Down South: A Falklands War Diary
Author(s): Chris Parry
28-year-old Chris Parry was an officer on a Wessex III helicopter on HMS Antrim during the Falklands War. Built in the 1960s, Antrim was primarily designed to deal with the threat from Soviet missiles. But in the early months of 1982 she found herself heading south to spearhead the operation to recover South Georgia from the Argentinians. Within days Parry and his crew were trying to land SAS members on the formidable Fortuna Glacier in a near white-out. Buffeted by storm-force winds and driving snowstorms, they managed to disembark the men - only to be forced to return the following day when it was clear they couldn't survive the extremely hostile conditions. A few days later a sombre Parry was releasing the depth charges which disabled an Argentinian sub lurking in the freezing waters of South Georgia. He went on to take part in the landings at San Carlos and experience the intensity of Bomb Alley. Chris Parry's diary, written every evening during the conflict immediately after the events described, has been lost for thirty years.
It is published now for the first time on the anniversary of the war, a vivid and eloquent reminder of the dangers and hardships endured by our forces during the conflict.
Product Information
A truly gripping historical document -- Niall Ferguson A steady stream of participants' diaries has appeared. The best I have seen so far is Down South -- Max Hastings Sunday Times Excellent. A fascinating war diary -- Sir John Nott Daily Telegraph It 'checks out' to an extraordinary level of detail - but it's the 'feel', the 'atmosphere', the sense of the personalities and the politics - the behaviours - which makes it really real and come alive -- Kevin White (Weapons Engineering Section Officer In Hms Antrim) A vividly written, thought-provoking and engaging contemporaneous account -- Sue Corbett The Times A gripping account of heroism - and chaos - in the South Atlantic Mail on Sunday A graphic description of just how they pulled off a real-life Mission Impossible -- John Ingham, Defence Editor Daily Express Vivid and insightful -- Tim Newark Financial Times
After university, Chris Parry joined the Royal Navy as a Seaman Officer in 1972 and then became an Observer in the Fleet Air Arm in 1979. He was mentioned in despatches for his part in some of the actions described in this book. As well as several operational tours and Ministry of Defence appointments, he commanded HMS Gloucester, HMS Fearless and the UK's Amphibious Task Group. On promotion to Rear Admiral in 2005, he became the MOD's Director of Developments, Concepts and Doctrine. He was appointed a CBE in 2004. Now retired from the armed forces, he heads a company which specializes in geo-strategic forecasting.
General Fields
- :
- : Penguin Books Ltd
- : Viking
- : 0.682
- : 31 January 2012
- : 240mm X 162mm X 35mm
- : United Kingdom
- : 01 June 2012
- : books
Special Fields
- : Chris Parry
- : Hardback
- : 1
- : 997.1102448092
- : 384
- : black & white halftones, 8pp inset