One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander by Admiral Sandy Woodward

by Sandy Woodward

On 2 April 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. The British response was swift, some said foolhardy. The mission of the Battle Group under the command of Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward presented a challenge that seemed all but insurmountable, and it was to require men of the highest calibre, professionalism and fortitude to carry it off. It also required exceptional leadership. On that day Admiral Woodward was on Fleet exercises in the Mediterranean; a tentative desire for action expressed in his diary was ironically fulfilled as he was thrown into an experience he could never have wished for, would never repeat, and certainly will not forget. From leaving Gibraltar to his return to Brize Norton, one hundred days elapsed--and, on the way, it had been a very close call. At times reflective and personal, at other times revealing the steely logic of a supreme military tactician, these engrossing memoirs take us south through the vast, lonely waters of the Atlantic as hopes for peace faded and strategies of war evolved, then became reality, victory and aftermath. They tell of the repulse of the Argentinian navy and the defeat of their air forces; of the sinking of the Belgrano; and of the daring amphibious landing at Carlos Water, eight thousand miles from home. One Hundred Days is unique as a dramatic portrayal of the world of modern naval warfare, where equipment is of astonishing sophistication but the margins for human courage and error are as wide as in the days of Nelson; and it is unique, too, in its revelations of the mind of the commander involved in planning one of this century's most audacious ripostes to an unwelcome invader.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Military History, War, Biography, Nonfiction, Leadership

Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

Reviews

[Lewis Woolston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best writing ever committed to paper on the subject of modern naval warfare. Sandy Woodward was the admiral in charge of the British Fleet sent to retake the Falkland Islands in 1982. His memoir here covers his side of the action. Attacks from the Argentine forces, hassles with the miserable weather and a never ending list of mechanical and technical problems. Reading this i am actually amazed that the British won. They had more going against them than i realized.
This book doesn't really touch on the land battles and doesn't discuss the politics of the whole thing. The focus is entirely on the British fleet and its trials and tribulations. Admiral Woodward goes into great detail and i feel like i really learned a lot about naval warfare. I am also determined to never join the navy, the idea of dying in the water horrifies me.
If you're interested in battles at sea and the history of the Falklands campaign you'll love this.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the British military mind. I almost put it down around page 50 as unrealistic--which of course, it can't be--and then persevered. The problem for me was that the British Naval strategizing and decision making is quite different from what we Americans believe to be good military leadership. Admiral Woodward struggled over decisions, plodded to the inevitable end, worried about losing boats and helicopters over men, often had to check in with Britain to confirm--or approve--decisions, found it nearly impossible to react quickly to circumstances. The war had lots of time for organizing, rethinking, dotting t's and crossing i's. This is not the Israeli six-day war, nor the American 100-day ground war in Iraq. Where's the Patton in Woodward?

Once I got beyond that, I loved it. It is a fascinating look into the British military mind. Woodward was a humane leader, constantly complemented his fellow officers, understood those sailors broken by war--held no grudge against them. He valued history and knew it in minute detail.

I read this book because it includes a description of the sinking of the cruiser, General Belgrano, the only time in history a nuclear sub has sunk a cruiser. This, like everything else, was covered in excellent detail and satisfied my need to know.

Overall, I'd say read this book with no preconceptions about what war should be and you'll enjoy every page of it.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Briten gewinnen am Ende.

[William Mosteller · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander (Bluejacket Books) by Sandy Woodward

Admiral Woodward tells us that to succeed, the amphibious landing in the Falklands required at least air power over the landing site, if not air superiority (ala Normandy D-Day). That implied two aircraft carriers: one to provide air cover from enemy troops for the landing troops, the other resist enemy aircraft attacking the landing troops. Keeping those carriers safe informed his strategy throughout. Ironically, if Argentina had waited about a year, those aircraft carriers would have been sold by Great Britain in an economy move by the Thatcher government.

The Argentine Cruiser General Belgrano was sunk when it appeared to the British to be half of a pincer attack, their aircraft carrier being the other half of that pincer.

Argentine air attacks inflicted heavy damage on the British, despite many of their bombs not detonating. Had they solved that problem, or even pressed on with the air war, they might have prevailed, as British losses became quite serious. British successes with American Sidewinder missiles imposed heavy air losses on the Argentines, and persuaded them not to press on.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part Tom Clancy, part Patrick O'Brian, this book constantly makes you forget you are reading a memoir and not a thriller. One Hundred Days opens with the first major sea-air engagement of the conflict in gripping, minute-by-minute detail, and gives us the best look available at what a Cold War naval battle looks like. While Sandy Woodward then takes a time-out to provide some background on his training and education, most of the rest of the book follows the rest of the Falklands War day by day.

The war was far bloodier and more costly than I realized. Woodward tells the story in detail, providing an introspective and humble look at his decisions, both successful and disastrous. Many battles seemed to turn on luck: salt-encrusted defense systems fail, only to let through Argentinian bombs that don't explode. The natural British reserve provides a striking, darkly humorous backdrop to the flaming ships and dying men, but it leaves you impressed with the courage shown on both sides.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides superb insight into Naval operations and the issues/dilemmas that the BG Commander must handle. It also shows the wisdom of the adage "no plan survives first contact with the enemy." Recommended reading for anyone who sails in a warship.

[Okimura1170 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ebook edition is updated with the diary that Sandy Woodward kept during the course of the campaign.
History from 37 years ago.
RADM Woodward by his own admission just happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right assets. By his own admission, the fact that he was on annual exercises with his fleet in the Mediterranean Sea meant that the fleet could be re-directed quickly 8000km south from the spring northern season to autumn/winter in the South Atlantic.
There is a short section at the start summarising his naval career starting as a 13 year old at the Royal Naval School in Dartmouth which although a hard life, he recounts with some fondness. He recounts his experience in the Perisher course for aspiring submarine commanders both as trainee and later instructor. The Perisher pass rate is 60% and there is only one allowed attempt. It is notable that almost all captains in his Falklands command had already passed the Perisher and commanded submarines before commanding surface vessels again.

Factoids that I discovered on reading the book
1. The Americans were neutral in this war but offered significant support in the background
2. If the war had been delayed 6-12 months, UK would have already sold its only two aircraft carriers (incl Hermes to Australia) which would have made any re-taking of the Falklands impossible
3. Each of the naval, land and amphibious commanders wrote their own memoirs, and RADM Woodward in his later editions encapsulates some of the other writings into his memoir. This shows even at the commander level how the Fog of War prevails.
4. There was tension between the three commanders with London not providing a clear CoC.
5. Every person on a ship is equally vulnerable…when the ship moves forward, everyone moves forward.
6. Woodward’s main foe was the Argentinian Air Force that suffered approx 30% casualty rate by my count (rather than the navy). The British Air Force also had a high casualty rate which was concerning as lost aircraft could not be replaced
7. The UK task group could not afford to lost any one of its two aircraft carriers which would have reduced its air strength by 50% and would have stopped the operation.
8. Equipment both ships and smaller items were used way past maintenance schedules.

This is a short book with insight into the author’s cognitive process, how he handled war command, as well as the naval history part of the Falklands war. I skipped the actual verbatim diary part as already covered in the main section.
Rated 5 stars – easy , to the point; and skip the actual verbatim diaries

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating recount of possibly the last independant battle of the British Empire. I don't prefer 'war' books, but this story was absolutely fascinating, and gave this civilian a great understanding of the challenges faced in wartime that I was previously unaware of. Simple, direct writing without pretence. Best book I read all year.

[ERIC PECHINOT · Rating 3 out of 5]

These well written memoirs cast light on the Falklands War from the viewpoint of the Royal Navy and the Rear Admiral in charge of the operations at sea.
No moonshine here and the author is not wishy-washy when it comes to say what is what. The long transit from the Mediterranean and North Atlantic all the way down to the combat zone makes very good reading. You really grasp what it means to train for the real thing whilst on your way through seas seldom smooth. A telltale episode: the Fleet is being kept on tenderhooks several days running by the unexpected presence of a submarine on the prowl. Could the Argentinians be so bold? And then a sigh of relief: the Combat Information Centre realizes that the suspicious plot on the sonar screen is but that of an innocent playful whale!
A very good read for whoever is interested in modern sea warfare.

[Bas Kreuger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book on the naval side of operations in the Falklands campaign in 1982.

Funnily enough I also compared Woodwards book with novels by Tom Clancy or Larry Bond. But had Clancy or Bond written this one, I would have laid it aside as being not very realistic! The British missiles continuously miss target, about 80% or Argentinian bombs don't explode, the Argentinian navy is not responding very clever to the British moves etc. etc.

But oh boy! Does it read like a Clancy or Bond novel!Better that those, far better. Of course because Woodward was really there, this all happened and it is not an imaginary story.

Woodward takes you deep in the decision making process of the Royal Navy, for some readers not the most exciting stuff, but for me (a naval historian by training) exactly what I want to know. All hopes and fears he has, all doubt whether his decisions are correct, his (luckily wrong)reading of the Argentinian admirals intentions, this all paints a very informative picture of the Falklands campaign.

It is not all dry stuff, all information. Woodward (and his ghostwriter Patrick Robinson) combine the tale of operational command with "on scene" parts on the actual combat with the Argentinian airforce (who flew death defying missions in the teeth of heavy opposition, with grudging admiration from Woodward).

He doesn't spare himself and squarely lays blame at his own feet for disastrous events like the Bluff Cove debacle and losses of ships and men that came out of his decisions.

Woodward concludes his book with the question "was it worth it?". This impossible question to answer is taken up by him in a very frank way, certainly as naval officer. How to compare the hundreds of lives lost on both sides against the more or less symbolical war over some god forsaken islands? How to compare the financial expenditure of this war, with lots of expensive warships, aircraft, supplies, fuel etc etc lost and used against the need for better healthcare in the UK?

Combine this book with reading this article: http://www.scribd.com/doc/112031220/C... where you see the action from the other side (the Argentinian Air Force).

[Barry Sierer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written from the viewpoint of the commander of a naval task force at war in the missile age. Admiral Sandy Woodward commanded the naval task force that was ultimately used to reclaim the Falkland Islands after the Argentine invasion. He was ordered to proceed to the south Atlantic following an exercise off Gibraltar. He has a short time timeline in which he must wear down Argentine forces deployed on and near the battle zone, and support an amphibious landing on the islands. He is operating far from any logistical support so his assets must be husbanded, yet still utilized in such a way that will destroy Argentine assets while preserving as many of his own as he can. If he cannot complete Operation Corporate before the winter sets in, his ships will eventually break down due to lack of maintenance and his task force will not be able to support the land forces or even defend themselves.

He is an odd choice for the role; he wasn’t really chosen, but simply fell into the role as “the closest sea-going Admiral” near the battle zone. Most of Woodward’s career was spent on submarines but he is commanding a surface task force with aviation, Special Forces and eventually land forces. (Note it is normal in the Royal Navy for former submarine officers to command surface vessels.) He is admittedly ignorant of some of how these forces are used and maintained.

Woodward provides an over arching and deservedly humble account of his own decisions and actions, which were at times ruthless (leaving an SAS patrol under fire to fend for themselves so as not to risk air assets), poorly thought out (permitting a day time landing at Fitzroy which resulted in tragedy) and very sensible (not firing on an unidentified approaching aircraft that turned out to be a civilian airliner)

This is a humble account of a man’s transformation from a largely uninspired naval cadet to a task force commander written with an Englishman’s distinct gift for understatement.

[Julie Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Hundred Days tells the story of the Falkland Islands war of 1982 from the perspective of the commander of the naval battle group, Admiral Sandy Woodward. It is an unashamedly and intense personal viewpoint as a leader drawn from his diary written at the time showing all the frustrations, anxieties, and grief that assailed him.
As an author of naval history, I couldn't put it down. Readers must read all three prefaces to understand what Woodward knew when and didn't know during the campaign otherwise the book makes little sense. He learned much after twenty years had elapsed. Woodward does not tackle the land offensive to regain the islands from the Argentinians—he left that to other writers better able to do it.
One Hundred Days was written with help from Patrick Robinson, a skilled author of military fiction, but this book has lost none of Woodward's voice; indeed quotes from his diary are scattered throughout and the last 25 percent is a transcript of it.

I couldn't give the book four stars due to its lack of suitability for the general reader, but I do heartily recommend it for all naval personnel and naval history buffs who want to see the Falklands naval war from the inside.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

'One Hundred Days' is a must have for any Naval Historian. Admiral Woodward does a superb job explaining and critiquing modern paradigms of the 'air sea' battle. I cannot exclaim the praises of this book loudly enough!

[Jan]

Very open and seemingly honest personal account of the thoughts, considerations and frustrations of the Naval British Battle Group Commander during the Falklands conflict.

[Michael Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Similar in concept to the book “Convoy Commander" by Rear Admiral Sir Kenelm Creighton. Woodward was assisted by Patrick Robinson. Woodward writes about the hundred days that he commanded the naval element of the British force re-taking the Falkland Islands after their invasion by the Argentinians in 1982. Woodward commanded everything that moved on the water from the surface ships, the aircraft carriers, the Harriers that flew from the aircraft carriers, the submarines (indirectly), the supply ships, the troop ships, the landing craft, the service (tugs, repair and supply ships) and hospital ships, and had a major role in the selection of landing beaches that he had to defend until they could defend themselves. His ships and aircraft were responsible for bombardment of all shore based targets identified by the infantry for pre-landing destruction.

Woodward’s decision to employ a professional writer (Patrick Robinson), was the right one as the book is much more articulate than memoires or “as I saw it” stories often are. His story is truly “big picture” with detail brought in whenever important decisions had to be made. Woodward was the man who made the decisions. He decided which ships would be out front to take the brunt of the fighting, which weapon systems would be tested and trusted, and which seemed to be less trustworthy, and he decided which battles would be fought today and which would be fought tomorrow (of those started by the British). Ultimately he decided where and when it was safe(r) to place the unweaponized but very vulnerable support vessels. He decided when to attack the Argentine navy; this required a revision to his rules of engagement (ROE). The book includes one or two chapters on Woodward’s education in the Royal Navy (RN). I suppose these show the growth of his ability to make decisions, not always necessarily by the book, but always correct.

The Battle Group, as his fleet of warships was called, was formed initially from a couple of fleets that were at sea in the Mediterranean on spring training when the crisis arose. He was given command of what naval HQ considered to be the best and most appropriate ships from the entire bunch. They were directed to Gibraltar where they were equipped for war. Woodward was flown to HQ for consultations and to ensure that he understood his ROE. Timing was set based on victory by the end of June. This meant about five key dates had to be met: start of hostilities; infantry landing day (D-day), and unconditional surrender of Argentinian forces. On return to Gibraltar, a few more ships had joined and they all sailed to Ascension Island (4000 miles from the Falkland Islands) which was the closest British location for jet aircraft access, or for naval repair or refit. At Ascension, the fleet practiced working together and a few more ships joined. They would still wish for more anti-aircraft and anti-missile ships; the first of these would arrive in time for the last battle.

This book could easily turn into a series of entries from his logbook. However, they did an excellent job of keeping to an interesting narrative. And it is very interesting. The ROE popped up a few times in the book. We could think of the Britain’s naval management or political oversight as being risk averse, meaning decision averse. In this case, under Margaret Thatcher, the senior admirals and cabinet acted quickly and revised the ROE several times at Woodward’s request. In each case, he was allowed to be more aggressive in his execution of the war. There is at least one episode in the book that war news watchers would remember that occurred directly as a result of Woodward’s request to revise the ROE.

This was a surprisingly great book. Great if you are looking for real live action and great if you are looking to see how a senior commander deals with strategic considerations with life and death impacts on men, their ships, and a war. I have never read a better book for telling the story of naval command. Five stars.

[Dan Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an idiosyncratic and personal account of the Falklands War, written by the commander of the British task force sent to recapture the islands. The author's personality shines through strongly and he comes across as someone with many strong traits but also as someone who might not be easy to get on with at times. He seems to be very traditionally English, conservative, self deprecating, and painfully honest. Also grumpy, old-fashioned, mildly jingoistic, and sometimes lacking in understanding of aspects of communication. He acknowledges that his perspective and recollections may not tally with others and that his may not in all cases be the most rounded view. In short, it's about as far from a typical self-serving gung-ho US memoir as it is possible to get!

A major theme running through the book is leadership. The author clearly has strong and well-developed theories of leadership and I think there's much to be learned here. For example, his emphasis on letting his team do their jobs without micromanagement might be usefully contrasted with the approach many managers take in the commercial world.

I enjoyed both the first section of the book, detailing his life and career up to the point at which he was assigned the role to lead the task force, and the remainder of the book covering the 100 days of the war. Readers may be surprised to hear about the vagueness and contradictions in the communication of the chain of command, and there are many more snippets of similar interest that I don't think it's easy to get from more conventional histories.

This is a really good book and a great read. Its idiosyncrasies add to the charm, rather than detracting, making it a slightly unconventional and yet massively informing work of history. Recommended to all.

[Bernd Velling · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of there can be no spoiler alert for this book as the outcome is known. Would be like writing about the Titanic and be surprised she sank.

This book makes it to my „will reread“ list.

The thoughts in here are something that should make people think.
This goes way beyond tactics and orders of battle.
The Admiral confronts the issues of battle stress and ptsd before that became a topic.

He mercilessly points to flaws in weapon systems and tells the story of how people overcame them.
This message should be heard by all those that are voicing the continuous automation and employment of AI in the military. Because when systems failed in the Falklands it cost lives and it was through the person behind the system that things were solved.

The book is written like you are having a sit down with the Admiral over a coffee or tea.
Open , honest with some down to earth humor even.

In my opinion a „must read“ for military people and a big insight for those in the civilian world that want to get a better understanding of what a soldier thinks like.

[Nicola C · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War this month & so I'm reading books on this area of modern history I previously read Simon Westons book Walking Tall.
And so onto 100 days there comes a point in any book when the author and reader become in sync for me it was less than a 100 pages and the author Sandy Woodward & Patrick Robinson had me hooked with events from the commanders point of view and overview of the events of the lead up start and end of the Falklands War a superbly written account of the war from the navy and commander of the naval campaign.
Touching & poignant and hard for reading of the loss of life and the decisions made to save the campaign from disaster at the hands of the Argentinian airforce.
War is a difficult situation and it's not won by politics but by men doing a job but can be lost by lack of will of those in politics luckily we had no lack of will and the right men in the right place to see the job through.
A book well worth reading.

[David Rubin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Admiral Woodward's personal history of the Falklands War and his personal history. The book is not so much a story of ships and lives lost, of victories gained, and of strategy and tactics as it is about real men facing real battle conditions with less than perfect ships and weapons, facing political and reporting challenges.

This is primarily the story of the modern day British Navy bearing the dual burden of a glorious history and current budget restrictions which make living up to it history difficult and almost embarrassing.

The United Kingdom has had to live up to the realities of life in the post-WWII age in the face of three much larger global military powers. This book is an excellent view of those realities.

[Jerz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plainly and simply, this is the best book covering the Falklands War by the Task Force commander, himself.

How this man was able to make the decisions he had to with the knowledge and strategy available at the time is amazing.

This war was also the first one since WWII where an admiral had to contend with restrictions (interference?) of the powers that be at home and not have the autonomy that previous admirals. Having to contend with the media and international interference from the world at large were also major issues.

In this regard, Sandy Woodward was unique in having to deal with a war in a totally different way to previous admirals.

[Brendan Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very hard book to put down! Very well written, and well explained. An amazing look at the Falklands War from the view point of the Battle Group Commander!

I happened to get the 3rd revision of this book, which includes the actual diary of Adm. Woodward at the end. My recommendation: Skip reading the actual Diary ... it's very repetitious to the main book (as many diary entries are quoted verbatim in the main memoir) and frankly, it isn't as well explained.

The entire memoir goes through the diary and events of the war and explains everything very clearly. The addition of the diary itself is a "nice to have" but I'd recommend skipping that portion.

[Sofie L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique perspective from the person who was calling the shots (both figuratively and literally) during the Falklands campaign. How does one remove themselves from the emotions of sending their people into harm's way in order to get the job done? The addition of segments from the Admiral's personal wartime journal helps shed some light on the decision-making that was involved, and how close it all came to resulting in a very different outcome.

[Neil Bew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchased for the princely sum of £1.50 in a charity shop, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. What I found was an incredibly open, fascinating account which revealed all of Woodwards own worries, insecurities, mistakes and thought processes as he planned and reacted his way through a fearfully difficult, demanding task. Just how difficult a task, and how amazing were the members of the armed forces involved, is clear from these pages.

[Jeff Servello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid book. Woodward's experiences in command provide many opportunities for thought provoking reflection on how one in command would approach handle operations if place in a similar circumstance. Of note are his reflections on fear, logistics, training , and the likelihood that equipment will work as advertised.

[Steve Prince · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fascinating story of the Falkland Islands campaign as told by the British battle group commander himself. I found this book to be very informative and interesting to read, though a little tedious at some points. While not an altogether bad author, I am fully confident that Admiral Sandy Woodward found his true calling as a naval officer.

[Jens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the honest and complete writing of his emotions, career and perspective complemented by comments on how other actors writing gave him more insight. He largely avoids a dull description of what ships was where and walks the fine line of arrogance/secrecy/offense very well. It reads fast and is really worth your time.

[Michael Toleno · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great study in leadership, applicable far beyond a military or combat setting. Be sure to read the final (3rd) edition because Woodward's reflections of crucial interactions with other commanders developed and transformed significantly after the 1st and 2nd editions were published. His latest insights and perspectives on those key relationships can only be found in the 3rd edition.

[Maxwell Nonnenmacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does an incredible job of telling the story of one of the only major naval operations since the end of World War II that saw two near-peer nations fight on the high seas. The book skips much of the political and land battles, focusing only on the role of the Naval Battle Group and offers an important perspective on what a naval conflict could look like in the modern day.

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful into the career of a Royal Navy admiral and the Falklands War. Highly readable and entertaining. There may have been a couple of cases where things were inadequately fact checked, but this is understood as Sandy Woodward's memoir rather than an official history.

[JJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good history of the Falklands War and wonderful insight into the mind of admiral in command. Could have done with some maps and diagrams to better explain the geography. Woodward is obviously biased in his depiction, so don't expect any of the Argentine perspective.