its consequences and what makes our British Army the best on the planet.
You will not be disapointed

Excellent, 22 Jan 2008
Excellent read.
Forget the history books,this book brings home the true reality of the Falklands War as experienced by the young soldiers of 3 Para.
It brings home the true horrors and emotions of warfare.
A must read for all.
Thanks Mark for telling your story and helping us remember those who gave thier lives and those who still suffer today.

Sod That For A Game Of Soldiers, 13 Jan 2008
I found this author to be rude and abusive to any other person who was not a Para. Not at all amusing hearing other Military and civilian personel being slagged off.

Brilliant, 03 Dec 2007
This book came into my hands after I asked an Australian friend of my mum's generation if he could recommend any good general introductions to Australian history. He said he'd think about it, and then a couple of weeks later this book (and some others) arrived in the post as gifts. Reading Phillip Knightley's fascinatingly informal history of the Australian nation, I wonder if there isn't something characteristically Australian about this act of generosity. Knightley's book is not a solid piece of academic history, and it doesn't pretend to be; it's part memoir, part narrative history, part journalism, part argument. He is exercised by the conflicts that have kept Australian history on the move: the paradox of a self-consciously democratic country that refused for years to recognise the rights of Aboriginals; the difference of outlook between Australians who considered themselves British and those who tried to establish a specifically national identity; the remarkably bitter divisions between left and right. Until I read this book, I had never imagined how close the country had come, during the 1930s, to civil war. According to Knightley, secret right-wing armies lasted well into the 1970s and some may still be lurking in Oz today. His own sympathies are refreshingly evident throughout; against racial discrimination, against corruption, against bigotry, against exploitation, he's an old-school left-liberal, one of the last of a rare breed.

At first the mixture of personal reminiscence and historical narrative seems a bit confusing, as if the author can't make up his mind what sort of book he wants to write, but it comes to seem like a fitting way to talk about a remarkable country. 'Biography of a Nation' is a good title; it's about the development of Australian nationhood, which for better or worse dates back to the prison settlements. A true history of Australia would have to cover the many thousands of years before the white man ever set foot on the country. And it's hard to imagine any one person being qualified to write such a book.

Defining the National Character, 25 Oct 2003
Far too many history books are deadly dry, a compilation of facts and dates that often leave out the human element and with little sense of drama. This book does not fall into that trap, being something of a mix of memoir, short vignettes of many, many people, both famous and ordinary, and the more normal recounting of the happenings of history. Often the people stories are insightful, sometimes humorous, and do much to help illustrate Knightley's main thesis of just what an Australian really is.

The downside of this method of narration is that it is easy to lose objectivity, something I'm afraid Knightley is guilty of in at least a few places. His political bias is very much in evidence throughout this book, most glaringly in his depiction of the various Prime Ministers and the battles between the working man and the rich landholders/business executives. At the same time, his depiction of the items that have gone into the making of the essential Australian character is well told, forming a mosaic of events and people that put this character into clear focus. Having lived in Australia myself (a very long time ago, but I don't think there has been any basic change in this item since), I can testify that the traits of wishing everyone to 'have a fair go' and mateship really do seem to be defining items of that character.

One item that would definitely have improved this book would have been the inclusion of some maps of the country. Unless one is intimately aware of the geography of this continent-country, the references to literally hundreds of place names and towns can be daunting without some way to place them spatially. I would have also liked to see a little greater treatment of the early period of its settlement, as the emphasis of this book is very much the twentieth century, and even more so on the last half of that century. Often the narration is told from the strictly political point of view, with little reference to the great resource finds and their development that had quite an influence on how Australia developed.

On the other hand, Knightley does a very good job of portraying and documenting the treatment that the Aborigines have been subjected to, from the earliest settlements to the latest landmark court decisions dealing with their land rights. More than any other item, this one area shows just how much Australia has changed from a blatantly racist and xenophobic nation to one that has at least begun to recognize its past failings and find its place in a truly multi-cultural world.

Superb. A must read, 06 Mar 2003
It's hard to describe this book without gushing about how well written it is. What can I say other than "Superb!".

It covers all the topics you'd expect to find in a history of the young country continent and it's clear the author has done his research. Controversial issues and events are explained from both sides of the argument and the author doesn't force an opinion of his own, but he does hint at which explanation he finds most plausible. He also shares stories from his life in Oz and does a fine job of describing his life as a kid during the great depression.

A week before starting this book I'd read "A Concise History of Australia" by Stuart Macintyre, an academic's view of Oz history. With that fresh in my mind I thought there wouldn't be much extra that Phillip Knightley could add. Boy was I wrong. The writing styles are so different that it's as if Macintyre is painting in black and white (not even greyscale), while Knightley creates his own colours. Knightley brings the stories and history to life and keeps your attention. It'd take a man with a heart of stone not to be affected by his description of the policy of removal of Aboriginal children from their parents in the middle part of the 1900s. Others explain it in terms of policy, Knightley brings life to it.

I could go on, but shouldn't.

Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Superb exploration of a country and its people, 03 Feb 2002
To mark Australia's centenary of federation, Phillip Knightley, himself an ex-pat Australian, set out to write a book about the country of his birth, to explore the idea of what it is to be Australian and to analyse what it is that has made Australia such a successful nation despite the fact it was set up by convicts and their jailors. Why is it that Australia and Australians turned out so differently from America and Americans given that both countries were settled in similar ways? Knightley's book not only answers these questions (and more), it is a superb exploration and thought-provoking warts-and-all account of Australia's recent history. As an Australian who has spent the past three-and-a-half years living in London, Knightley's main question has often plagued my thoughts: what is an Australian, and, more recently, why is it that we seem to be taking over the world (Kylie, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Peter Carey, et al)? Through a clever combination of historical anecdotes and personal memoir, Knightley's "biography of a nation" is a superb, hard-to-put-down story that spans everything you thought you knew about Australia and everything you didn't. If you've never been Down Under or don't know who Gough Whitlam is or have never heard of Mabo, this book will expand your knowledge and have you dying to get on the next plane to Sydney. And if you're Australian you might just find out something you didn't know about your country or had forgotten you knew. This book is a must read for potential travellers and citizens alike. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Great Introduction to Australian History, 29 Jan 2002
Knowing near to nothing about Australia but planning to spend some time there, I found this book a great summary of Australian history over the last 100 years. Objectively, analytical written, with lots of anecdotes keeping it very readable. Really enjoyed it.

A Great Military History Book, 14 Nov 2007
One can almost feel himself in the ships ongoing to the South Atlantic, on the battlefields of the Falklands or in the corridors of power, witnessing the political maneuvering.Of course it is written strictly on the british perspective of the conflict, but apart from that is a great piece of work.

Still the best account of the war, 30 Jul 2007
Max Hastings is a journalist who has an unerring knack of writing for publications that I would normally walk a thousand miles to avoid. Notwithstanding this, however, I have to say that he has done an absolutely sterling job with this book.

Although first published in the immediate aftermath of the war it has withstood the test of time well and, as a general history of the conflict, it will probably not be surpassed.

If you want to read the best written, most accessible account of the Falklands war then, without doubt, this is the book you should buy.


Surely You mean 3 Days?, 29 Apr 2007
Max Hastings was there so in a way this is a historically accurate account. The stuff back home in Blighty is also entralling, but leaves out the much later analyses such as MI6 buying up the world's supply of exocet missiles to prevent Argentina getting anymore than the 5 they posessed and used, showing up the Royal Navy's lack of readiness for such attacks (even though they possessed such missiles themselves!).

This book gives a broad picture too, that NATO was also threatened by the Falklands conflict (when a partner is away, the Soviets saw the weakness exposed in Europe), and the Americans apparently disapproved. The British Government are shown to have made quick decisions, but with communication letting really everyone down (as it does in all relationships). The problems of a war 8000 miles away are also covered, and what became then the longest bombing mission in history is mentioned.
The air battles were clearly what caused the British to come close to losing what was a morally important conflict to up-hold internbational law. The whole problem of the Falklands stemmed from an ambiguous history involving France, Britain, Spain and then Argentina by default. Still, Hastings makes it clear that the law is the law, and The Falklands were lawfully British. Another case of the law condemning us. I appreciated the comment that when Thatcher wsa told that the Task Force would take 3 weeks to sail tere, she shot back to the Admiral "Surely you nmean 3 days?", thus showing the ignorance at the top as well.
The interseting deployment of Harriers in all their British versions against not only the highly formidible Mirage/Daggers and Skyhawks, but also lumbering Canberras and Pucaras is noted. The invaluable latest Sidewinder air to air missiles from teh States also put the British at an advantage over the Argentinians, as well as the US "forgetting" to inform the Argenitinians that their (US made) bombs could be set to 0 feet detonation also spared many British soldiers, some not too far distant from the Author.
The book gets going down in the mud of the island when the troops were ashore after their baptism of fire thriough accurately delivered bombs on the Sir Galahad and various troop ships. From then on the SAS and Para's routed the Argentinians from teh islands, though not without lack of grace from the enemy (when surrendering troops were shot in the back) and the worst yomps they had until then undertaken.
A complete account really, with technical and political cdetails to round of the effort. One learns that the conflict brewed up relatively slowly, on South Georgia through to the Falklands themselves. What the Military Junta were thinmking would be their end-game though is not said. The fact that the war caused Argentina to undergo a fgreat fall in pride and become a nation that sought God in humility afterwards is also not covered.

A freak event in history, 10 Jan 2006
That’s what Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins call the battle between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Their rather thorough study on the 1982 conflict makes a fascinating read.

The authors start off with covering the history of the Falklands, which is quite useful background. Simon Jenkins does a good job detailing the political developments right up to the invasion. It would appear that the conflict was as much a result of the fallacies of modern diplomacy as a perceived need by the Argentinean regime to deflect the population from the domestic situation. That’s at least the message I took home from reading the authors’ account of the Seventeen Years’ War and Galtieri’s Gamble.

The actual war is recounted in quite some detail, but largely from the British point of view as Argentinean sources were not freely available at the time of publication (1983). The book also gives the impression that the British were in a bit of trouble quite a number of times during the conflict, but that as a result of a lack of co-ordination (or call it rivalries) between the different services of the Argentinean forces, they got away with their own shortcomings. The authors note that if the different services had better co-ordinated their efforts, the British task of regaining the Islands would have been much harder if not impossible.

At the end of the narrative, there are three excellent appendices on the Falkland Islands Task Force, the Honours List and the ‘Frank Report’ examining the ‘why it hadn’t been prevented in the first place’ issue.

This is an excellent book on the subject.

A fascinating book, 25 Nov 2003
This book is an in-depth study of the war fought between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands from April to June 1982. The book begins with a highly informative history of the islands, focusing on the two countries' claims to the islands. The war is recounted in excellent depth, focusing heavily on the British side. The final chapter is on the aftermath of the war, which is severely limited, due to the fact that the book was published in 1983.

Finally, there are three excellent appendices: A covers the British task force, giving everything from silhouettes of the ships and airplanes through list of the units involved complete with their commanders; B lists the honors given to Falklands veterans; and appendix C contains the Franks Report on the conflict. The maps contained in the book are excellent, as are the numerous black-and-white pictures.

This book is quite fascinating, and highly informative on the war. I found myself completely unable to put this book down, but just had to read a little more, and a little more, and a little more... I wish that it contained more information on the Argentine side, which would give the book more all-around information. However, that said, it is a great book, giving the reader a good idea of what happened both on the battlefield, and in the halls of the politicians (a great deal of the British side was run for more political, rather than military reasons).

This is a great book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this fascinating war.

Justified Contempt, 13 Dec 2007
The critical reviews all center on Sharkey's arrogance. It is there, and the fact it gives a significant proportion of the readership such feelings is the only reason that keeps it from a 5. You just get the feeling "Is this guy BSing?" - according to the book, this is a feeling that's shared by those there at the time. And that's enough to knock a star off any book.

Really, however, the only thing against the hypothesis of him being truthful is the incredulity of the claims. I think Sharkey can forgive us for feeling a twinge of doubt that his artificiers were better at handling the radar than Ferranti (who designed the radar).

Given that his claims are true, any contempt that shows in the book is justified.

Tactics and qualtiative indices can always be debated, but any respect given to a senior squadron that can get half the range out of their radar must be very forced. This is a quantitative index which clearly represents the proficiency of both artificer and operator. Same with the high command which seems to be using only the input feeds from that squadron.

It must have been hard to impress Sharkey with the (lack of) fuel economy, accuracy and mass of the Vulcan raids. Strategically, the RAF showed the ability to conduct some Doolittle (though at least Doolittle had a squadron) raids over Bueno Aires - if Mirages don't shred them (actually IT, because they can only push a single bomber that far with a whole squadron of support) to pieces first...

One should keep such things in mind when looking at any arrogance.

Fantastic!, 23 Nov 2007
Sharkey is one of those rare breeds of people in the armed forces, doesn't take any nonsense and more importantly stands up for those who serve along side him. There are moments when I was in sheer disbelief of the stupidity of the senior staf, an example being the rediculous CAP alerts issued to 801. Even though I'm joining the "crabs" (sorry sharkey! lol) next year reading this made me think about joining the FAA for a while, really really really enjoyable read! (And that says something, as I'm not the best reader in the world)

Good job Sharkey, a gripping book which I just couldn't put down.

very good, 16 Jul 2007
very good read. sharkey realy explains the technical side of flying without being too boring it makes you proud to be british even though the top brass seem to have thier head up their arse, he really does have an axe to grind with these people..the sea harrier and the pilots were simply the best not one was shot down by enemy aircraft in combat.. highly recomended

brilliant story of a true fighter pilot's war, 15 Jul 2007
I couldn't put this down! It is a great read. Sharkey puts his spirit and his passion into this book, as he must have done into his flying and fighting.
He delivers some great knocking copy against the RAF, so I bought Vulcan 607 too in the interests of balance. Sharkey goes to some length to knock the RAF's efforts in the Falklands - the Vulcan raids used up so much fuel to very little effect, but he does miss the point that the RAF's mission was as political and strategic as well as military. Also, he appears to have felt that the Royal Navy, the FAA, and the Sea Harrier didn't get enough respect before during and after the war. I hope that isn't true. From what I recall, the Navy played the major role, the Harrier was highly vaunted and the sailors and airmen regarded as heroes, and rightly so.

This book isn't pure history, but an excellent memoir from a true fighter pilot hero. Nice one Sharkey, and thank you for all you have done for you Country.

Good stuff, 14 Jul 2007
Thank goodness Sharkey Ward wrote this book. It is a great read and raises some controversial issues about how the Falklands war was fought. Highly recommended.

How things change!, 06 Oct 2008
I was looking forward to reading this book as I have served with a couple of lads from both 2 & 3 Para who fought in the Falklands and have worked with many other Paras in more recent years.
The book started off pretty dull about his life at school but soon got on track once he decided to join the Army, the story of life in the Army, his trip down south and what happened on his return was excellent, but then it went back to being dull again, why he chose to write about his trip to Belize is beyond me and didnt add anything to the book, I nearly stopped reading there, but then it picked up again at the end.
His attitude towards the rest of the Army is now very dated, and although there is still inter Regiment rivalry the whole whole way that we view each other has changed since his day, due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanstan where all capbadges are working and fighting together there is a lot more mutual respect and quite rightly too, check out the number of gallantry awards awarded to all Regts and Corps of the British Army.
Mark, like all who have been involved in armed conflict went through a lot both mentally and physically and I salute all who have done so, but as you read the latter part of the book, he is still in the mindset that everyone who isnt airborne is a hat and the Paras hate them, on that issue he is very much a dinosaur and out of touch.

10 out of 10. Read this Book!, 08 Sep 2008
I devoured "Sod that" in just three sittings, and that doesn't often happen to me. During the Falklands battles I was lost in the pages, until my wife told me to turn the bloody light out. I looked across and it was four o'clock in the morning!

I thought it was brilliantly and truthfully written from the heart. Mark has not tried to big himself or his buddies up, he told it like it was in every gory and moving detail, and that's what makes this account so much more readable.

Buy it. Read it, then if you have never served under fire, you may just get a hint of what it's like. You may then begin to understand why so many men struggle when they come back from war.

This doesn't apply just to the lads from 1982. Try to imagine what hundreds or maybe even thousands of very young men are going through when they come back from Afghanistan, or Iraq.

A lot though, like many of Marks friends, don't come back. This will remind you that they are not just numbers you hear on the evening news. They are people, young men with families, wives and children, someone's son. This book should put things in perspective, in order of importance in your life.

Tony

Sod that, real story-real life., 13 Feb 2008
I feel i have to write in a retort to Jayetee's reveiw. The comments about the authour being rude and abusive, although being his/her personnel opinion should not stand.
I have recently laid the book down after what i can describe as one of the most moving accounts that i have ever digested.
Mark Eyles-Thomas served with the Parachute Regiment, calling all other members of the armed forces who did not earn the Maroon beret as HATS, is what is best described as banter, mickey taking and having a massive sense of self pride. What the Paras and other elite units do is not normal, these people are close, because of what they are asked to do; by people sat in their living rooms and cosy offices. Is the reviewer so naive as to think those HATS do not have their own colourful language to describe those who call them HATS?
I can give this informed statement, as i served as a Hat for nearly ten years, i am immensley proud of my military sevice, like Mark i joined the Army as a sixteen year old, and also lost a friend during operations in Bosnia.
People should not be put off from reading this book because of Marks description of non Paras, Mark tells it like it is, sometimes people tell you the truth can hurt, read the book and understand that this is about normal young men asked to do a very abnormal job, its consequences and what makes our British Army the best on the planet.
You will not be disapointed

Excellent, 22 Jan 2008
Excellent read.
Forget the history books,this book brings home the true reality of the Falklands War as experienced by the young soldiers of 3 Para.
It brings home the true horrors and emotions of warfare.
A must read for all.
Thanks Mark for telling your story and helping us remember those who gave thier lives and those who still suffer today.

Sod That For A Game Of Soldiers, 13 Jan 2008
I found this author to be rude and abusive to any other person who was not a Para. Not at all amusing hearing other Military and civilian personel being slagged off.

Brilliant, 03 Dec 2007
This book came into my hands after I asked an Australian friend of my mum's generation if he could recommend any good general introductions to Australian history. He said he'd think about it, and then a couple of weeks later this book (and some others) arrived in the post as gifts. Reading Phillip Knightley's fascinatingly informal history of the Australian nation, I wonder if there isn't something characteristically Australian about this act of generosity. Knightley's book is not a solid piece of academic history, and it doesn't pretend to be; it's part memoir, part narrative history, part journalism, part argument. He is exercised by the conflicts that have kept Australian history on the move: the paradox of a self-consciously democratic country that refused for years to recognise the rights of Aboriginals; the difference of outlook between Australians who considered themselves British and those who tried to establish a specifically national identity; the remarkably bitter divisions between left and right. Until I read this book, I had never imagined how close the country had come, during the 1930s, to civil war. According to Knightley, secret right-wing armies lasted well into the 1970s and some may still be lurking in Oz today. His own sympathies are refreshingly evident throughout; against racial discrimination, against corruption, against bigotry, against exploitation, he's an old-school left-liberal, one of the last of a rare breed.

At first the mixture of personal reminiscence and historical narrative seems a bit confusing, as if the author can't make up his mind what sort of book he wants to write, but it comes to seem like a fitting way to talk about a remarkable country. 'Biography of a Nation' is a good title; it's about the development of Australian nationhood, which for better or worse dates back to the prison settlements. A true history of Australia would have to cover the many thousands of years before the white man ever set foot on the country. And it's hard to imagine any one person being qualified to write such a book.

Defining the National Character, 25 Oct 2003
Far too many history books are deadly dry, a compilation of facts and dates that often leave out the human element and with little sense of drama. This book does not fall into that trap, being something of a mix of memoir, short vignettes of many, many people, both famous and ordinary, and the more normal recounting of the happenings of history. Often the people stories are insightful, sometimes humorous, and do much to help illustrate Knightley's main thesis of just what an Australian really is.

The downside of this method of narration is that it is easy to lose objectivity, something I'm afraid Knightley is guilty of in at least a few places. His political bias is very much in evidence throughout this book, most glaringly in his depiction of the various Prime Ministers and the battles between the working man and the rich landholders/business executives. At the same time, his depiction of the items that have gone into the making of the essential Australian character is well told, forming a mosaic of events and people that put this character into clear focus. Having lived in Australia myself (a very long time ago, but I don't think there has been any basic change in this item since), I can testify that the traits of wishing everyone to 'have a fair go' and mateship really do seem to be defining items of that character.

One item that would definitely have improved this book would have been the inclusion of some maps of the country. Unless one is intimately aware of the geography of this continent-country, the references to literally hundreds of place names and towns can be daunting without some way to place them spatially. I would have also liked to see a little greater treatment of the early period of its settlement, as the emphasis of this book is very much the twentieth century, and even more so on the last half of that century. Often the narration is told from the strictly political point of view, with little reference to the great resource finds and their development that had quite an influence on how Australia developed.

On the other hand, Knightley does a very good job of portraying and documenting the treatment that the Aborigines have been subjected to, from the earliest settlements to the latest landmark court decisions dealing with their land rights. More than any other item, this one area shows just how much Australia has changed from a blatantly racist and xenophobic nation to one that has at least begun to recognize its past failings and find its place in a truly multi-cultural world.

Superb. A must read, 06 Mar 2003
It's hard to describe this book without gushing about how well written it is. What can I say other than "Superb!".

It covers all the topics you'd expect to find in a history of the young country continent and it's clear the author has done his research. Controversial issues and events are explained from both sides of the argument and the author doesn't force an opinion of his own, but he does hint at which explanation he finds most plausible. He also shares stories from his life in Oz and does a fine job of describing his life as a kid during the great depression.

A week before starting this book I'd read "A Concise History of Australia" by Stuart Macintyre, an academic's view of Oz history. With that fresh in my mind I thought there wouldn't be much extra that Phillip Knightley could add. Boy was I wrong. The writing styles are so different that it's as if Macintyre is painting in black and white (not even greyscale), while Knightley creates his own colours. Knightley brings the stories and history to life and keeps your attention. It'd take a man with a heart of stone not to be affected by his description of the policy of removal of Aboriginal children from their parents in the middle part of the 1900s. Others explain it in terms of policy, Knightley brings life to it.

I could go on, but shouldn't.

Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Superb exploration of a country and its people, 03 Feb 2002
To mark Australia's centenary of federation, Phillip Knightley, himself an ex-pat Australian, set out to write a book about the country of his birth, to explore the idea of what it is to be Australian and to analyse what it is that has made Australia such a successful nation despite the fact it was set up by convicts and their jailors. Why is it that Australia and Australians turned out so differently from America and Americans given that both countries were settled in similar ways? Knightley's book not only answers these questions (and more), it is a superb exploration and thought-provoking warts-and-all account of Australia's recent history. As an Australian who has spent the past three-and-a-half years living in London, Knightley's main question has often plagued my thoughts: what is an Australian, and, more recently, why is it that we seem to be taking over the world (Kylie, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Peter Carey, et al)? Through a clever combination of historical anecdotes and personal memoir, Knightley's "biography of a nation" is a superb, hard-to-put-down story that spans everything you thought you knew about Australia and everything you didn't. If you've never been Down Under or don't know who Gough Whitlam is or have never heard of Mabo, this book will expand your knowledge and have you dying to get on the next plane to Sydney. And if you're Australian you might just find out something you didn't know about your country or had forgotten you knew. This book is a must read for potential travellers and citizens alike. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Great Introduction to Australian History, 29 Jan 2002
Knowing near to nothing about Australia but planning to spend some time there, I found this book a great summary of Australian history over the last 100 years. Objectively, analytical written, with lots of anecdotes keeping it very readable. Really enjoyed it.

A Great Military History Book, 14 Nov 2007
One can almost feel himself in the ships ongoing to the South Atlantic, on the battlefields of the Falklands or in the corridors of power, witnessing the political maneuvering.Of course it is written strictly on the british perspective of the conflict, but apart from that is a great piece of work.

Still the best account of the war, 30 Jul 2007
Max Hastings is a journalist who has an unerring knack of writing for publications that I would normally walk a thousand miles to avoid. Notwithstanding this, however, I have to say that he has done an absolutely sterling job with this book.

Although first published in the immediate aftermath of the war it has withstood the test of time well and, as a general history of the conflict, it will probably not be surpassed.

If you want to read the best written, most accessible account of the Falklands war then, without doubt, this is the book you should buy.


Surely You mean 3 Days?, 29 Apr 2007
Max Hastings was there so in a way this is a historically accurate account. The stuff back home in Blighty is also entralling, but leaves out the much later analyses such as MI6 buying up the world's supply of exocet missiles to prevent Argentina getting anymore than the 5 they posessed and used, showing up the Royal Navy's lack of readiness for such attacks (even though they possessed such missiles themselves!).

This book gives a broad picture too, that NATO was also threatened by the Falklands conflict (when a partner is away, the Soviets saw the weakness exposed in Europe), and the Americans apparently disapproved. The British Government are shown to have made quick decisions, but with communication letting really everyone down (as it does in all relationships). The problems of a war 8000 miles away are also covered, and what became then the longest bombing mission in history is mentioned.
The air battles were clearly what caused the British to come close to losing what was a morally important conflict to up-hold internbational law. The whole problem of the Falklands stemmed from an ambiguous history involving France, Britain, Spain and then Argentina by default. Still, Hastings makes it clear that the law is the law, and The Falklands were lawfully British. Another case of the law condemning us. I appreciated the comment that when Thatcher wsa told that the Task Force would take 3 weeks to sail tere, she shot back to the Admiral "Surely you nmean 3 days?", thus showing the ignorance at the top as well.
The interseting deployment of Harriers in all their British versions against not only the highly formidible Mirage/Daggers and Skyhawks, but also lumbering Canberras and Pucaras is noted. The invaluable latest Sidewinder air to air missiles from teh States also put the British at an advantage over the Argentinians, as well as the US "forgetting" to inform the Argenitinians that their (US made) bombs could be set to 0 feet detonation also spared many British soldiers, some not too far distant from the Author.
The book gets going down in the mud of the island when the troops were ashore after their baptism of fire thriough accurately delivered bombs on the Sir Galahad and various troop ships. From then on the SAS and Para's routed the Argentinians from teh islands, though not without lack of grace from the enemy (when surrendering troops were shot in the back) and the worst yomps they had until then undertaken.
A complete account really, with technical and political cdetails to round of the effort. One learns that the conflict brewed up relatively slowly, on South Georgia through to the Falklands themselves. What the Military Junta were thinmking would be their end-game though is not said. The fact that the war caused Argentina to undergo a fgreat fall in pride and become a nation that sought God in humility afterwards is also not covered.

A freak event in history, 10 Jan 2006
That’s what Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins call the battle between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Their rather thorough study on the 1982 conflict makes a fascinating read.

The authors start off with covering the history of the Falklands, which is quite useful background. Simon Jenkins does a good job detailing the political developments right up to the invasion. It would appear that the conflict was as much a result of the fallacies of modern diplomacy as a perceived need by the Argentinean regime to deflect the population from the domestic situation. That’s at least the message I took home from reading the authors’ account of the Seventeen Years’ War and Galtieri’s Gamble.

The actual war is recounted in quite some detail, but largely from the British point of view as Argentinean sources were not freely available at the time of publication (1983). The book also gives the impression that the British were in a bit of trouble quite a number of times during the conflict, but that as a result of a lack of co-ordination (or call it rivalries) between the different services of the Argentinean forces, they got away with their own shortcomings. The authors note that if the different services had better co-ordinated their efforts, the British task of regaining the Islands would have been much harder if not impossible.

At the end of the narrative, there are three excellent appendices on the Falkland Islands Task Force, the Honours List and the ‘Frank Report’ examining the ‘why it hadn’t been prevented in the first place’ issue.

This is an excellent book on the subject.

A fascinating book, 25 Nov 2003
This book is an in-depth study of the war fought between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands from April to June 1982. The book begins with a highly informative history of the islands, focusing on the two countries' claims to the islands. The war is recounted in excellent depth, focusing heavily on the British side. The final chapter is on the aftermath of the war, which is severely limited, due to the fact that the book was published in 1983.

Finally, there are three excellent appendices: A covers the British task force, giving everything from silhouettes of the ships and airplanes through list of the units involved complete with their commanders; B lists the honors given to Falklands veterans; and appendix C contains the Franks Report on the conflict. The maps contained in the book are excellent, as are the numerous black-and-white pictures.

This book is quite fascinating, and highly informative on the war. I found myself completely unable to put this book down, but just had to read a little more, and a little more, and a little more... I wish that it contained more information on the Argentine side, which would give the book more all-around information. However, that said, it is a great book, giving the reader a good idea of what happened both on the battlefield, and in the halls of the politicians (a great deal of the British side was run for more political, rather than military reasons).

This is a great book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this fascinating war.

Justified Contempt, 13 Dec 2007
The critical reviews all center on Sharkey's arrogance. It is there, and the fact it gives a significant proportion of the readership such feelings is the only reason that keeps it from a 5. You just get the feeling "Is this guy BSing?" - according to the book, this is a feeling that's shared by those there at the time. And that's enough to knock a star off any book.

Really, however, the only thing against the hypothesis of him being truthful is the incredulity of the claims. I think Sharkey can forgive us for feeling a twinge of doubt that his artificiers were better at handling the radar than Ferranti (who designed the radar).

Given that his claims are true, any contempt that shows in the book is justified.

Tactics and qualtiative indices can always be debated, but any respect given to a senior squadron that can get half the range out of their radar must be very forced. This is a quantitative index which clearly represents the proficiency of both artificer and operator. Same with the high command which seems to be using only the input feeds from that squadron.

It must have been hard to impress Sharkey with the (lack of) fuel economy, accuracy and mass of the Vulcan raids. Strategically, the RAF showed the ability to conduct some Doolittle (though at least Doolittle had a squadron) raids over Bueno Aires - if Mirages don't shred them (actually IT, because they can only push a single bomber that far with a whole squadron of support) to pieces first...

One should keep such things in mind when looking at any arrogance.

Fantastic!, 23 Nov 2007
Sharkey is one of those rare breeds of people in the armed forces, doesn't take any nonsense and more importantly stands up for those who serve along side him. There are moments when I was in sheer disbelief of the stupidity of the senior staf, an example being the rediculous CAP alerts issued to 801. Even though I'm joining the "crabs" (sorry sharkey! lol) next year reading this made me think about joining the FAA for a while, really really really enjoyable read! (And that says something, as I'm not the best reader in the world)

Good job Sharkey, a gripping book which I just couldn't put down.

very good, 16 Jul 2007
very good read. sharkey realy explains the technical side of flying without being too boring it makes you proud to be british even though the top brass seem to have thier head up their arse, he really does have an axe to grind with these people..the sea harrier and the pilots were simply the best not one was shot down by enemy aircraft in combat.. highly recomended

brilliant story of a true fighter pilot's war, 15 Jul 2007
I couldn't put this down! It is a great read. Sharkey puts his spirit and his passion into this book, as he must have done into his flying and fighting.
He delivers some great knocking copy against the RAF, so I bought Vulcan 607 too in the interests of balance. Sharkey goes to some length to knock the RAF's efforts in the Falklands - the Vulcan raids used up so much fuel to very little effect, but he does miss the point that the RAF's mission was as political and strategic as well as military. Also, he appears to have felt that the Royal Navy, the FAA, and the Sea Harrier didn't get enough respect before during and after the war. I hope that isn't true. From what I recall, the Navy played the major role, the Harrier was highly vaunted and the sailors and airmen regarded as heroes, and rightly so.

This book isn't pure history, but an excellent memoir from a true fighter pilot hero. Nice one Sharkey, and thank you for all you have done for you Country.

Good stuff, 14 Jul 2007
Thank goodness Sharkey Ward wrote this book. It is a great read and raises some controversial issues about how the Falklands war was fought. Highly recommended.

Very thorough., 09 Dec 2008
This is a difficult read, very hard to keep tabs on who everybody is but a unmatchable account of Pol Pot and the Khymer Rouge.

Interesting, but overwhelming, 22 Mar 2007
Admittedly, having not lived at the period when the Khmer Rouges were in power, I knew nothing of the regime. All I had was a kind of hazy image of some blood thirsty dictator in Cambodia who was rather nasty.
So it was that I came across this book quite by accident, and thought, why not? I've always had a thing for history.
Initially, and I'll be honest, I found the book a daunting prospect. It was not so much the length as the cramped writing packed into each page, the myriad personalities, not helped by the fact that they change their names every five minutes, the number of organisations and the political situation at the time. And that is my main fault with the book. You are treated to a wealth of information. It comes so fast, and so detailed, that often you are only left with a vague impression, as you have to kind of filter the relevant information. But then, surely that is a fault of mine. As a serious historian it is the duty of Short to provide all the information, and this he does.
I also found that Short kind of brushed over certain subjects. For instance, when exactly did Sar become the Central commitee secretary? When did he make the step from a mediocre student in the Cercle Marxiste to his extreme vision of Communism? Why did Vorn vet end up in S 21?. Some quite major incidents are mentioned almost carelessly, while Short goes into depth about such irrelevant things as Sihanouks tour of the Khmer Rouge sites.
What I do like is the portrait it paints of the CPK, not so much as a totalitarian regime, but as an ideaoligist state, driven by international subterfuge both in the form of a U.S, bombing Cambodia to a pulp to cover it's own withdrawl from Vietnam, and China, eager to stop Vietnamese expansion.
I was impressed with how it portrayed the culture of lies and secrecy that would prove the regimes undoing, while also concentrating on the lives of ordinary Khmers, forced out of Phnom Penh to join collectives. It left me with a good notion of where Pot failed, why 1.5 million people died, at all levels, from top officials detained in Tuol Sleng and massive starvation on the ground level.
One thing I am glad, that I was not born in 'democratic' Kampuchea. I seriously advise this book if you seek a good understanding of Cambodia at this time.

A DEFINITIVE HISTORY, 27 Feb 2007
Philip Short has set out to provide a pretty much definitive account of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge's rise to power and eventual fall. He has achieved great success in doing so.

`Pol Pot...' charts the rise of the Cambodian left (and Pol Pot's rise within it) from the time of the French Empire until the aftermath of Khmer Rouge tyranny and Pol Pot's eventual death in the late 1990's.

Short goes to great lengths to provide a detailed history of the decades between the crumbling of French Indo-China and the beginnings of the Khmer Rouge. He also gives a detailed account of the early lives, not only of Pol Pot (real name Saloth Sar), but also the other main players in the Khmer Rouge regime, thus giving very personal dimensions to the regime they helped create. This is set in context of the wider issues and history of the region, with particular reference to Cambodia's long-term domination, particularly by Vietnam, but also Thailand. All of this he does with finesse. Regardless of the level of detail, Short manages to engage the reader. This is not his greatest achievement though.

The real strength of his writing is in that he manages to do the seemingly impossible and present the Khmer Rouge with a human face. This he achieves through examining the peculiarities of Khmer collective psychology, the origins of the people who made up the rank and file of the Khmer Rouge, the cold logic governing their particular extremist brand of communism, and how these things drove their behaviour during their brief tenure.

Even within the communist pantheon of the 1970's, Democratic Kampuchea (as Cambodia had been renamed) remained rather an oddity and not simply because of its ideological extremism. Short discusses the influences of the French (and not Russian) revolutions, Buddhism and Pol Pot's desire at once to reclaim the `golden-age' of the Khmer civilisation (identified as the era of the Khmer empire, ruled from Angkhor Wat), usurp the Vietnamese Communists' dominance of the Cambodian revolution and cleanse the Khmer people through purgation. These factors he deftly combines to provide an overall view of Khmer Rouge ideology and how it came about. He also sheds important light on the reasoning behind the genocide committed in the killing fields and why the regime failed so quickly.

Pol Pot: History of a Nightmare, will provide the academic and lay-reader alike, with a detailed analysis of one of the twentieth Century's worst human catastrophes. Highly Recommended.


A superb biography, 27 Oct 2006
Short combines academic rigour, meticulous research and easy-flowing prose to produce a biographical gem! What comes out is as much the biography of a nation people (the Khmer) as of Pol Pot... something Short clearly believes is as important, if not more so, than the politics and cold-war machinations which lead to the rise of the Khmer Rouge in the first place. There is a big cast of actors in this book, which makes it a tough read at times, but if you are looking for a serious and dispassionate study of a dictator and the horrors he set upon a whole nation, this is the one!


Superb study of the man and his regime, 08 May 2006
As a rule, I'm not very keen on biographies of political leaders. They often focus narrowly on the individual, leaving an impression that they far more central to historical events than is often the case. Philip Short avoids this pitfall by using the chronology of Pol Pots life to explore the wider history of Cambodia from the 1920's onwards. Eye witness testimony is used heavily throughout the book, with a careful balance of opposing views. Unlike many biographies, this one doesn't try to "pschoanyalyse" its subject, and is all the more convincing for it.

By the end of the book, Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge comrades come across not as monsters, but as idealists who let their dreams of a Communist utopia override the welfare of ordinary Cambodians. When the dream proved impossible to acheive they were reluctant to admit defeat, so rather than compromise they purged the middle ranks of their regime and tried to impose the same policies again. Each successive attempt ended in greater disaster, as the purges left fewer and fewer competent personnel. Crop yields spiralled downwards, and the urban population that were forced to work on the massive collective farms were the first to die.

The deaths of ordinary Cambodians were not only the result of economic mismanagement and the resultant famine. Suspected political opponents, intellectuals and the professional classes were tortured at places like the notorious S-21 prison. The motives behind the targeting of particular social groups are clearly explained in the book, the terrible result of the ideological path that Pol Pot and his colleagues followed. The way this ideology evolved is covered in great detail - the most interesting aspect of which is the strong influence of post-war French philosophy that the Khmer Rouge leadership were immersed in as students in Paris. This combined with Stalinism, Maoism, (both popular amongst French Communists) and particular Combodian traits such as the Buddhist suppression of individualism to form the Khmer Rouge version of Communism.

In conclusion, you can learn a great deal from this book, whether you're just interested in Pol Pot as an indivudual, or interested in the wider history of the Khmer Rouge and Cambodia.

How things change!, 06 Oct 2008
I was looking forward to reading this book as I have served with a couple of lads from both 2 & 3 Para who fought in the Falklands and have worked with many other Paras in more recent years.
The book started off pretty dull about his life at school but soon got on track once he decided to join the Army, the story of life in the Army, his trip down south and what happened on his return was excellent, but then it went back to being dull again, why he chose to write about his trip to Belize is beyond me and didnt add anything to the book, I nearly stopped reading there, but then it picked up again at the end.
His attitude towards the rest of the Army is now very dated, and although there is still inter Regiment rivalry the whole whole way that we view each other has changed since his day, due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanstan where all capbadges are working and fighting together there is a lot more mutual respect and quite rightly too, check out the number of gallantry awards awarded to all Regts and Corps of the British Army.
Mark, like all who have been involved in armed conflict went through a lot both mentally and physically and I salute all who have done so, but as you read the latter part of the book, he is still in the mindset that everyone who isnt airborne is a hat and the Paras hate them, on that issue he is very much a dinosaur and out of touch.

10 out of 10. Read this Book!, 08 Sep 2008
I devoured "Sod that" in just three sittings, and that doesn't often happen to me. During the Falklands battles I was lost in the pages, until my wife told me to turn the bloody light out. I looked across and it was four o'clock in the morning!

I thought it was brilliantly and truthfully written from the heart. Mark has not tried to big himself or his buddies up, he told it like it was in every gory and moving detail, and that's what makes this account so much more readable.

Buy it. Read it, then if you have never served under fire, you may just get a hint of what it's like. You may then begin to understand why so many men struggle when they come back from war.

This doesn't apply just to the lads from 1982. Try to imagine what hundreds or maybe even thousands of very young men are going through when they come back from Afghanistan, or Iraq.

A lot though, like many of Marks friends, don't come back. This will remind you that they are not just numbers you hear on the evening news. They are people, young men with families, wives and children, someone's son. This book should put things in perspective, in order of importance in your life.

Tony

Sod that, real story-real life., 13 Feb 2008
I feel i have to write in a retort to Jayetee's reveiw. The comments about the authour being rude and abusive, although being his/her personnel opinion should not stand.
I have recently laid the book down after what i can describe as one of the most moving accounts that i have ever digested.
Mark Eyles-Thomas served with the Parachute Regiment, calling all other members of the armed forces who did not earn the Maroon beret as HATS, is what is best described as banter, mickey taking and having a massive sense of self pride. What the Paras and other elite units do is not normal, these people are close, because of what they are asked to do; by people sat in their living rooms and cosy offices. Is the reviewer so naive as to think those HATS do not have their own colourful language to describe those who call them HATS?
I can give this informed statement, as i served as a Hat for nearly ten years, i am immensley proud of my military sevice, like Mark i joined the Army as a sixteen year old, and also lost a friend during operations in Bosnia.
People should not be put off from reading this book because of Marks description of non Paras, Mark tells it like it is, sometimes people tell you the truth can hurt, read the book and understand that this is about normal young men asked to do a very abnormal job, its consequences and what makes our British Army the best on the planet.
You will not be disapointed

Excellent, 22 Jan 2008
Excellent read.
Forget the history books,this book brings home the true reality of the Falklands War as experienced by the young soldiers of 3 Para.
It brings home the true horrors and emotions of warfare.
A must read for all.
Thanks Mark for telling your story and helping us remember those who gave thier lives and those who still suffer today.

Sod That For A Game Of Soldiers, 13 Jan 2008
I found this author to be rude and abusive to any other person who was not a Para. Not at all amusing hearing other Military and civilian personel being slagged off.

Brilliant, 03 Dec 2007
This book came into my hands after I asked an Australian friend of my mum's generation if he could recommend any good general introductions to Australian history. He said he'd think about it, and then a couple of weeks later this book (and some others) arrived in the post as gifts. Reading Phillip Knightley's fascinatingly informal history of the Australian nation, I wonder if there isn't something characteristically Australian about this act of generosity. Knightley's book is not a solid piece of academic history, and it doesn't pretend to be; it's part memoir, part narrative history, part journalism, part argument. He is exercised by the conflicts that have kept Australian history on the move: the paradox of a self-consciously democratic country that refused for years to recognise the rights of Aboriginals; the difference of outlook between Australians who considered themselves British and those who tried to establish a specifically national identity; the remarkably bitter divisions between left and right. Until I read this book, I had never imagined how close the country had come, during the 1930s, to civil war. According to Knightley, secret right-wing armies lasted well into the 1970s and some may still be lurking in Oz today. His own sympathies are refreshingly evident throughout; against racial discrimination, against corruption, against bigotry, against exploitation, he's an