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Title: Cassell Military Classics: Burma Victory: Imphal and Kohima March 1944 to May 1945 by David Rooney ISBN: 0-304-35457-0 Publisher: Sterling Publishing Pub. Date: October, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $9.95

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Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (3 reviews)

Rating: 3
Summary: Short, Concise Introduction
Comment: This book performs a very good role in describing the intracacies of largest allied land campaign against Imperial Japan. One that lasted 4 years and was the only land campaign to destroy a significant chunk of the Japanese land forces outside of China (the American Island Hopping Campaign, though brilliant, did not significantly deplete the fighting forces of Japan by land battle).

This campaign has been called the forgotten campaign. One wonders why is was forgotten? Especially while looking at the resources allocated for the eventual triumph of British Arms in Burma. Part of the reason, is because it was a confusing battle with disparate elements fighting inside a confused political situation. The polical objectives of the British (liberation of Burma, a former colony) did not jive with those of the Americans (supportin Chaing Kai Shek's corrupt regime in China) who were eventually underwriting the campaign in many important elements (but not however with many bodies on the ground). Eventually the British and the Americans reached a deal which delivered a compromise that ensured that the British and Indian sufferred for the sins of the politicians.

These political machinations and the very difficult personality of US General Stillwell are covered to a degree, but the grand strategic situation is lacking.

Also the twin counterpoint battles of Imphal and Kohima comprised of long marches through dense jungles by both sides, usually setting up roadblocks and then pressing for the kill inside the cut off boxes. These were large and permeable boxes with shifting pressure points. The descriptions, for those that are using this book as an introduction to the battle are hard at times to understand (though the book does, just barely, have enough maps).

The overview Kohima is well described and this should be a fine intro to those who are not already familiar with that pivotal battle (A better read is "Not Ordinary Men"). There is of course the old problem of lack of Japanese sources which also makes black holes appear in Japanese armies acts and intentions. But given the slender volume Rooney does more than should be required in this area and as historian who (presumably) does not read Japanese, the outcome of his citing previous Japanese sources is laudable.

Of particular note is the rather central place that the Chindits take in Rooney's work. Rooney is an unabashed supporter of Wingate and imputes (in my opinion) undue significance to both the vision and implementation of the Orde Wingate Chindit Strategy. Moreover this book also is notable in that it is one of the few volumes that take General Slim to task in his evaluation and treatment of Wingate. Slim is described as "disingenuous" and "less-than kind" in his rememberances of Wingate. Although Rooney offers example and contrasting text, his conclusions are conjecture. It is surprising that anyone as familair with the campaign as Rooney undoubtedly is, comes down so unquestionably on the side of someone with obvious personality problems and a coloured history of treatment of his men (though his personal courage is never in doubt).

The problems of the book described above, still make "Burma: The Longest War" the definitive study. But that is one long book. This slender volume will suffice as an introduction.

Rating: 4
Summary: Good Account of the Burma Campaign 1944-45
Comment: This is a good, somewhat summarised, and highly understandable account of the Japanese Offensives against the British in India and the famous 14th Army's Reconquest of Burma in 1944-45. The author does an excellent job in summarising the events of the Sieges of Kohima and Imphal, the Chindit Campaign, and the ultimate British Victory in Burma.
I recommend this book a quick read but would direct you to Louis Allen's definite account of the whole Burma Campaign in his book "The Longest War:Burma 1942-45." Overall, a highly readable book.

Rating: 4
Summary: Short Summary of the Burma Campaign is Valuable
Comment: The Allies fought the Axis in World War II in many strange places. Deserts, arctic wildernesses, jungles no one ever heard of, all of these saw combat during the war. One of the most remote and obscure areas to see a major campaign in the war was Burma, which the Japanese conquered in short order in 1942, and lost in 1944-45. The latter campaign, in which the Japanese started out attacking the British and Empire forces in India, and wound up losing Burma, is the subject of David Rooney's book Burma Victory.

In 208 pages the author covers every major aspect of the campaign, the leading personalities on both sides, and the issues that influenced the course of the battle. Starting out with a short overview of the lead-up to the 1944-45 battles, he swiftly moves into the battles themselves, and shows you how they were won by the British, and how that victory was turned into the liberation of Burma itself. The text is lucid, and his accounts of the battles are easy to follow, and don't use technical terms not accessible to the layman, though there is a bit of British slang that might be hard for a non-Brit to follow.

The most interesting part of the campaign is the personalities involved. On the Allied side, patrician Lord Mountbatten, working-class Field Marshal Slim, visionary Brigadier Wingate, and acerbic (and somewhat xenophobic) American General Stilwell all had their differences with each other, and their squabbles are covered in enough detail to give the reader the gist of what was going on. The Japanese are covered a bit less fully, but their senior commander, named Mutaguchi, is raked over the coals for having no idea what the conditions at the front were like, and ordering attacks well after there was any possibility of victory. There is a good deal of detail about the progress of the battles, and the instances of personal bravery, especially among the British.

This is a good book, and I would recommend it to anyone. There is one advisory, though. In recent years, the aforementioned Wingate garners much praise and little criticism, and this book follows that tack, largely at the expense of Slim. There is a school of thought that thinks this wrong-headed (I tend to side with Wingate, but what do I know) and the reader should be aware that there are two sides to the story.