''Rejoice! media freedom and the Falklands', 1983 [Library shelfmark: QP2.83.1732], 'Gotcha! the media, the government and the Falklands crisis', 1983 [Library shelfmark: HP1.83.526], 'The Falklands war postal history and stamps of the Argentine occupation', 1982 [Library shelfmark: HP2.85.24].
The 1982 conflict over control of the Falkland Islands — Islas Malvinas — is well documented in the Library's collections.
Original material can be viewed alongside retrospective publications, allowing a full understanding of the build-up to the war, the opposition to it and its impact on the world.
Transcripts of media reports contain the details issued about the war as it unfolded. The book 'Rejoice! media freedom and the Falklands' — referencing Margaret Thatcher's comment at the first victory of the conflict — provokes consideration about how information about the war was communicated to the public.
Newspapers published at the time offer a window into the past, documenting how the story of the dispute was told. On 4 May 1982 'The Sun' newspaper reported British naval attacks on two Argentine vessels with the memorable 'GOTCHA!' headline. The book 'GOTCHA! the media, the government and the Falklands crisis' is a starting point to analyse the media reporting of the war.
Creative works in the Library collections show how the conflict inspired fiction. New perspectives can also be found in items like 'The Falklands war postal history and stamps of the Argentine occupation'.
To read more about 1980s international relations, see also:
Further 1980s videos and essays are available in our retrospective 'Back to the future: 1979-1989' website.