Overview

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. AUTHOR: Jon Cooksey is a leading military historian who takes a special interest in the history of the world wars and the Falklands War. He is the former editor of Battlefields Review and the current editor of Stand To!, and his articles have appeared in many of the foremost military magazines and in national newspapers. As an experienced battlefield guide, he regularly leads tours to the battlefields of both world wars as well as the Falkland Islands. His TV and radio appearances include the Channel 5 programme on the 1914 Christmas Truce and and Great War soldier Ronald Poulton Palmer and Gallipoli Victoria Cross winner Frederick Potts for the BBC. His books include The Barnsley Pals, Flanders 1915, Calais: A Fight to the Finish and 3 Para Mount Longdon – The Bloodiest Battle. SELLING POINTS: . Jon Cooksey has had unique access to SGt McKay's family and old comrades . This is Ian McKay's first biography . H Jones Biography – only other Falklands VC was a best seller . Published to coincide with the 5th Anniversary of the Falklands War ILLUSTRATIONS: 40 b/w photos

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9781844154937

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A British soldier who won a post-humous Victoria Cross for his courage in the Falklands conflict was one of those at the heart of the Bloody Sunday massacre. McKay's role is documented for the first time in a biography, Falklands Hero, by the historian Jon Cooksey. Both McKay's surviving family and comrades gave interviews and documents to the author, confirming his involvement in Bloody Sunday. - The Times. In an extract from his new book, Jon Cooksey celebrates the life of Sgt Ian McKay, war hero and the last Yorkshireman to be awarded the Victoria Cross. - Yorkshire Post Victoria Cross winner Ian McKay played an important role in not one but two big moments in British history, a new book on his life reveals for the first time - Rotherham Advertiser

A British soldier who won a post-humous Victoria Cross for his courage in the Falklands conflict was one of those at the heart of the Bloody Sunday massacre. McKay's role is documented for the first time in a biography, Falklands Hero, by the historian Jon Cooksey. Both McKay's surviving family and comrades gave interviews and documents to the author, confirming his involvement in Bloody Sunday. - The Times. In an extract from his new book, Jon Cooksey celebrates the life of Sgt Ian McKay, war hero and the last Yorkshireman to be awarded the Victoria Cross. - Yorkshire Post

A British soldier who won a post-humous Victoria Cross for his courage in the Falklands conflict was one of those at the heart of the Bloody Sunday massacre. McKay's role is documented for the first time in a biography, Falklands Hero, by the historian Jon Cooksey. Both McKay's surviving family and comrades gave interviews and documents to the author, confirming his involvement in Bloody Sunday. - The Times. In an extract from his new book, Jon Cooksey celebrates the life of Sgt Ian McKay, war hero and the last Yorkshireman to be awarded the Victoria Cross. - Yorkshire Post Victoria Cross winner Ian McKay played an important role in not one but two big moments in British history, a new book on his life reveals for the first time - Rotherham Advertiser 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

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Jon Cooksey is a leading military historian who takes a special interest in the history of the world wars. He is the editor of Stand To!, the journal of the Western Front Association, and he is an experienced battlefield guide. His books include The Barnsley Pals, Calais, Harry's War and, as editor, Blood and Iron.

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