Harrier 809. Britain's legendary jump jet and the untold story of the Falklands War. Author Rowland White. Falklands Conflict Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy Aviation

Harrier 809. Britain's legendary jump jet and the untold story of the Falklands War. Author Rowland White - Out of Print

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‘A military adventure, written with expertise…a tale of initiative, skill and courage, of pushing beyond the rules.’ The Spectator

April 1982. Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.

In response, Britain despatches a naval Task Force. Eight thousand miles from home, its fate hinges on just twenty Sea Harriers against the two hundred-strong might of the Argentine Air Force.

The odds against them are overwhelming.

The MoD’s own estimates suggest that half the Harriers will be lost within a week. Against this background, 809 Naval Air Squadron is reformed, trained and sent south to fight.

Not since WWII had so much been expected of such a small band of pilots.

Combining ground breaking research with the pace of a thriller, Rowland White reveals the full story of the fleet’s knife-edge fight for survival for the first time, and shows how the little jump jet went from air show novelty to sealing its reputation as an icon of British aviation, alongside the Spitfire and the Hurricane.

‘Without the Sea Harrier there could have been no Task Force’
Admiral Sir Henry Leach, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff


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Colin M.
The inside story of the air war for the Falklands

Rowland White's book is a fast paced, easily digestible account of the Sea Harrier's contribution to the battle to re-take the Falklands in the 1982 campaign.
White writes in an uncomplicated way, allowing people with little or no knowledge of aviation to understand the technical aspects of events. His vivid descriptions of the principal characters and their actions makes this book a gripping account of these momentous times.
He uses the story of the hasty re-commissioning of 809 Naval Air Squadron to take us through the air battle from start to finish, covering the history of the Harrier, its modification for Naval use, and the equipment, weapons and tactics developed to make it such an effective air defence fighter.
As well as describing the Naval air battle over the Falklands, White describes the Air Force contribution including the deployments of aircraft to the Pacific to assist in the intelligence gathering task which contributed to the Task Force's success.
He has a crisp, accessible writing style, describing each event vividly in a few concise paragraphs. The mix of clear, simple explanations of situations and lively descriptions of the many characters involved in the war, makes this account very easy to read. This allows the reader to get a very clear understanding of the progress of the conflict and of the peripheral events which affected the overall campaign, and holds the attention from the first page.
Highly recommended by this Falklands veteran.

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