I’m not a fan of Christmas songs, so I thought it would be interesting to make a playlist of music related to, or about history. With one exception, all the songs here are from my personal collection. Consequently, there’s a lot of folk and rock, particularly Billy Bragg and Iron Maiden. I’ve added a few notes about some tracks.
Last week, The Sun ran a story about how the CIA wanted to force Britain to hand over the Falkland Islands to Argentina and force…
I’ve been interviewed by the Nonfiction Authors Association. A couple of excerpts: What inspired you to write your book? I’ve long had the impression that…
The Falklands War ended on the 14th of June 1982. To mark the anniversary, the ebook of A Damn Close-Run Thing will be available…
I’m very pleased to announce that A Damn Close-Run Thing: A Brief History of the Falklands Conflict is now available as an audio book at…
This article has also been published in the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers Journal.
In 1854, during the Crimean War, a volunteer unit was formed in the Falkland Islands to guard against Russian invasion. This unit was commonly known as the Stanley Volunteers, but had no official title. In 1891 a Chilean steamer, with 200 armed men aboard, called at Port William for repairs. The presence of so many armed men was considered to be a threat to the islands, and so the governor, Sir Roger Goldsworthy, formed the Falkland Islands Volunteers, with an initial strength of 37 men, to provide the islands with an indigenous defence force. The men of the unit were sworn in at a ceremony at Government House in June 1892.
In 1982, most Britons didn’t know where the Falkland Islands were. That changed when Argentina invaded, but although many Britons are aware of events during the Conflict, knowledge of the events that led to it seems to be much less widespread. The death of Baroness Thatcher, and her funeral (with military honours) is bound to bring the subject to the public’s attention. I think it’s worth remembering how her government’s actions led the Argentinians to believe that an invasion would not be contested.
Below I have set out a timeline of events leading up to the invasion.
Back in January, I committed to giving 30% from every sale of A Damn Close-Run Thing to The Forgotten Heroes. I’m proud to say that…
30 years ago today was my 12th birthday. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stood on the steps of 10 Downing Street and said, “Just rejoice at…
30 years ago today, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. 255 British servicemen gave their lives in the war that followed. More than double that number…
