Mark Adkin offers a splendid, highly detailed account of 2 Para's attack and capture of Goose Green, a forsaken hamlet whose population of 90 makes it the second largest after Stanley in the Falkland Islands. It gained a glimpse of world attention as the first pit stop on the way to the recapture/liberation of the Falkland Islands out of the greedy little incompetent hands of the Argentine junta that had tried to bluff the Brits and were called out by the Iron Lady.

As Adkin lays out in great detail, the incompetence of the Argentine military knew no bounds. They timed the invasion so that most of the conscript soldiers had served for only two to three months. Part of the army had to stay behind to guard their backyard neighbor and the population. They left much of their equipment and especially the heavy weapons, the Brits would be unable to quickly transport south, on the mainland. They dispersed their forces all over the islands instead of concentrating on strategic points. Thus the two (battalion-sized) regiments that defended the isolated West Falklands were all but lost for all practical purposes. The forces that remained were dispersed in sequential, non supporting positions that violated the basic military concepts. At Goose Green, the Argentines failed to occupy the highest hills and did not put their troops on high alert when the BBC in a strange interpretation of public service pre-announced the British attack. The Brits were fortunate in their choice of opponents.

The Paras' main asset was their determination and willingness to bear pain. Their equipment, coordination and communication broke time and again, best exemplified by the suicidal solo charge of the Para's commanding officer (a charge of the Light Brigade in reverse). The sacrifice of his life resulted in a Victoria Cross but left the tactical situation unchanged. While the sequential lines of the Argentines gave the Brits local superiority, only the advent and use of the anti-tank weapons as trench busters broke the Argentinian will to fight. True to form, the Argentine leadership managed to reinforce failure just in time for their surrender.

Was it worth the price in blood? On the British side, the (re)gain was not a matter of real estate but prestige, both domestic and foreign. Great Britain was slowly and painfully reverting its decline and modernize its society and economy. The moral boost that made this possible started with the battle for Goose Green. For Argentina, the Falklands War broke the donkey generals' back and opened the a path toward democracy or what is possible thereof in a very unequal society.

Adkin's account is highly recommended to those seeking a professional analysis of the action. His emphasis is on command structure, capabilities, logistics and supply. Those seeking an adrenalin kick or a thriller, should look elsewhere. The remaining readers are rewarded by a highly detailed tactical analysis of a battailon attack with plenty of maps. ( )