I had relatively high hopes for this book, especially as I love to read about the period. But it somehow just didn't click with me. Sometimes this happens because of the book, sometimes it happens when I am not in the mood to read books of the type. I can't tell which one it was this time, but...it just didn't click and I lost interest.

I never knew much about the conflict in Burma during WWII before I read Never So Few by Tom T. Chameles.

I have a friend traveling to Burma, or Myanmar as it is now, early in 2018, which was an added incentive to read this book.

I have seen this book described as 'authentic', 'intense' and “an extraordinary and powerful book,” all of which I agree with whole heartedly. The author's experience as a soldier in the jungles of Southeast Asia shows in his writing. This is easily one of, if not the best WWII novel I have ever read.

Thank you to Open Road Integrated Media via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Never So Few by Tom Chamales for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Very much of its time. The front line descriptions are interesting, the romance is jarring to the modern ear and rather turgid.

Oh, book: It's not you, it's me.

This book just wasn't for me. Military action backdrop...it's actually as if it is the main character.It took me awhile to get characters straight and follow the narrative, and then it all changed. I just couldn't keep going, even though the book was getting more interesting as I went. There was conflict, blood and guts, contemplation, personalities, and ideas of honor. Great ingredients but I ran out of interest before I could finish.

I tried really hard to get into this book but just couldn't connect with the writing style, which is a shame because it is such a highly praised WWII classic! I can't say anything bad about it though, as the disconnect is entirely because of my personal aesthetic.

I have included a 4 star rating as this seems to align with the ratings that it received in it's previous editions.

Never So Few: A Novel by Tom T. Chamales is a World War II novel set in Burma. Chamales was a veteran of WWII and former member of the OSS and Merrill's Raiders. Attached to OSS Detachment 101, he served in Burma training the Kachin Raiders and witnessed American soldiers being robbed and killed by Chinese Nationalist soldiers. Much of his experience has been fictionalized in this novel. Chamales is also the author of Go Naked in the World.

Many writers draw from their own experience and Chamales was no exception. His own experiences in Burma are used as the backdrop of the story. Although this is a war story much of the writing is devoted to the characters rather than actual combat. Working behind enemy lines the with foreign fighters takes a toll on those involved and gives the reader a view into the mind of a soldier.

There is also a division of the westerners and the locals. Some locals seem only too willing to serve under the OSS and Captain Con Reynolds. Others who have experienced war in cooperate but use their expertise to help the Reynolds and his men. Burma and other British colonies in the region were problematic to the allies.  Some in the region viewed the Japanese as liberators so the battle was more than against the Japanese it was  also a matter of keeping locals loyal to the British and the allies. 

World War II is not a usual reading topic for me especially if it is fiction. This book seemed to be more about people than about fighting. That is something that runs through all great war stories The places and weapons change but people are the constant. The book reminded me of a World War II Apocalypse Now in that it centered on the eccentricities of those involved. Chamales deeply affected by his experiences as both his novels revolved around the war.

Reading Chamales' biography it seems that he never recovered from the war. His short life after returning to the United States involved heavy drinking, violence, and an accidental death. Perhaps some of the most dramatic effects come from an author who writes his or her own experiences or demons. Much like Virginia Woolf used her battle with mental illness to describe shell-shocked Septimus Warren Smith in Mrs. Dalloway, Chamale converts his experiences into fiction with an uncanny realism. Under the veneer of fiction lies realism. Very well done.

Fighting in Burma During WWII

Captain Con Reynolds leads a small group of special operations forces in Burma. They’re behind enemy lines, cut off from the main troops. They’re joined by Kachin troops, native to Burma, and are in contact with the British.

This war story is based on the experience of the author during WWII. The action is filled with details that only someone who experienced the war on the ground would notice and include in the narrative. If you enjoy war stories, this is an excellent one.

The book, however, is more than an action adventure. The characters are in many ways the focus of the story. Con Reynolds, the main character, grows in experience and understanding as he leads his men in a difficult situation. He also searches for love with Carla. However, the romance is perhaps the weakest part of the story.

The character I liked best was Nautauung, an old Kachin fighter. He provides the seasoning of experience for the young fighters.

Since the book was originally published in 1957, the writing is looser than we expect to see in books today. The author has a penchant for adverbs that can become wearing. However, it doesn’t detract in a major way from the action or the character development.

I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about the war in Burma, or just like war stories.

I received this book from Open Road Media for this review.

I read a lot…1-4 books a week on average now. “Never So Few” is one of those books I will be remembering and pondering for years to come. I have read a fair amount of historical fiction on WWII and feels like most seem to focus on the concentration camps, the fights with Germany, Battle of the Bulge, Pearl Harbor, etc. This is NOT a slam just a statement.

The book focuses on the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II. I had no idea of what happened in Burma or of the Kachin people and how they helped. I had little to no idea of how our soldiers interacted with the Chinese during WWII. I found myself stopping to google things and think what a mess war truly is. The Kachin Rangers and China's Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek are two of the things I will be reading more on very soon.

Con Reynolds is the main character and appears to be more than a little loosely based on the author’s time in WWII. As the book unfolds we see what war does to the boys we let the men send as the men sit back in safer areas and call the shots.

I will mention one more character so not to give spoilers. Nautaung, a Kachin man who has seen his share of war. A man who makes the characters (and the reader) think about all the ‘truths’ they have thought about life. A character I wish I could have a conversation with.

I had to go back and re-read some of the pages and give myself time to think about what it was saying in terms of the characters, war, and even my life. Again Nautaung is a character not soon to be forgotten.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to all. Even those who think not for them. One might be surprised. One also might learn something about themselves.

I received an electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, the estate of Tom T. Chamales, and Open Road Integrated Media, Inc. in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing this hard work with me. This novel was originally published in 1957.

Tom T. Chamales writes about war and the world with such clarity and precision that it pains you to read the words. I am very grateful this novel was re-issued by Open Road for whole new generations to appreciate. Mr. Chamales died very young but his soul lives on in this novel.

This opus covers the re-taking of the Burma Road overrun by the Japanese in 1942, to the reopening of the road to Allied forces and supplies in 1945. The Burma Road was over 700 miles long, completed in 1938 by over 200,000 Burmese and Chinese laborers through very rough, mountainous country controlled by the Kachins and the Karens, world renowned Burmese guerilla fighters. Never So Few also covers some of the the training and the initial battles of Merrill's Marauders, the forerunners of our Special Forces today.

But most importantly, Never So Few opens for us the hearts and minds of soldiers and support personnel through harrowing months and years of battle isolated from safe havens and loved ones. Before it is over we understand the debilitation behind the term battle fatigue and the cost of 'real estate'.