Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #188037 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Synopsis
The campaign in Burma was the longest and biggest ground war fought by the British and Americans against the Japanese. It was won in some of the bitterest fighting experienced by the Allies in the Second World War and included one of the longest retreats (1000 miles) and one of the greatest Allied victories, Kohima-Imphal. The Allied forces serving in Burma were among the most multi-racial in the history of warfare. Using the Imperial War Museum's archives, this text provides a gripping picture of what it was really like to fight in this extraordinary conflict.

Customer Reviews

A Very Good Read
If when sitting down to read this book you do so with little knowledge of the campaign, but recall that your now deceased Grandfather, veteran of Operation Market Garden, treated his pals with the Burma Star with a larger than usual degree of respect, and want to find out why, then this book is a very good place to start.

It provides a very good overview of the entire campaign, from the retreat in 1942 through to the final victory against the Japs in '45.

The author successfully mixes (and explains) broad military theory with the accounts of the men that fought. Most of the records come from the Imperial War Museum's collection of personal memoirs and as such, present a valuable and insightful perspective.

Thompson manages to assess the Chindit operations, and therein the strengths and weaknesses of Orde Wingate, succinctly, weaving them neatly in to the narrative and as such putting them in perspective.

If you are looking for an easy to read, broad overview of the war in Burma this book, like most IWM volumes, is a very good place to start.

Only one criticism comes to mind, and that is that the maps could be better, but this should not stop you purchasing this book.

Great Read
My Father was in the Royal Berkshire Regiment as a cook seargent and bren gunner, he saw a lot of action, it is hard for me to imagine what those guys went through for us. If you have an interest in tha far east campaign, then this book tells it how it was. It is also one of the only books that have decent material on the Royal Berks and has a lot of pictures.