Woodward did this on purpose, he writes in the book’s preface that he selected Patrick Robinson as his co-author precisely because he had not served in the Royal Navy and because he believed “hiring a proper naval historian” would be “the kiss of death.” While talk of the intricacies of naval war in the missile age could get lost in the weeds, Woodward tells a deeply personal story.

What makes One Hundred Days, first published in 1992, such a great read is that it is not just a memoir for the next generation of naval officers, but is written in a way that is accessible to the layperson. This is a shame for the memoirs of the Royal Navy’s task force commander during the Falklands War, which ended 37 years ago today, makes for not only great reading for fans of history, but takes you inside the personal stories and stresses of a man tasked with leading men at war. Outside of Britain, Woodward’s memoir is perhaps known only to naval officers and hard core history buffs. Then there is One Hundred Days by British Admiral John Foster “Sandy” Woodward. Augustine’s Confessions to Winston Churchill’s The World Crisis and The Second World War there are no shortage of great memoirs from history’s most consequential figures. This ebook edition is updated with the diary that Sandy Woodward kept during the course of the campaign.From St. 'One Hundred Days' is an engrossing and authoritative retelling of these dramatic events, as well as a candid and revealing insight into what it is to lead your country to war. In this acclaimed account, he takes us from day 1 to day 100 of the conflict through the tragic losses of ships and men to the defeat of the Argentinian Navy and the retaking of the islands.

But with no advantage in the air or on land and the vast distances involved, many felt that victory was at best unlikely - and at worst, impossible.Īs Battle Group Commander, Admiral Sandy Woodward was the man in charge on the frontline.

It soon became obvious they were sailing to war. On 5 April 1982, three days after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, British armed forces were ordered to sail 8, 000 miles to the South Atlantic. The bestselling, highly-acclaimed and most famous account of the Falklands War, written by the commander of the British Task Force.

One hundred days sandy woodward