Terence Severine Betts

Terry Betts, a native Falkland Islander, tells of growing up on the islands and what is was like to live through the 74 days that Argentina invaded to establish the sovereignty it has long claimed over the islands. This is a really interesting story for me, because my sum total knowledge of the area before I read it was what happened there between April 2nd and June 14, 1982. The book starts off with a history lesson, then goes into regular life on the islands - work and leisure, and finishes with first-person accounts of the war and its aftermath - mainly Betts' own but also of those who he has interviewed. Betts was sick for several years as a child and missed quite a lot of school, which is evident in his writing skills (or rather, lack thereof) and, unfortunately, the text contains quite a lot of spelling and grammar errors. Betts is, however, a natural story teller and he does relay a very captivating story of life on these (for most of us) remote islands. Be aware that Betts is a staunch patriot, verging dangerously close to jingoism at times, so if your allegiance lies with Argentina (which is, interestingly enough, true for one of Betts' own brothers) perhaps this is not for you, but if you're willing to accept some political canvassing, it truly is worth the read, especially if you, like me, are looking for a Falkland Island read that isn't a pure war story.… (més)