I was aware of the Burma campaign mainly from the British perspective. The author, quite rightly, gives details of the many other nationalities and armies that fought in that dreadful campaign. The roles of the Chinese, Indian, Gurkhas, East / West Africans, pro and anti-Japanese Burmese, USA and other global participants are very rarely discussed in the media.

The book is astonishingly well researched with many references to the various events taking place in Burma at that time. Jon Latimer is to be congratulated in his efforts in drawing together the many stories from every side of the conflict. There must be many thousands of unrecorded stories of those involved, soldiers and civilians, which are lost forever or are yet to be found.

The allies were led by a mixed bag of senior leaders, ranging from the weak & incompetent to the bravest & most talented to be found in any army. Most Staff Officers seemed to be out of their depth, never having fought a campaign in such arduous and impenetrable terrain. The infighting between the leaders of the various nationalities on the Allies side was quite shocking and led to needless loss of life.

Conditions for the troops, on all sides, were unimaginably bad with disease, malnutrition, lack of supplies, chaotic leadership, the dense jungle and of course constant threat of death and violence.

The Japanese were exceptionally ruthless and violent to their enemies, even when wounded or taken prisoner. Unnecessary torture and executions being commonplace. However, I was surprised to learn that a large number of Burmese could also be equally sadistic to other ethnic groups. Perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised at the attempted genocide of the Rohingya people.that is currently taking place.

Congratulations to the author on producing such a monumental work of Military History.

Thank you NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for the eARC.
Not knowing anything about Burma or the war there, this was an eye opener for me. So many soldiers from different countries endured labour camps, hand to hand combat and utterly impossible conditions. Those poor men! The English and Japan wanted to conquer Burma, the Burmese fought for their independence ...all in all the country was virtually destroyed in the process.
The author obviously did meticulous research, making for an easy to follow read that's ideal for anyone interested in WWII and, I think, would be a great addition to any library, whether general or school. It's as horrifying as it is fascinating and once again solidified my hatred of war, knowing full well we will never learn from experience.

Burma is a southeast Asia country bordering India, Bangladesh, Laos, China and Thailand. During WW11, it was a prize that was fought over and they almost destroyed this country and it's people. Japan wanted Burma to secure what it had won in Malaya and Singapore and to, also to cut off the supply line of the Chinese. Britain wanted it under British rule. It was a hard fought war sending the British 900 miles in defeat. This book is a comprehensive guide to this part of the war that some have forgotten about. For all WW11 history buffs and those who love history in gemeral. It's a great book that I highly recommend, The author has written a book that you won't want to put down. I received this book from Net Galley and Thistle Publishing for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.

I would to thank both NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Burma’ in exchange for my honest unbiased review.
As a person who loves history all I can say is WOW! This book is well researched and well written.
I had heard a little about Burma but not a great deal. However it is certainly has a very important place with history.

I feel it needs to be discussed and learnt about within educational level also.

I enjoyed the book primarily because the author let the men/women/tribes on the ground tell the story. SO MANY times our English friends get caught up in the politics of battle but not so here. Great work about great people who did truly great things; EVEN GETTING SHOT IN THE BUTT!!!

Burma by Jon Latimer, Thank You Net Gallery and Thistle Publishing for this copy.

In the title it mentions The Forgotten War, to me this is correct because I never heard of it until this book.

We follow brave men as they fight to the front lines to end the war. I found some parts laugh out loud even though in the face of death, like the guy who kept getting shot in the butt. There is a lot of blood and gore what you would expect due to the title. This book shows about 600 pages but it's really about 360 give or take. In the end of the book there are footnotes, the numbers constantly in the book is a little annoying, but easy to get through, All in all it's an important book and perfect for war buffs.

Thank you for the book for my review, I hope it helps.

Burma gives a synopsis of a little known part of the conflict in Southeast Asia during World War II. It attempts to integrate Burma within the full context of Japanese and surrounding countries during that time. While the information is sound and interesting the format is a little bewildering. I found myself not following the story because the author seemingly has taken paragraphs and jumbled them before putting the on paper. Good but could be much better with stronger editing.

Burma: the Forgotten War seems to be an attempt to capture all the nuances of a WWII campaign that is so multifaceted as to almost defy coverage. Latimer has obviously done copious research as there are extensive footnotes accompanying the chapters. In some cases these are actually off-putting as they interrupt the reading. The work seemed to have the style more of an academic treatise and it was actually dull at points. For a scholar highly interested in the Burma theater it would be a great resource. They would enjoy learning more about the various battles from Kohima to Imphal and how commanders on both sides reacted. There were a number of maps showing the war’s progress and battle lines from 1941/42 to 1944/45. How Indian troops as part of the British Empire were involved gives an insight into current Assam province issues. The book is quite long but in the PDF version I was reviewing, I’m not sure of the exact page count –but it seems about three times the length of a typical 300 page novel. The book was not an enjoyable or easy read but it did provide enlightenment on this aspect of World War II. The audience who would enjoy it most would be specialized in battle history of the place or scholar seeking to understand the nuances.

Wow! The author did an amazing job of educating the reader on a little known war, but important part of history. Well researched and written.

This is a big book with many, many references on the fighting in Burma during WWII. It covers the background, the initial defeats, the slow turning of the tide and the final victories. The focus is on the military campaigns especially those of the English and American forces.
I have read books on Mountbatten and Stiwell that provide more focus on the politics and the relationships with the cunning Chiang Kai-shek, as well as better covering the role of the Chinese forces. When you read about the dynamics and egos of the war time leaders you wonder how the Allies ever won.
Latimer's book is a detailed and meticulous researched record of the Burma campaign which should provide any student of WWII with plenty to mill over.