Born For War: One SAS Trooper's Extraordinary Account of the Falklands War

by Tony Hoare

'Tony is the real deal.' Andy McNab

The full, explosive, boots-on-the-ground story of the Falklands War, from a soldier at the heart of the action, published for the 40th anniversary of the conflict.

Tony Hoare always knew he wanted to be in the SAS.

Both his grandfather and father had been soldiers, and so Tony signed up for the Cadets at 13, then the Infantry at 17 and enlisted into the Royal Green Jackets before passing arduous SAS selection in 1978.

Less than four years later, Tony and his team were sent to a collection of islands just off the coast of Argentina called the Falklands, where tensions were rising and war was on the horizon.

No amount of training could prepare Tony for what happened over the course of the next twelve weeks, as the Falkland Islands became a battleground between British and Argentinian forces. As helicopters crashed and ships sank, Tony, at the centre of the action, battled across treacherous terrain and against a fearsome enemy, doing whatever it took to retake the islands.

From one of the only soldiers who was on the frontline throughout the entire conflict, this is a thrilling account of what really happened in the Falklands, an explosive story of land, sea and air battles from a trooper who saw it all.

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2022

About the author

Tony Hoare joined the Army Cadets, where he learned to fire a gun at the age of 13. He then signed up to the Infantry on his 17th birthday and enlisted into the Royal Green Jackets. He passed SAS selection in 1978 and with them, went on multiple tours and trained numerous recruits, including Andy McNab. Since leaving the Army in 1996, he has undertaken security and consultation on various highly dangerous projects, including a stint as a UN Security Officer in South Sudan. His first book, Born For War, retold his story of the Falklands War and was a WHSmith Travel Book of the Month.

Reviews

[M.J. Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Falklands War was an extraordinary feat of arms.
To transport an entire expeditionary force half way around the world and re-take by military might a naturally defensive fortress against a modern force equipped with excellent French and American weapons, who've had weeks to entrench and outnumber you four to one, is an outstanding achievement that defies all logic. It was a war won with bullet and bayonet, as well as liquid courage. Mistakes were made, disasters occurred, there was bad planning and the chaos of war in the most horrendous of fighting conditions... But the individual combatants from all branches of the UK forces (and civilians too) got the job done.
The author is of a special breed. Unashamedly patriotic and a genuine hero. I share his often-voiced opinion that our frontline battalions and special forces are the very best. Though pathetically few, they are a match for anyone. We are a warrior nation and in times of need, we do the necessary. These are points underlined by this novel. It is an account of one soldier's war, clearly heavily redacted for facts are few as far as his operations are concerned, but he relays his thoughts and feelings with complete candour. There is repetition and a gung-ho attitude which may irk some readers granted, though this is a living legend I for one would love to buy a pint.

[Philip Carman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read -

[Darren Hinton]

Give a good overview of the SAS and the events during the Falklands war . I didn't really much knownlodge before hand so this is a great introduction

[John Suddrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent no nonsense down to earth read of a true man, a warrior for this time.