Goose Green

“Probably the best and most detailed description of a key battle in the 1982 Falklands War . . . an excellent and fast paced narrative.” —Michael McCarthy, historical battlefield guide This book tells the story of the battle for Goose Green—the first crucial clash of the Falklands War—through the eyes of the commanders, both British and Argentine, from brigadier to corporal. It follows in detail, with the aid of maps, the fourteen hours of vicious infantry as both sides struggled for the tiny settlement of Goose Green. The book explains how 2 Para came close to failure as the battalion fought over open ground, in daylight, without adequate fire support against prepared positions. Controversial questions—such as: Was it an unnecessary battle? Why did London overrule the brigadier commander’s reluctance to attack? Did Col. Jones’s solo charge, which won him the Victoria Cross, decide the issue?—are discussed frankly. The author, himself a former infantry officer, has had the full support of the Parachute Regiment, and has assembled the views and comments of over forty-five veterans of all ranks who fought there. “The Falklands War showed British military personnel at their best and most innovative under the most testing of conditions, and the Battle of Goose Green was one of the classic actions . . . The author has made an impressive job of reviewing the important factors, the events and decisions that led to the battle.” —Firetrench “This brought home to me how the infantry fight and how the British Paratrooper has gained a worldwide reputation for being one of the best fighting men around. A superb read.” —Army Rumour Service

*As featured in the landmark BBC2 documentary Our Falklands War: A Frontline Story* Published to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Falklands war 'There was a time when we did extraordinary things.' On 28 May 1982, 450 men of the 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment - 2 Para - went into action to retake the settlement of Goose Green on East Falkland, where more than 1,000 Argentine soldiers were holding 119 Falkland Islanders - men, women, children and one baby - in squalid conditions. Forty years on, Goose Green is still the biggest and bloodiest battle the British Army has fought in modern times. This book is the living narrative of the battle told by the very men who fought it; not just the soldiers of 2 Para, but also the SAS, the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, and others, in more than a hundred exclusive and untold personal accounts. Some are extremely funny, some touching, and some heart-breaking. All were recorded face to face, the speakers' own words adding a gritty authenticity to each account and conveying the confusion and terror of battle, as well as the courage and selflessness of men in action. Goose Green is a book that goes beyond the official histories and the many memoirs to bring to life the first and, as it turned out, the decisive battle of this country's outstanding campaign to retake the Falkland Islands from a foreign invader. This is a true story of a great victory against all the odds, told by the men who fought it.

Reissued for the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict The most in-depth and powerful account yet published of the first crucial clash of the Falklands war - told from both sides. 'Thorough and exhaustive' Daily Telegraph 'An excellent and fast paced narrative' Michael McCarthy, historical battlefield guide Goose Green was the first land battle of the Falklands War. It was also the longest, the hardest-fought, the most controversial and the most important to win. What began as a raid became a vicious, 14-hour infantry struggle, in which 2 Para - outnumbered, exhausted, forced to attack across open ground in full daylight, and with inadequate fire support - lost their commanding officer, and almost lost the action. This is the only full-length, detailed account of this crucial battle. Drawing on the eye-witness accounts of both British and Argentinian soldiers who fought at Goose Green, and their commanders' narratives, it has become the definitive account of most important and controversial land battle of the Falklands War. A compelling story of men engaged in a battle that hung in the balance for hours, in which Colonel 'H' Jones' solo charge against an entrenched enemy won him a posthumous V.C., and which for both sides was a gruelling and often terrifying encounter.

The Battle of Goose Green was the first major land conflict of the Falklands War. The Battle for Goose Green has become an integral part of the Falklands story, and yet it nearly didn’t take place at all. Originally earmarked to be isolated, Goose Green was eventually attacked due to the loss of momentum in the invasion force. The British 2 Para Regiment were deployed against the 12th Argentinean Regiment, which numbered about 1,200 men. The British believed that the Argentinean force numbered at least half this and set off with a strength of 690 men. They took two days’ rations, weapons, and ammunition in the belief that it would be a swift conquest. There followed a bitter and bloody fight as the Argentine forces fiercely defended Goose Green. Despite reconnaissance, the British were hampered by trench systems that they had been unaware of. Eventually the Argentines were forced to surrender, with 961 men captured, 145 taken prisoner during the fighting, and 47 killed. It was the first major engagement of the Falklands War.

The Battle of Goose Green was the first and longest land conflict of the Falklands War, which was fought between British and Argentine forces in 1982. The British forces, attacking over featureless, wind-swept and boggy ground, were heavily outnumbered and lacked fire support, but brilliantly defeated the Argentine garrison in a fourteen-hour struggle. If you want to understand what happened and why – read Battle Story.Detailed profiles examine the personalities of the British and Argentine commanders, including that of Victoria Cross winner Lt Col ‘H’ Jones.First-hand accounts offer an insight into this remarkable fourteen-hour struggle against the odds.Detailed maps explore the area of Darwin Hill and Goose Green, and the advance of the British forces.Photographs place you at the centre of this pivotal battle.Orders of battle show the composition of the opposing forces’ armies.Packed with fact boxes, this short introduction is the perfect way to explore this crucial battle.

Many heroes emerged during the First World War, but only one man was twice awarded the Victoria Cross during that conflict. This was Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps as Medical Officer to the 10th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool Regiment)--the Liverpool Scottish.

Mr. Goose finds an abandoned egg, hatches it, and raises a peculiar green-skinned long-tailed chick, who worries about his identity but comes to recognize that he has a loving parent.