This is the only book that I've read about the Falklands war and I don't feel the need to read another. The author does a great job of mixing the strategic political aspects with the nitty-gritty and detail of the conflict. There is also a healthy dash of polemics thrown in, with the MoD receiving some harsh criticism - some of it possibly unfair.

Bicheno has a background in intelligence and direct experience of Argentina and the UK armed forces which he uses to present what reads as a very balanced account of the conflict. That said, he makes no qualms about expressing his opinion that the Argentines were the aggressors and places the war in the context of the 'Dirty War' waged by the junta on its own people. The Labour Government prior to Maggie and the FCO also take a bit of a hammering for the appeasement that the author (plausibly) asserts led directly to the Argentines believing the UK would not fight.

At the detailed level, the maps and descriptions of the topography of the battlefields on the Falklands are very clear and are interwoven into the text to a degree that surpasses any military history that I've read.

In summary a great read - informative, entertaining and in places laced with black humour and irony. It is not, however, dispassionate nor is it a 'guns n ammo' account of the war. ( )