It was my birthday earlier this month, and my old friend Tony Hawkins sent me a book as a present. The book is entitled HARRIER 809: BRITAIN'S LEGENDARY JUMP JET AND THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE FALKLANDS WAR, and I have been reading it over the past week.
As the tile implies, it tells the story of the Harrier's part in the fighting and ultimate victory in the Falklands Conflict, particulalrly from the point of view of 809 Naval Air Squadron, which was specially reformed, trained, and sent south with the Task Force to supplement the existing two Harrier Naval Air Squadons, 800 NAS and 801 NAS. The new squardon was formed by Lieutenant Commander Tim Gedge, and was transported south on the ill-fated Atlantic Conveyor. Luckily they were offloaded before the Atlantic Conveyor was hit and seriously damaged 25th May 1982 by two Argentine air-launched AM39 Exocet missiles, and the aircraft and crews were split between HMS Invicible and HMS Hermes.
My other new book is OPERATION BARBAROSSA AND THE EASTERN FRONT 1941. The publishers (Pen & Sword Books) had it on special offer, and as I thought that it might be of help when I revive my Eastern Front/Great patriotic War project, I bought a copy.
It is an illustrated history of the first few months of the campaign, and contains many photographs that I have never seen before. I might now have bought the book if it had not been on sale, but I am very glad that I did as I think that it will be a very useful source of ideas and inspiration.
HARRIER 809: BRITAIN'S LEGENDARY JUMP JET AND THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE FALKLANDS WAR was written by Rowland White and published in 2020 by Bantam Press (ISBN 978 1 787 63158 8).
OPERATION BARBAROSSA AND THE EASTERN FRONT 1941 was written and compiled by Michael Olive and Robert Edwards and published in 2012 by Pen & Sword Books (ISBN 978 1 848 84867 2).
Another good Harrier read is Sea Harrier Over The Falklands by Sharkey Ward, commander of NAS 801.
ReplyDeleteJim Duncan,
DeleteYou are right; it’s an excellent book! I read it when it was published in the early1990s.
All the best,
Bob
Yes, I read it about the same time (pre-Kindle). I wonder if I have it lying about somewhere.
DeleteI have just downloaded to my new Kindle Harrier 809.
Jim Duncan,
DeleteI used to have quite a collection of books about the Falklands Conflict, although it has been prune over recent years.
Read and enjoy your new book!
Bob
A shame then that Sharkey Ward and Lyn Middleton (CO of Hermes) are set up as the villains of Harrier 809?
ReplyDeleteJeremy Ramsey,
DeleteAn interesting point of view. I must admit that I didn’t really pick that up during my reading of the book, but thinking about it, it could be seen that way.
All the best,
Bob