Falklands Hero

“A multi-layered portrait of a dedicated professional soldier who was far from being the archetypal rough-hewn paratrooper of popular mythology.” —Eastern Daily Press

At the height of the bitter battle for Mount Longdon during the Falklands War, 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment’s assault has stalled in the face of determined resistance. With his platoon held up by an Argentine machine gun, it falls to Sergeant Ian McKay to act. The machine gun has to be silenced to break the deadlock. Gathering a small group together, Ian McKay leads them in a headlong dash into the teeth of a withering fire. One by one they fall until only McKay is left, charging on alone towards the Argentine gun and a place in history. His was the final act of a man who lived, breathed and was shaped by the Parachute Regiment: an act which earned him a posthumous Victoria Cross. This is the story of Ian McKay: the last British hero of the Twentieth Century.

“This book is not just a record of the actions of one brave man, it is a tribute to the determination of the British troops that fought on Mount Longdon that cold night thirty years ago. Though it was Ian McKay that led the charge against the Argentine positions, his men followed him unquestioningly. They too were heroes.” —Britain at War

“McKay’s role is documented for the first time . . . Both McKay’s surviving family and comrades gave interviews and documents to the author, confirming his involvement in Bloody Sunday.” —The Times