Books on CBI? (Full Version)

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jazman -> Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 4:25:54 AM)

Can you guys recommend any books on the China-Burma-India theater? I know very little about it.



Jonathan Pollard -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 4:58:31 AM)

The only book I read on that theater was "Ding Hao: America's Air War in China, 1937-1945." I would recommend it if you're interested in the aerial warfare aspect of the campaign.
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-140243192/ding-hao-america-air.html



mariandavid -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 5:28:08 AM)

I think the best single-volume book on the entire Burma campaign is by Louis Allen: "Burma - the Longest War" - I believe it is still in print.



Barb -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 6:23:16 AM)

Not really books, but good sources:
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/CBI/index.html



Jim D Burns -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 6:33:08 AM)

I'd recommend The Stilwell Papers. It's not an historic work, but rather a collection of his diary entries published after his death. It's a great read and full of amazing little tidbits of info you won't find in a normal history published on the subject.

Jim



Wolfe1759 -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 6:45:40 AM)

A few possibles for you

Allen, Louis. Burma: the longest War. J.M. Dent and sons. ISBN 0-460-02474-4.
Bayly, Christopher; Tim Harper. Forgotten Armies. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-029331-0.
Chapman, Freddie Spencer. The Jungle is neutral. Lyon Press. ISBN 1-59228-107-9.
Christie, Arthur. Mission Scapula: Special Operations Executive in the far east. ISBN 0-9547010-0-3.
Cruikshank, Charles (1983). SOE in the Far East. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-215873.
Hedley, John. Jungle Fighter. Tom Donovan Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-871085-34-9.
Latimer, Jon (2004). Burma: The Forgotten War. John Murray. ISBN 978-.

Though I'm not sure how available some of these may be.



treespider -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 12:05:38 PM)

The War Against Japan by S. Woodburn Kirby

A five volume account of the British war against Japan. Occasional chapters deal with other theaters but the meat of the work concentrates on Malaya and Burma...essentially the British version of the US Army Green books.



MikeS4269 -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 2:32:37 PM)

The Louis Allen book is on my shelf and my friend and I (who both went through it fully) jokingly refer to it as "The Longest Read". It seems like it should be the most comprehensive book on the subject (and maybe it is?), but I remember a great sense of "Phew! I'm done!" when I reached the last page of it. I would never recommend it as a first dive into the theater. (Or should that be 'theatre' since I live in Singapore now?)

My favorite book (of the few I've read) on the subject would have to be "Forgotten Armies" as listed above. I gave it my best book of 2007 award when I read it. I was so eager to finish it that my wife had to read me the last ten pages of it on a flight we were taking because my eyes ached too much from a solid block of page turning. I am eager to read their follow up, "Forgotten Wars" which covers what happened right after WW2 was concluded in Sep 1945.

Another book that I found a surprise was "The Burma Road" by Donovan Webster. I don't think I had high expectations for it, but I read it earlier this year, and I found it well written and easy to work through.

Looking over my shelf now, I don't see any others that I have first hand knowledge of. I'm also still looking for more to read on the topic, and might follow some of the recommendations I'm seeing now.

Good luck!

-Lb




Nikademus -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 3:21:35 PM)

Allen's book is certainly dry which makes reading it in short spurts essential.....but it is the most comprehensive account of the Burma campaign i've yet to come across. Forgotton Armies is much the same but not so much due to dryness but due to the complexity of the subject. Good note taking is manditory otherwise the info is libable to go into the eyes and out of the ears. It does attempt to address the quadary of India though....a huge Allied base that on paper should immediately support a massive Allied effort and yet famine existed at the same time. Book helps explain why India wasn't truely "ready" till latewar irregardless of paper stats and OOB's.




jhdeerslayer -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 4:35:21 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: mariandavid

I think the best single-volume book on the entire Burma campaign is by Louis Allen: "Burma - the Longest War" - I believe it is still in print.


I would have to agree on this recommendation.



Brady -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 5:52:02 PM)

An easy read covers the entire campagine in Burma:

Defeat Into Victory: Battling Japan in Burma and India, 1942-1945 (Paperback)
~ William Slim (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/Defeat-Into-Victory-Battling-1942-1945/dp/0815410220

Slims Story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Slim,_1st_Viscount_Slim

Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely has recommended Slim's memoirs (Defeat into Victory) describing Slim as "perhaps the Greatest Commander of the 20th Century" and commenting on Slim's "self-deprecating style"[49] Slim's 14th Army was composed of an amalgam of Indian (Hindu, Sikh and Muslim troops), British, African, and other troops; he was on the far end of a long logistical pipeline and generally had the oldest equipment of any Allied army. By all accounts, he was a superb logistician, imaginative in his tactics and operational concepts, and - unusually - very popular with his troops

This book is not dry and is still chock full of details, it may be for some a good place to start as it is realy easy to go through.



anarchyintheuk -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/19/2009 7:15:58 PM)

What Brady recommended. Excellent book.



Boozecamp -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/20/2009 4:16:42 AM)

Allen's book gets a lot of rave reviews, but I'd have to agree with lb4269.  He touches on a bit of everything but I felt as though I ended up not learning as much as I thought I was going to.  The book just seemed a bit to discombobulated to me.  Is that how you spell it? haha.



Wirraway_Ace -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/20/2009 5:48:51 AM)

I read Allen's book and Slim's "Defeat into Victory" together, progressing through the war in phases. I like Allen better. I thought Slim's book should be mandatory reading for all young military officers, but he was very careful with other's reputations and had no respect for his enemy even a decade after the war . Allen covered the Japanese and was much more balance in general as a history. Slim's book is really a superb lesson on how to organize, prepare and lead an army. In that way, it does have some relevance to the WiTP AE gamer too.




Wirraway_Ace -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/20/2009 5:49:38 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: mariandavid

I think the best single-volume book on the entire Burma campaign is by Louis Allen: "Burma - the Longest War" - I believe it is still in print.

I had to find it used last month.



Wirraway_Ace -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/20/2009 5:52:11 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: lb4269


My favorite book (of the few I've read) on the subject would have to be "Forgotten Armies" as listed above. I gave it my best book of 2007 award when I read it. I was so eager to finish it that my wife had to read me the last ten pages of it on a flight we were taking because my eyes ached too much from a solid block of page turning. I am eager to read their follow up, "Forgotten Wars" which covers what happened right after WW2 was concluded in Sep 1945.


-Lb



I thought "Forgotten Armies" was fun, but lacked depth on the military campaign.



philabos -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/20/2009 3:07:37 PM)

Just Started "We Gave Our Today" - Burma 1941-45 by William Fowler.

I agree Slim's book should be mandatory reading for all new officers.



crsutton -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/20/2009 3:57:23 PM)

"Forgotten Armies-The Fall of British Asia 1941-1945"    http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Armies-Fall-British-1941-1945/dp/067401748X This is a fairly new book (2005).

I just got through reading this book and can't say enough about it. It is not really about the military campaigns but the social, economic, political and moral factors in India, Burma and Malaya before and throughout the war. You must read about the military campaigns but without an understanding of the social and political undercurrents of the war in Asia, you really only have half the story. I found this to be a very good book.

"Stillwell and the American Experience in China" by Barbara Tuchman is still a must read. One does not come away from this one with much respect the the "great" Claire Chennault...



jazman -> RE: Books on CBI? (11/20/2009 6:45:15 PM)

Thanks for all the tips, gentlemen.



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