Harrier at war

An interesting insight into the Harriers development and it's combat debut. Also gives you the background to how the Royal Navy was being diminished through the 70's and it's fight to remain relevant in the face of short sighted government decisions and forecasts.

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Inspiring

Harrier 809:Britain’s Legendary Jump Jet and the Untold Story of the Falklands War was a book I saw featured in the section telling me what other people also read based on a book I had been reading. Being able to remember the Falklands war and recalling how impressed I was seeing footage of a pair of Harriers vertical landing on the deck of the Invincible, I decided to take a punt on this. Not being an aviation buff as such, I was nevertheless interested in the Falklands war and the Harrier, so I decided to get this book ... and I was so happy I did!

I had read the renowned historian, Max Hastings', book on the Falklands and was left feeling disappointed by a rather dry and uninspiring account of that conflict. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Harrier 809 as I began listening.

The book starts off a little slowly as it dutifully describes how Tim Gedge was tasked with putting together a new squadron of Sea Harriers, 809, to augment the existing 800 and 801 squadrons already embarked upon the carriers Hermes and Invincible en route to the Falklands. Gedge pulls out all the stops to get all the pieces of the complex puzzle he must somehow fit together in order to complete this near impossible task in just three weeks.

During this initial section of the book, I was wondering if this was the bulk of the story. However, Roland White soon plunged the reader into the air combat and what a fantastic job he did! I was genuinely gripped by the brilliant writing on display here. I felt drawn into the battle and the small number of men that fought it as part of 809 squadron. White really manages to paint such a detailed picture which immerses the listener.

There was so much I didn't know about the goings on in the background. Much of what was covered in that regard must've been declassified as the back channel goings on was more akin to something out of a James Bond story. White has painstakingly pulled together many threads and woven them into a compelling and fascinating narrative. The levels of research he must've done is truly astonishing.

Narration too, provided by the superbly competent Roy McMillan, perfectly complimented this story. His voice was smooth and pleasant and he has an uncanny ability to flawlessly pronounce the various Argentinian and other foreign forces names. He is able to switch instantly from the concise English accent into a perfect Spanish one and back effortlessly, very impressive!

White's ability to make the reader feel almost familiar with the various characters made me feel genuine sadness at the loss of one of them, something that is a testament to White's superb writing. When the story recounts the air combat, White writes from both sides as the action unfolds, creating a truly gripping account of how the air battle unfolded. The narrative switches from the Argentinians as they fly towards their targets, back to the British as they scramble to counter and back again to paint a complete picture. Unlike other books on the Falklands, White carefully details the Argentinian pilots and their actions expertly.

This book focuses on the air battle and many elements of the sea battle for the Falklands and really tells the story superbly. Hearing how the captain of the Exeter stood calmly while the crew around were ordered to get down as an Exocet missile streaked towards them is the stuff of Royal navy legend. I liked how he asked for a malt whiskey and for the crew to join him in a drink after averting disaster in the classic under stated British navy captain's way. Examples of such courage under fire from both sides are plentiful in this book.

In a world where being inspired to be British and having any sense of patriotism is frowned upon, I have to confess that after reading this, I did feel inspired by the men and the amazing Harrier, a rare thing indeed these days.

Readers should listen on after the book credits have been read because there is another section on one of the characters featured in the book with the teaser that his ongoing story is to be told in another book. Sadly, i searched for this title on both Audible and Amazon and couldn't find it. Unless it's a forthcoming title.

In summary, this is a superb read and a book I cannot recommend highly enough. So impressed I was with White's writing that I've immediately purchased Vulcan 607, the story of the Vulcan bomber's role in the Falklands conflict.

Read this and feel proud to be British once more.

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Worthwhile read for any lover of military history

the best aspect of the book in my view is the way it reveals how the naval / air battle was conducted and the pivotal role of the Harrier in defending the fleet in addition to providing some air cover to the ground forces. And secondly, just how lethal one weapon could be - the Exocet in this case - when the UK had almost no workable defense against it, aside from Harrier CAP patrols. its a lesson that should have been applied by NATO forces, especially the US Navy, as they must have watched the Chinese and Russians develop effect ship- killing hypersonic missiles whicb could negate the power of any navy. Humbling stuff.

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Superbly told story.

Really engrossing look at the triumph of British pluck, ingenuity and commitment that formed the backbone of air power during the Falklands conflict. The story doesn't ignore the skill and bravery of the Argentinian Air Force and Navy pilots that flew sorties against the British fleet. Often funny, but in equal measure also moving. This is a must-listen for anyone with an interest in naval aviation.

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Great listen well read

This an excellent book great listen and well read, having been in the RAF at the time it was good to hear this story and fill in the gaps of bits I didn’t know, it’s amazing what people did and the lengths they went to to help each other, it’s good these stories are told. We always talk about the hero’s of ww2 but these aviators solders and sails did the same, may not of been so long but the bravery was no different. To travel that distance and accomplish what they did was truly outstanding

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Very well written, researched and narrated

In my case it was the title of this book which almost 'threw me off the scent'. I'd passed it by a few times before reading the reviews and deciding to 'give it a go'.

Despite its understandable biase toward the Harrier and the story of 809, it wasn't long before the pages revealed that there was much more to this book than could be presumed by its title.

In 1982, my 20 year old mind had struggled to process the who, why and wherefore concerning the personal challenge I'd found myself in, let alone the complexity and enormity of the overall challenge I'd become a very small part of.

A busy life had made it easy to leave the questions for another time but, nearly forty years later, like many of us, I found myself with 'time on my hands'. I succumbed to the call of unanswered questions and the need to unravel confused memories.

I read a number of books about the conflict and, whilst they had been very good in their own right, I found that there were still questions which needed answering, and gaps in my memory and understanding, which needed filling.

In comparison, this book turned out to be a revelation, each page seemed to reveal another missing piece of the jigsaw, a jigsaw I'd never really appreciated the size of.

Very cleverly written, this book interlaces a myriad of parallel stories which converge, cross and entwine. So numerous, and complex, they could be likened to a 'heat map' of the many sorties carried out by this titles namesake.

Whilst much of the content dealt with aspects which I didn't think directly affected me, I was amazed at how often it became evident that the consequences of a series of 'chain reactions', so brilliantly described by the author, had done so.

It's evident to me that this book has been meticulously researched, and scrupulously fact checked. It has proven to be both a gripping, and an enlightening read. I'm confident that it will do the same for anyone with an affinity with this period of history, and/or an appreciation of human 'endeavour' in challenging times.

For what it's worth, I think that without the honest and factual accounts of the Argentine perspective, this book would not have been whole. As such, it may be an uncomfortable read for anyone with the belief that 'the opposition' was inferior in courage, tactics, equipment or wherewithal.

I hope that one day this author will be drawn to apply his incredible researching and, eloquent story telling credentials, to a focused study of the sea campaign. If written in the same immersive way, I feel sure that it would be something very special indeed.

Thanks Rowland.

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8 people found this helpful

Brilliant

What a great, funny, detailed, intricate tour deforce of the preparation, and action throughout the Falklands conflict. Great!

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Really enjoyed listening

Well read story behind the scenes of things I didn't know. Recommended if your interested in any angle of the subject.

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factually intresting

if you like plenty of facts with a good story then this is for you! vulcan 607 is a good companion and they make for a nice pair of story's surrounding the fleet air arm and RAF's role In the Falklands conflict

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Fascinating

Carefully researched and brilliantly written, this thoroughly goes through the Falkland’s War and ends by brings it up to date with the F35. It is also well narrated. I’ve equally enjoyed all Roland White’s books.

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