Signals of War

by Lawrence Freedman, Virginia Gamba-Stonehouse

The 1982 Falklands War was not only one of the most extraordinary military confrontations of recent years but also a turning point in the politics of Britain and Argentina. This unusual book makes it possible for us to follow the development of the war from both sides, as two leading experts from the belligerents present an integrated, authoritative, and engrossing account of its origins and course. The work unravels the complex series of events leading to the occupation of the Falkland Islands on April 2, 1982 by Argentine forces and then follows the conflict through to their surrender to the British on June 14. The authors weave together the development of the military confrontation with the attempts by Americans, Peruvians, and the United Nations to help find solutions.

Originally published in 1991.

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Genres: History

512 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1990

About the author

Sir Lawrence David Freedman, KCMG, CBE, PC, FBA is Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London.

Reviews

[Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Signals of War provides a reasonably balanced take on a subject often mired by needless partisanship. Lawrence Freeman and Virginia Gamba-Stonehouse provide a coherent and direct narrative of the diplomacy both before and through the conflict. Military actions are noted, and all important ones are described, but they are mentioned strictly to describe their effect on politicians and officers, as well as the overreaching diplomatic context. Although more information has come out since the publishing of the book, it remains a good text, especially as an introduction to the conflict. However, it is important to note that it holds little information as to the historical and legal conflict (especially in the 19th century), just the bare necessities.

[Patricia Roberts-Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good first book to read about the Falklands/Malvinas conflict--good information from sources on all sides of the conflict, fair to all parties, and yet critical of all parties. It explains things a little more than some other books, so you don't need to know much about the issue beforehand.