The SS Canberra was the last icon of an age of leisurely travel fading into memory even as she embarked on her maiden voyage: a luxurious ocean liner vast and brilliant white, a beacon of elegance and opulence.
But then in March 1982 Britain went to war in defence of the Falkland Islands, the Canberra, its round-the-world cruise suddenly interrupted, found itself, surreally, requisitioned as a troopship to carry the Marines and the Paratroops into battle.
Against the odds she survived, performing a crucial role as a hospital ship, then taking a vanquished and bewildered conscript army home to Buenos Aires before returning to Southampton, grubby and rust-streaked, forever to be fondly known as the Great White Whale, to a tumultuous hero s welcome.
This is the extraordinary story untold until now, of how unlikely combatants like waiters, cooks, nurses and cleaners who never in their dreams imagined they could be caught up in a war, found themselves on the front line at the very end of the world. A Very Strange Way To Go To War is a candid, revealing and compelling story of bravery, by turns surprising, tender and deeply moving. Above all, it is the story of a quintessentially British finest hour, brought about by ordinary men and women, who, when their country called, went all the way.
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A well-written and vivid account that provides a marvellous mix of personal recollection and the compelling tale of the almost surreal events of 30 years ago
(The Telegraph) --The TelegraphANDREW VINE is an award-winning journalist and assistant editor of the Yorkshire Post. He is author of Last of the Summer Wine: The Story of the World s Longest Running Comedy Series, and of A Very Strange Way to Go To War: The Canberra in the Falklands. He lives in Leeds.
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Fair. A readable copy of the book which may include some defects such as highlighting and notes. Cover and pages may be creased and show discolouration. Seller Inventory # GOR009726100
Book Description Condition: Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. Ex library copy with usual stamps & stickers. Seller Inventory # wbs3645463558
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP81646958
Book Description Condition: Good. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has soft covers. Clean From Markings. In good all round condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,350grams, ISBN:9781781311844. Seller Inventory # 9514790
Book Description Trade Paperback. Condition: As New. The Canberra was the major troop carrier during the 1982 war. pp336. Illus. Seller Inventory # 008413