MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Remarkable book on people's history of the Falklands Region

Former Gov, D. Tatham

A remarkable new book outlining the history of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia through the lives of people has been published by a former Governor of the Islands, Mr David Tatham. “The Dictionary of Falklands Biography” (including South Georgia) is the culmination of six years of writing and research by 170 contributors from about 15 countries around the world.

It tells the story of the Falkland Islands and the South Atlantic region in a very readable and fascinating way by describing the lives of 470 people who bestrode that history down the centuries leaving their footprints in their various ways as explorers, seafarers, military commanders, settlers and politicians. And what a fascinating cast of characters they are. The earliest figure is St Malo, a Welshman in the fifth century, who converted the Bretons in France to Christianity, gave his name to the port in France and, many years later, to the Falklands. But the real history starts in the 16th century with a British sea captain, John Davis, reputed to have discovered the Islands in 1592, though an unknown Portuguese seafarer may have sighted them earlier. Other famous names ranged from explorers such as Ernest Shackleton and Captain James Cook to scientists like Charles Darwin. There are eminent personalities who influenced the region such as Lord Falkland, the diarist Dr Samuel Johnson and the Argentine President, Juan Peron, who promoted the Argentine sovereignty claim in the 1940s. Some of the best entries are the Falkland Islanders themselves. David Tatham got the idea of the Biographical Dictionary when reading an obituary of an Islander named Chris Andreasen, who had left his ship in Stanley and played a part in one of the greatest sea victories of all time in 1914 by spotting the German fleet, totally destroyed by the Royal Navy. Mr Tatham realised there were many other Islanders with equally interesting life stories. The Biographical Dictionary has nearly 500 pages and 360 illustrations, extending far beyond the Falklands because of the influence of other nations. These include the United Kingdom, the United States and Norway through whaling, the Antarctic through exploration, and the South American mainland through shipping links with Punta Arenas and Montevideo, the missionary connection with Tierra del Fuego, and migration by Islanders into Chile and Argentina and Falklands Islanders owning estancias in Patagonia. There are 17 Argentine names in the Dictionary, three Chilean and two Uruguayan and 24 Spaniards, mostly commandantes or naval officers. The book is given authority and scholarship by the expertise of the contributors who either personally knew or researched their subjects and in some examples in modern times wrote about themselves. The cut off date for inclusion is 1982 with the Argentine invasion of the Falklands – a conflict which would have changed the character of the book, by introducing hundreds of new people, who will no doubt be covered one day in a second volume. The Biographical Dictionary was possible because of financial support from the Falklands Government and backing by the Shackleton Scholarship Fund. It is very readable for individuals and an invaluable reference work for museums, libraries and researchers worldwide. It retails at between £33 and£39, US dollars 67, or 42 euros, and is also obtainable with additional post and packing from The Editor DFB, South Parade, Ledbury, HR8 2HA (e–mail: editordfb@onetel.com)/ Special Report by Harold Briley OBE - London.David Tatham, CMG, had a distinguished career as a diplomat, serving as ambassador to Middle East countries as an Arabist expert, before becoming Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1992 to 1996. He is now Chairman of the Falkland Islands Association and of the Shackleton Scholarship Fund which he originated.