Burma 1942

In December 1941 Japan set out to seize South-East Asia and the western Pacific to complete the building of a self-sufficient empire. The rapid loss of all of Britain's possessions in the Far East was the culmination of a failed attempt to deal with the rise of Japanese imperialism. Britain's bluff was called and millions of Britain's 'protected' subjects in Asia fell into the hands of a brutal occupying power. The British fought the Second World War in Burma and India against the backdrop of nationalist unrest and revolt. The appalling Bengal famine of 1943, brought about by the loss of Burma's rice crop and the dislocation of government, would cause the deaths of many. Alan Warren provides a new study of the series of battles that made up the Burma campaign, including first-hand accounts of the conflict and a fresh examination of the armies and commanders of the major combatants. Burma 1942 powerfully demonstrates how victory or defeat in particular battles altered the trajectory of the conflict, affecting the lives of millions.

A vivid, brutal and enthralling account of the Burma Campaign – one of the most punishing and hard-fought military adventures of World War Two. The Burma Campaign was one of the most punishing and protracted military adventures of World War Two. Impenetrable jungle, poor transport infrastructure, seasonal monsoon rains, as well as famine, disease, snakes and crocodiles all bore heavily on the troops. Against this extraordinary backdrop, Frank McLynn constructs the dramatic story of the four larger-than-life commanders directing the Allied effort: Louis Mountbatten, Orde Wingate, Joseph Stilwell and William Slim, and explores the Campaign through their often stormy relationship. The Burma Campaign is a strikingly original account from one of our most celebrated historians. ‘Magnificent...a closely woven, tightly argued and beautifully written account of the extraordinary men and women who were responsible for the higher direction of the war...This book delights, page after page. McLynn held me spellbound’ BBC History Magazine

Following the fall of Burma to the Japanese in May 1942, reopening and expanding the link from India to China through Burma became the allied force's principal war aim in South-East Asia. This book argues that the campaign's development was driven more by what was logistictically possible than by pure strategic intent.

The campaign in Burma was the longest and biggest ground war fought by the British and Americans against the Japanese. Including 1000 mile-long retreats and the great Allied victory at Kohima-Imphal, Burma brought the Allies a wealth of incomparably bitter combat experiences. Using the Imperial War Museum's archives, Major General Julian Thompson provides a gripping and unforgettable picture of what it was like to fight in this extraordinary conflict.

In December 1941 Japan set out to seize South-East Asia and the western Pacific to complete the building of a self-sufficient empire. The rapid loss of all of Britain's possessions in the Far East was the culmination of a failed attempt to deal with the rise of Japanese imperialism. Britain's bluff was called and millions of Britain's 'protected' subjects in Asia fell into the hands of a brutal occupying power. The British fought the Second World War in Burma and India against the backdrop of nationalist unrest and revolt. The appalling Bengal famine of 1943, brought about by the loss of Burma's rice crop and the dislocation of government, would cause the deaths of many. Alan Warren provides a new study of the series of battles that made up the Burma campaign, including first-hand accounts of the conflict and a fresh examination of the armies and commanders of the major combatants. Burma 1942 powerfully demonstrates how victory or defeat in particular battles altered the trajectory of the conflict, affecting the lives of millions.

In December 1941 a Japanese battalion of 143rd Regiment of 55th Division crossed the Burma-Siam border and seized Victoria Point, heralding the invasion of Burma. The first air raids on Rangoon were opposed by only two fighter squadrons - 16 P40s of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) and 16 Buffaloes of the RAF. What followed was a fighting retreat as the British forces struggled to the Indian border, harried by an experienced Japanese force which was supported by at least 200 aircraft against the Allies' meagre fifty. Burma 1942 is a unique assessment of this disastrous episode in British military history, taken in part from the diary and maps kept by Ralph Tanner, who served with 2nd Battalion The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry during the retreat, and from the official Battalion war diary by Major Chadwick. It includes background to the mobilisation of the Battalion in 1941, who they were, their equipment and what they were trained for, and considers the series of disasters at Moulmein, Sittang, Toksan and Yenangyaung which left them increasingly unable to fight as a unit. It also addresses the factors which prevented optimum military performance, includes discussions with the author's one-time enemies, and serves as a tribute to the strength of the men of the battalion - most of whom were conscripts - and of whom a fifth were killed and have no known grave.