With 3 Para to the Falklands

Book excerpt: A veteran of the Falklands conflict vividly recounts the actions of his elite parachute regiment in this Cold War military history. On Friday, April 9, 1982, a British task force set sail for the Falkland Islands. Three months later, after a short but brutal campaign, it had successfully ejected the Argentinean occupying forces. With 3 Para to the Falklands is the full story of that dramatic struggle from the point of view of a sergeant in the Third Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 Para). This elite battle group played a significant part in the campaign, marching from Port San Carlos to Port Stanley and fighting in one of its most crucial, yet often-neglected battles—the night assault on Mount Longdon. Graham Colbeck’s vivid account reveals the stark realities harsh conditions of this stubbornly contested conflict.