Cover Notes
The first full account of the most ambitious British bombing raid since the Dambusters: the dramatic Vulcan attack on Port Stanley airfield at the start of the Falklands War When the Argentinian forces invaded the Falklands on 2 April, 1982, it took the British government under Margaret Thatcher completely by surprise. They needed a response, and fast. The military chiefs were
ordered to come up with a plan of retaliation. Operation Black Buck, the plan to bomb Port Stanley airfield, was their only realistic option. And even that was fraught with difficulties and danger. The plan itself was relatively simple: take two long range bombers and land a stick of bombs on the airfield in the immediate aftermath of the Argentine invasion. The realities were rather more complicated: the nearest friendly airbase was 4000 miles from Port Stanley and the only suitable long range bomber had just been taken out of service by the RAF. It wasn't an auspicious start .. And yet just over a month later, before dawn on 1 May, a lone RAF Vulcan B2 bomber made its way towards the runway at Port Stanley airport, about to strike the first blow of Britain's campaign to retake the Falklands. Through British pluck, ingenuity and determination by the hundreds of military personnel involved, the operation achieved its goals and will go down in history as the moment when Britain fought back.

Now, for the first time, the true story of the legendary raid on Stanley is told in Vulcan 607. Using extensive interviews with the combatants, residents of Stanley and military command, and with unprecedented access to military records of the time, Rowland White has reconstructed the flight and its preparation in gripping detail. It's an extraordinary and thrilling telling of a heroic enterprise - the last time that the RAF flew heavy bombers into combat, before being replaced with precision-guided modern weaponry - and looks set to join the classics of aviation literature with its blend of fascinating detail, compelling narrative and nailbiting action.

ROWLAND WHITE was eleven years old when the Falklands War broke out and reading the papers everyday for news quickly became his daily routine. He has been absorbed by the conflict ever since, and in particular with the Vulcan raid on Stanley airfield. He works in publishing in London where he lives with his young family. Rowland White is available for interview about his book

Reviews

An interesting episode in the Falkland's campaign, the narrative was marred by the schoolboy-style writing. The reader's impression is that the writer is a thirteen-year old with limited literary skills. The result was to detract from the efforts of those involved in the bombing rather than the reverse. In the right hands, it could have been a very good book indeed.

Excellent
Stanley was not the first time that the Argies had encounted the Vulcan I was lucky enough to be selected part of the ground crew to accompany 2 Vulcans to Argentina as guests of their airforce in 1960,great guys pity it all went pearshaped and as luck would have it one of the Vulcans went u/s and we had to leave it in their care untill it was sorted and recovered later.

Excellent
Nearly finished - I am on the bombing run at the moment, but had to break off to agree with all before me. The level of Roland's research is mind-boggling. I am fortunate enough to have flown 6th seat in a Victor B2 and played golf with Sir Rex Hunt! with these experiences come some understanding of what everybody went through to position this aircraft over the target and pace and style of the telling are second to none. One of the truly great war stories.

Excellent
Great book, difficult to put down, shows what determination can do.

absolutely unputdownable.
Bought at 8pm, finished at 0130 !
Excellent, when is the film going to be made ?

I chose the book for summer holiday homework. It caught my eye in the book shop and began reading it straight away.
Fantastic detail with great diagrams.
I am 14 and a keen future RAF pilot and this has really made me more determined. Great job!

wow what an amazing book and wow what an amazing plane so much so that i cant help but buy some sovineirs of ebay lol, its true what was said earlier this book would make one hell of a film which would be far better then america could do and better still they would be able to copy it and make a worse version "italian job"...ummm one more thing is xm607 still out side waddington?????? really wanna go see it touch it just makes reading the book a bit more special

Outstanding book,I've read it twice and perhaps when 558 flies a film could be made about this epic raid. As an ex-Vulcan ground crew fitter and serving in the RAF at the time it was nice to read a book that was so error free.
Glyn Davies comments that 2 Vulcans were shot down the week prior to the raid. Never heard that one before.

Brilliantly written - an adrenalin rush with just the right level of technical detail to get me hooked. Felt the ending was a bit flat and the analysis a little biased, as a lot of people seem to question the strategic impact of Black Buck. What the heck, it's a cracking yarn and a fitting tribute to the dedication of the huge team that made it possible to put 607 on target so far from home.

Why can't they make this book into a film??? very hard to put down.

I think this book will in time turn out to be an avation classic.A gripping read from start to finnish and in certain parts it reads like the whole episode was fiction although we all know that it actualy happend

I have not as yet read the book but will at the earliest convenient time now that I know the raids were documented.
My reason for this submission is to inform all those interested that Vulcan XM607 is now sited close to the A15 road at Waddington air force base, 2 miles south of Lincoln. Its location is opposite the Waddington aircraft viewing enclosure (WAVE) this is a free area for a large number of cars and offers superb views of the aircraft landing etc. it has a toilet and a superb little cafe that caters for us aircraft fans. (bacon butty anyone) XM607 has recently been repainted and stands proudly close to the road so that a camera becomes a must. Be aware that the A15 at this point is a fairly busy road so pulling into the Wave car park is a must......

Couldn't put this book down, it is amazing. I managed to read it in less than 2 days that's how much it grabs your attention. one of the best books I have read in a long time.

No mention of the 2 Vulcans shot down the week before this attack took place?

As a journalist on RAF News sent on detachment to Ascension Island and who interviewed the aircrews of the first two Black Buck raids, "Vulcan 607" leapt off the shelf when I saw it at my local book shop. Naturally, the chaps who flew on these remarkable operations were rather circumspect about giving me too much detail for publication while the war continued. But I never guessed just what a cliff-hanger of a story they had to tell - a story Rowland White recounts with brilliance. It's not only the story of the raids themselves that enthrals, but the background to Black Buck and how these venerable aircraft were made ready for these operations is truly amazing. You don't have to be an RAF buff to enjoy this highly readable adventure story.

Couldn't put it down. Fantastic read.

A well written account of that amazing action performed by the Martin Withers and the crew of 607, ably supported by crews of the Victors and so many others.
It's an excitng story on a par with any of those from WW II, but technically more revealing!

Superb book - I could not put it down. As an ex-Vulcan engineer (my first posting was Waddo in 1960) I found it both fascinating and accurate.I remember the raid of course but had no idea of the drama behind it. My only surprise is that it has taken this long to tell the story. It would make a cracking movie, a sort of mixture of The Dambusters and Apollo 13.

A tremendous read. A true-life 'Boys Own' story brought to life by the style of writing. Simply "un-put-downable"

Got it for christmas, could not put in down, true grit !

16 Nov 2006. I havent read his book yet but ive asked my family to buy it for my christmas present. XM607 has a soft spot in my heart as I was stationed at RAF Waddington from 1995 to 1999 and the first thing you saw driving up to the guard post was the mighty vulcan XM607. I know it sounds silly but as an MT driver I went through the gates on long haul trips many times and always said "see ya in a bit" and "hiya black buck", when I saw that aircraft I had more than a lot of respect for her and she was always there to greet me on my return, I knew I was home safe.

Having waited weeks, my local library informed me it was ready for collection on Wednesday morning. Having been told there was great demand for this book I started early afternoon (Wed). I finished reading it in the bath Thursday evening. A truly remarkable record of a truly remarkable operation. JS

I have thoroughly enjoyed this read, it is all that the reveiwers say it is.
I have seen one of the Falkland Vulcans at East Fortune and understand it was one that had to divert to Rio due to broken probe.
AG

Outstanding. A factual thriller, and very difficult to put down. Makes my time at Ascension on the RAF Search & Rescue Helicopter crew very serene.
 

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