A new book on the China-Burma-India Theater

THE BURMA ROAD: The Epic Story of the China-Burma-India Theater in World War II (FSG: October 2003) by Donovan Webster tells the story of one of the most harrowing chapters of World War II, and the one that Americans know the least about.

Using a wealth of archival documents, as well as first-hand accounts from American, Japanese, British and Chinese CBI veterans, Webster recounts grueling campaign led by legendary field general “Vinegar” Joe Stilwell and his eccentric British counterpart Orde Wingate to reopen and defend the Burma Road, the trade route built by Chinese troops under Chiang Kai-Shek that stretches from Kunming, China, to Lashio, Burma.

For readers interested in aviation history, THE BURMA ROAD includes information on “The Flying Tigers,” the American fighter pilots who made their first appearance in China during this campaign.

THE BURMA ROAD presents a passionate, accessible, and informative account of this forgotten theater, securing for these soldiers their rightful and deserved place in the history of World War II and popular American history.

Donovan Webster was a senior editor for Outside and now writes for National Geographic, Smithsonian, and The New York Times Magazine.

For more information, visit www.fsgbooks.com

 

A warm welcome to the WWII Forums, MilitaryBookReader ! And a special welcome from the 'Books & Publications' corner of the Forum...

 

Welcome to the forums, MBR! Hope you enjoy yourself in here!

Here you will find many buffs addicted to WWII books. And by your nick, I suposse you're one of the guys who live with someone "If you buy one book more I'll give you a divorce!"-like...

 

A very warm welcome MBR! Always good to have another bookie here. Hope to see you here often. Have a seat, a sigar (they are on Martin here), and grab a book. The silver tray boys will be here shortly with the Cognac...

I am not into PTO, although I have just started my first research project (low key) into one aspect of that theatre. I am sur ethe book you mention is worth the read.

 

Dare we ask which aspect of the PTO, Stevin ?

 

Well, now that you're asking, Martin....

My interest is the Luzon Guerillia Force. This was a group of Americans soldiers who escaped from the Japanese or from the Bataan death march and joined Philipinos in guerillia warfare against the japanese on the island of Luzon, PI, under 'command' of Brig.-Gen. Miller. They called themselves the Luzon Guerillia Force. Years ago I corresponded with an American who was with this outfit. He wrote that in september 1944 the American navy bombed and sank a number of Japanese ships of the Luzon coast. One of them was a POW ship with hundreds of Dutch and English POW's.Over a 1000 died. His group managed to save three Dutchmen and seven Brits. he gave me a lot of info and even their names and serial numbers. He asked me to track these men down. I only managed to track down one of them; I spoke to his widow; the man himself had died in an industrial accident years before.

The two others I never found. I did get a note form the Dutch Far East veterans Asso. that one of them wrote a book about his experiences, called The Yellow Hell, which was published in 1946. Last week I finally tracked a copy down and received it yesterday. In it "he" (the author used the alias of H. Porte) decribes the chain of events, almost exactly as the American vet described them to me.

The US vet also sent me over 6 hours of taped interview (!) of his experiences. Unfortunately at the time I couldn't find the remaining Dutchmen or Englishmen and his story was the only thing I ever found on the LGF.

Now with this book I have new info and a few new avenues of research open to me.

 

Stevin, I sounds really interesting! Do you know if the book is available somewhere?

Thanks for the information, I didn't know about it, but now that I do, I must have a book about that!

I might get a few bottles of Cognac, but I have a good Oporto over here... Are you OK with it, you 'bookie' guys?

 

Hi Fried,

The book I talk about is in Dutch. "Porte" wrote it immeadetly after he came back to Holland. AFAIK it has never been translated in any other language.

I haven't found anythng on line about either Brig. Gen. Miller or the LGF. I have no idea if they are mentioned in any books.

Guess this is an area wide open for research!

Oh, I am not a porto man myself, but I can live with it, Fried!

[ 04. December 2003, 01:07 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]