Cassell, 2001, $9.95, ISBN 0-304-35647-6, 173 pgs., trade paperback

Written by Brigadier Julian Thompson, the commander of the 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines, No Picnic covers his brigade's actions during the invasion of the Falklands Islands. First published in 1985, re-issued in 1992, and now reprinted in 2001, it remains an important ground view of the brigade.

Note, that I write, "brigade," for unless it directly affected the brigade, other activities are not described. Naval and air forces and their battles are hardly mentioned unless it affected 3 Commando Operations. Likewise, Argentinean dispositions and actions are mentioned in Thompson's sector, but not elsewhere.

Thus, consider No Picnic to be a personal memoir, or more like a brigade after action report, than a history of the Falklands War. I suspect, though, that if you look in the bibliography of Falklands War histories, you'll find Thomson's book. It is a first class account of the landing and subsequent ground assault across the main island.

Detailed descriptions of command friction, small unit actions, and tactical expectations abound in the fast moving narrative. A few points hover at the forefront:

• Training: The Royal Marines were top of the line troops with excellent equipment (except boots), highly motivated, and confident of victory.
• Weather: Winter on these islands is really miserable with damp, borderline freezing, conditions.
• Terrain: If you like soggy bogs intermixed with craggy rocks and uneven stony surfaces, the Falklands is a great place to visit. Fighting across it is another matter. Excellent discussions of night patrol tactics versus Argentinean troops with IR goggles flesh out the actual combat descriptions.
• Recon: Intelligence gathering via the "Mark One Eyeball" shows the value of knowing enemy dispositions when planning tactical attacks.
• Attack Adaptability: This is probably part of training. When things go wrong, or the enemy isn't where his is supposed to be, or officer and NCO casualties occur, changing plans and tactics is a big plus to the success of the operation.

Thompson's prose marches on, if not with élan, then with competence. The descriptions are vivid enough with a soldier's eye for detail. It is, of course, very pro-British, but not necessarily anti-Argentinean--as if there's a grudging nod for the troops and NCOs, but not much for the Argentinean command staff. Indeed, in several sections Thompson wonders why particular tactical actions (counterattacks, patrolling, etc.) were not ordered.

In all, No Picnic is an excellent first person account of modern tactics. For Falkland War buffs, it's a must-have book.

Note: This goes well with With 3 Para to the Falklands by Sgt. Graham Colbeck.