An involving account of an important piece of modern British history
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Many will remember when, in April 1982, Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands. The islands had belonged to the UK since 1833 and in 1982 the 1800-strong population considered themselves British. The ailing Argentine military junta of 1982 needed to re-establish their authority and reclaiming the `Malvinas' would surely do this. Public outcry in the UK and indignance from the Falkland Islanders followed as the Argentine flag was raised over Stanley.
A British Task Force was hastily assembled and memorable pictures were broadcast of anxious families seeing their loved ones depart from the Solent ports. The UK had long been preparing to fight Cold War scenarios, but the Falklands Conflict provided senior officers, crews and engineers of the Royal Air Force with numerous challenges as to how best they could contribute to the effort.
Vulcan 607 is the story from conception to execution of Operation Black Buck; the longest-range air attack in history carried out by a single Vulcan bomber to deny Argentine use of the runway at Stanley Airfield on East Falkland. This they did supported by 15 Victor air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft involving 19 separate in-flight refuellings over the 8000-mile journey from Ascension Island across the South Atlantic to the Falklands and back again. This precarious mission turned out to be a turning point in the fight to regain the islands, as the runway was put out of effective use and valuable Argentine air assets were diverted to protect the mainland, military bases and Navy at sea.
Roland White's book accurately describes the training, techniques and potential dangers involved in such a mission and the air-to-air refuelling it requires; his attention to detail and excellent research shows in every chapter. Personal anecdotes from aircraft crews, planners and Falkland Islanders seamlessly intertwine to reveal personal emotions during the tension, uncertainty and unfolding drama of the Conflict and vividly bring the Operation to life as events unravel.
Vulcan 607 was gripping from start to finish and I genuinely found it hard to put down.
Highly recommended.
M
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Fabulous read
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I am no literary critic as the only time I read a book is on holiday. However, if more books were like this then that would change. I found it easy to read, albeit the number of characters involved did get confusing at times but this is a true story after all with each of them playing their own part and deserving of recognition. It flows well and was hard to put down and puts into perspective what is involved in any mission let alone one at the other side of the world. Its incredible that it ever came off. A fascinating, moving and thrilling read from start to finish. I applaud the RAF and those involved.
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Stunning efforts in human endurance and tenacity.
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I found this book amazing, and a wonderful addition to the many accounts of the various aspects of the Falklands conflict. I have just finished reading Excursion to hell by Vincent Bramley from 3 Para. And I have to say both these books give fascinating accounts of factual events that helped to further our efforts in the Falklands.
The journey you travel in this book is a long and arduous one, and even when the mission has been carried out, the return is just as strenuous.
Some people now claim many things about this mission, both in its effectiveness and contribution. they also seem to think it was a competition between the armed forces of Britain on who did the most.
But what a lot of people are missing is that this mission had many successful results both politically and in terms of moral on both sides. And these brave men were doing their duty, as well as the brave men of the army and navy did, and have continued to do.
Anyone with even the most remote interest in military operations cannot fail to be drawn into the intrigues of planning a huge mission and the every day life of a British serviceman.
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Boys Own at its best
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If you only read one book this year make sure its Vulcan 607. A fabulous story told in a glorious style. So many interest angles, Political, Military, Technical, Human - something for everyone. You don't have to immerse yourself in the fascinating technical and military detail to appreciate the vision, ambition, guts and determination to get the job done displayed here. The dedication and professionalism of all those involved, combined with the 'can do' attitude and the desire to give Argentine a 'bloody nose',are stirring to say the least.
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Competent
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Logistically, it would have been easier to build a hotel on Jupiter. Politically, failure of this mission would be suicidal. Tactically, it could have been left to the Sea Harriers stationed 200 miles away on HMS Invincible to destroy Stanleys Airstrip. Frankly, this mission sounded as daft as the Dambusters raids nearly 40 years previous, but just like those - symbolically it was nothing short of magical. The RAF had modified a 30 year old nuclear bomber - 2 months away from the scrapyard, with conventional weapons and a heath robinson refuelling procedure that had served as an ashtray in the officers mess for 20 years, and delivered it to within a few hundred miles of Buenos Aires. If the plan was to undermine and terrify the Junta, I cant think of anything more potent than the sight of a Vulcan in your airspace.
Sadly, the delivery of the story doesnt quite do justice to the mission itself. Its well researched, and competently written, but I felt the organisation of the chapters should have dealt seperately with the various threads, instead of lumping them together. This would have also allowed Wight to suspend the reader on the edge of their seat between chapters. For example, "Then it all went badly wrong." should have ended the chapter, instead, Wight tells us (briefly) why in the very next paragraph.
Next, watching a Vulcan take off is an unforgettable experience. The sounds, the size of the delta winged behemoth, the sheer power of the engines as it snakes upwards at an impossible angle and speed. I can only imagine the tension and feeling of seeing a dozen or so overloaded planes leaving Ascension Island on the eve of the raid that a flowing narrative could stir, but sadly this book doesnt quite capture it. "A few seconds later she was airborne" just isnt enough for me.
That said, it deals competently with the events and so is an important component in the history of the Falklands war. I would have liked more backdrop of the building tension of the war and a clearer idea of the bigger picture, though thats not really a criticism, instead this book has prompted me to find others that deal more specifically with the other events during the same period.
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