Vulcan 607: The Epic Story of the Most Remarkable British Air Attack Since WWII

by Rowland White

Book Overview

It was to be one of the most ambitious operations since 617 Squadron bounced their revolutionary bombs into the dams of the Ruhr Valley in 1943 . . . April 1982. Argentine forces had invaded the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0552152293
• Release Date: June 2012
• Publisher: Corgi
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Highly recommended

A fascinating story of an almost impossible achievement and well worth a read. But the really incredible part is the account of the air to air refuellings, especially one in a terrible electrical storm, hundreds of miles from the nearest land and both planes [the bomber and the tanker] running low on fuel! Really hair raising.

True Brit

This is a wonderful story in the true spirit of the Dambusters. It tells the story of the efforts that were necessary in order to drop a stick of bombs on the airfield at Stanley at the start of the Falklands war and the subsequent liberation of the Island from the argentine occupation. The book focuses on the determination of all those involved to make it happen and the unsung heroes who contributed. A great adventure story, not jingoistic at all, it details the many mistakes as well the sucesses.

Wow!

This book is amazing. I'm not normally into factual books, but this one took my fancy while back home in England and I had recently discovered the efforts to get Vulcan 558 restored and flying again - I saw one at an air show as a kid and it was awe inspiring, both the sight and the noise. It also didn't hurt that Clive Cussler, my favorite author, had a quote about the book on the back cover. The book had me hooked immediately and I made time to read it instead of reading it when I had time. The story itself provoked a number of emotions being a Brit, firstly embarrassment and anger reading about the state of the RAF's fleet, but then an immense sense of British pride when the massive obstacles had been eliminated and the attack was on. I was 12 when the actual event took place, so didn't think it was a big deal. This book highlighted what an immense achievement it really was. There is naturally a lot of acronyms involved throughout the story relating to Rank, job title or equipment etc. and they can get a bit confusing, but they are integral to the story and didn't break up the flow. I really didn't want this book to end and I'm now looking for other books either Falklands war related or other British war related as I loved the way you could see the events unfold and how it all came together. I'd recommend this to anyone who remembers the Falklands as a kid as it's a real eye opener. If you get the chance to see XH558 fly for the Falklands 25th commemoration you will see what all the fuss was about. BTW - thanks Bill for your involvement on Ascension Island.

The Empire strikes back!

Like the author, I was ten years old at the time of the Falklands Conflict and I can remember it well. I can also remember the incredible noise when a Vulcan bomber made a low-level pass at a local airshow. These two memories made the subject matter immediately applealling. Rowland White has accomplished a considerable feat in researching the conflict and the historical records concerning the Vulcan and its crews. It is questionable whether Britian made a significant impact (militarily) by bombing the Argentine forces at Stanley, but the raid undoubtably sent the message that Britain was taking the invading forces seriously. National pride and righteous indignation was the order of the day and the armed forces had the immediate support of the British public. Not only has the author given a historically accurate account of the Falklands War but has also provided several accounts of Soviet activities during the Cold War - the incursions into British airspace and the monitering of British activities off the coast of Acsension Island were two ancedotes that the British public had very little idea of during that time. 10 out of 10 for a well researched book and deserving of a 5 star rating.

I was there!

I was stationed on Ascension Island as the US Base Commander at the time of the Falkland war and played a part in the drama told in this book. The author, Rowland White has gone to great effort to gather the facts of this story and then weave them into a most interesting book. Military buffs and fliers everywhere should enjoy the planning and execution of this most daring raid. Well written and well told. Bill Bryden