One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander (Bluejacket Books) Paperback – October 30, 1997

This fine naval autobiography takes us behind the scenes of the Falklands sea/air (not ground) war and modern battle management in general. Admiral Woodward didn't exactly know what he was sailing into back in 1982, and makes no attempt to hide his personal sense of vulnerability as Britain's first fighting admiral in high-tech warfare. In fact, the entire book is refreshingly down-to-earth. Woodward is quick to note that he was tapped for the job because he happened to be the navy's closest flotilla commander at the time (in Gibraltar)--and confides that his superiors almost replaced him with a higher-ranking officer even as he led the task force into danger. This is no stuffed-shirt memoir.Woodward and co-author Patrick Robinson weave accounts of grand strategy and military politics through a genuinely absorbing narrative of men and machines in heavy weather, incessant tactical maneuvering, and flashes of terrifying combat. Along the way, there are plenty of 'what-if's to chew on. We learn that Woodward had to manipulate London to get HMS Conqueror to sink the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano (British subs weren't under his tactical command). He explains why the sinking was both necessary and tragic, and how Conqueror watched but spared Argentine ships coming to Belgrano's aid. He also reveals that his ships almost shot down a Brazilian airliner mistaken for a pesky Argentine recon jet; he personally gave the order to withhold fire. And Woodward's character shines through his account of ordering HMS Alacrity on a potential suicide mission to scout mines--in an exceptionally gracious mea culpa of command, he praises the captain's sterling courage while faulting his own mundane direction.Also fascinating are the individual stories of the high number of British ships damaged or sunk, and Woodward's frustration with underperforming anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems. This was more of a close call than the world knew at the time, as he makes abundantly clear. Ultimately, his modest approach on paper belies the fact that he and his task force pulled off a truly impressive naval feat. And it's a credit to Woodward the author-analyst that 'One Hundred Days' transcends the Falklands War to give an illuminating, first-person view of campaign and tactical battle coordination. It could find a home on bookshelves of Fortune 500 executives as well as students of naval and air operations. The style is also breezy (and occasionally humorous) enough for the casual reader. I've never seen it in a U.S. store, so thanks, Amazon.

Riveting report by commander of the task group. For more insights I recommend https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Conqueror-Untold-Britains-Submarine about the nuclear submarine that sunk the Argentine cruiser Belgrano in the Falklands War.

I read this in parallel with Hastings ("Battle for the Falklands"; published soon after the war and sadly inaccurate on details, but good for UK political background and overall coverage) and Middlebrook ("The Argentine Fight for the Falklands"; he had access to Argentine records and participants and is more accurate on details, with a good view from the other side).Adm. Woodward's memoirs are required reading if you want to understand this complex land/sea/air campaign, because he was the one who was there and did it. The narrative is at times almost dipolar; sometimes thoughtful/insecure/self-effacing and at others cold/hard/kiss my arse. Hey, I never met an actual admiral, maybe that's how they are. The tactical details don't add much to what you get from other sources, but he does give a little in the way of logistics, a seldom appreciated aspect of strategic war. His respect and admiration for the men and officers under his command comes through loud and clear. Read it, you may not like it (or him) but you will definitely learn something.

Woodward had done a masterful job, with his writing assistant, of describing the issues of command, the concern about sending others into combat where they may lose their life, the need to keep in mind what is central about a mission, and so many other thoughts about what leadership means. This book is a study of BOTH (1) management of a large task (be it war, be it a large company or nonprofit, be it of government) when dealing with an adversary compelled to fight you (be it the other side in a war, be it a company fighting you for market share, be it a Democrat or Republican that believes as you do not), and (2) of management of a military war where weapons are wielded by you and weapons are wielded or threatened against you. The real-life drama of uncertainty of events, of certainty of purpose, and of just what went on in this saga is of interest to very many readers. I have British friends, I have Argentinian friends, and no matter which side you believe is right (both have their points) this is a good book about a mission one is given and how one needs to carry it out, and the thoughts and second-thoughts that must go through any leader's mind.Read this as a book about leadership, and you will do fine. Read this as a book about war, and you will also do fine. Read this as a book about both, and you'll get even more out of it.

book was supposed to be in fair shape..it was brand new

A must read for any naval enthusiast

I couldn't put it down. The author provided huge insight into this fascinating war. How military commanders ever manage to fight wars in the face of all the interference from politicians is a mystery. "Win this war but our way. We aren't generals or admirals but we know best". When I finished I sat back and thought, here is another reason to be grateful that Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister at the time. Had any other person been in office at the time other than Churchill, we all know whose flag would be flying over Port Stanley today.The author describes the planning and execution in a way that is easy for non-military people to understand, gives masses of credit to others when it's due, and lambastes politicians (even well-meaning ones like Alexander Haig) when they deserve it. Which is often.

Bellissimo libro, una prospettiva diretta su un conflitto non troppo conosciuto. Inglese a tratti "accademico" ma lettura accattivante, ti invoglia ad andare avanti.Consigliatissimo.

Mit diesem Bericht des ehemaligen kommandierenden Admirals der Marinetaskforce im Falklandkrieg, kann man einen sehr interessanten Einblick in die "Marine-Seite" der Operationen gewinnen.Als auch in die Gedankenwelt und Vorgeschichte eines der wichtigsten Kommandeure der Task Force.So ist zum Beispiel die Gesichte über Woodwards eigene Erfahrung mit einer Total Exclusion Zone während einer vorherigen Übung sehr aufschlussreich über den Entscheidungsprozess mit Bezug auf die Versenkung der ARA General Belgrano. Ich würde auch empfehlen diese Ausgabe des Buches zu lesen, weil in Ihr die Vorworte aller vorangegangenen Ausgaben enthalten sind. Diese bieten schon für sich alleine interessanten Lesestoff, weil Sie die seit 1982 aufkommenden Diskussionen über diesen Krieg und gerade Woodwards Entscheidungen im Spannungsfeld mit den anderen Taskforce Kommandeuren widerspiegeln.

Updated for the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War, this is the bestselling, highly-acclaimed and most famous account of the conflict, written by the commander of the British Task Force.On 5 April 1982, three days after the invasion of the Falkland Islands, British armed forces were ordered to sail 8,000 miles to the South Atlantic unaware of what lay ahead of them or whether they would be committed to war with Argentina.

Uma guerra, um almirante e um escritor. O resultado eh uma incrível narrativa da Guerra das Malvinas (1982).Desde a campanha do pacífico na II Guerra Mundial, não se via uma campanha naval tão complexa como essa. Diversos tipos de meios navais foram empregados - e em ambos os lados. Navio-aeródromos, fragatas, destróieres, submarinos, fuzileiros navais, forças especiais e o incrível míssil Exocet.A narrativa eh intensa. A descrição do afundamento dos navios inglesas pela aviação argentina, seja com o Exocet, seja por bombardeio, coloca o leitor a bordo do navios. Eh uma narrativa tão vivida quanto Caçada ou Outubro Vermelho, porém, aqui, eh a dura realidade da guerra. A diferença eh que em outros momentos ela pode ser tornar menos intensa e mais minuciosa, ao explicar os meandros dos assuntos internos da Marinha Real e Ministério da Defesa.Se você gosta de história militar, guerra naval, liderança, esses livro eh perfeito.

This a very well-crafted account of the Royal Navy's Falklands Carrier Battle Group and the role it played in the liberation of the Falkland Islands in 1982. One Hundred Days places the heroic, and too often tragic, work of those aboard the ships of this tiny armada in a context of supreme professionalism and dedication to the Royal Navy's culture of service. Admiral Woodward explains the Falklands campaign by helping the reader to understand the minds of the officers involved, each a product of a system of training and development that draws on a long and proud history. The scope of this book is therefore a broad one, inasmuch as it gathers the experience of a lifetime in order to show what it takes to command a fighting ship at sea. This is a tremendously valuable insight and it is told with warmth and candour. One Hundred Days leaves the reader with a better understanding of the war off the Falklands shores and a greater appreciation of those who serve in the Royal Navy.