The British Government and the Falkland Islands, 1974-79 [Hardcover]

Drawing on recently declassified government files, private papers and interviews, this book argues that through a combination of preventative diplomacy and robust defence planning, the Labour government of 1974-79 succeeded in maintaining peace, avoiding the fate of its Tory successors.Acknowledgements Abbreviations Maps Introduction 1. 'Leave This Poisoned Chalice Alone' 2. The Lowest Common Multiple 3. A Sensational Hostage 4. Islands Surrounded by Advice 5. The Mixed Approach 6. Absentee Landlords 7. Defence of the Realm 8. 'No Talks, Just Football' Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

Aaron Donaghy merits congratulation for a well-researched and cogently argued analysis of the handling of the Falklands issue by the 1974 79 Labour government. Noting that the pre-1982 first volume of The Official History of the Falklands Campaign by Sir Lawrence Freedman is considerably shorter than its sequel, on the conflict itself, Donaghy challenges several areas of omission and contests other interpretations. - The Round Table, 2014

Aaron Donaghy is an IRC Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellow at University College Dublin, Ireland. His research interests include twentieth-century British history and the history of international relations, particularly Anglo-American relations.