A WAR OF EMPIRES: Japan, India, Burma & Britain 1941-45

2-228430

Comprehensive account of the Japanese offensive into Burma, the British/Indian collapse and resurgence, the Japanese offensive into India in 1944, and the ultimate Allied offensive that recaptured the country in 1945. This hard-fought campaign was in securing Allied victory in the east, defeating Japanese militarism, and ultimately redrawing the map of the region with an independent India, free from the shackles of empire, all but guaranteed.

Examines the crucial role of leadership (or lack thereof) on both sides, the emergence and exploitation of Allied air superiority, the fanatical nature of Japanese soldiers, the four-ring circus of Allied 'co-operation,' and the impact of terrain and weather on both sides' exploits. Excellent descriptions of Japanese bunker and strongpoint defenses. Combine that with fanatical Japanese troops and inept frontal assaults and you have the basis for British and Indian defeat after defeat.