Behind the Burma Road

Behind the Burma Road PDF Author: William Raymond Peers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Guerrilla warfare
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description

Behind the Burma Road

Behind the Burma Road PDF Author: William Raymond Peers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Guerrilla warfare
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description


The Burma Road

The Burma Road PDF Author: Donovan Webster
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0060746386
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 394

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Book Description
As the Imperial Japanese Army swept across China and South Asia at World War II's outset, closing all of China's seaports, more than 200,000 Chinese laborers embarked on a seemingly impossible task: to cut a 700-mile overland route -- the Burma Road -- from the southwest Chinese city of Kunming to Lashio, Burma. But when Burma fell in 1942, the Burma Road was severed. As the first step of the Allied offensive toward Japan, American general Joseph Stilwell reopened it, while, at the same time, keeping China supplied by air-lift from India and simultaneously driving the Japanese out of Burma. From the breathtaking adventures of the American "Hump" pilots who flew hair-raising missions over the Himalayas to make food-drops in China to the true story of the mission that inspired the famous film The Bridge on the River Kwai, to the grueling jungle operations of Merrill's Marauders and the British Chindit Brigades, The Burma Road vividly re-creates the sprawling, sometimes hilarious, often harrowing, and still largely unknown stories of one of the greatest chapters of World War II.

Behind Japanese Lines

Behind Japanese Lines PDF Author: Richard Dunlop
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1628738979
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 559

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Book Description
In early 1942, with World War II going badly, President Roosevelt turned to General William “Wild Bill” Donovan, now known historically as the “Father of Central Intelligence,” with orders to form a special unit whose primary mission was to prepare for the eventual reopening of the Burma Road linking Burma and China by performing guerilla operations behind the Japanese lines. Thus was born OSS Detachment 101, the first clandestine special force formed by Donovan and one that would play a highly dangerous but vital role in the reconquest of Burma by the Allies. Behind Japanese Lines, originally published in 1979, is the exciting story of the men of Detachment 101, who, with their loyal native allies—the Kachin headhunters—fought a guerilla war for almost three years. It was a war not only against a tough and unyielding enemy, but against the jungle itself, one of the most difficult and dangerous patches of terrain in the world. Exposed to blistering heat and threatened by loathsome tropical diseases, the Western-raised OSS men also found themselves beset by unfriendly tribesmen and surrounded by the jungle’s unique perils—giant leeches, cobras, and rogue tigers. Not merely a war narrative, Behind Japanese Lines is an adventure story, the story of unconventional men with an almost impossible mission fighting an irregular war in supremely hostile territory. Drawing upon the author’s own experiences as a member of Detachment 101, interviews with surviving 101 members, and classified documents, Dunlop’s tale unfolds with cinematic intensity, detailing the danger, tension, and drama of secret warfare. Never before have the activities of the OSS been recorded in such authentic firsthand detail. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

The OSS in Burma

The OSS in Burma PDF Author: Troy J. Sacquety
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700620184
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
"One could not choose a worse place for fighting the Japanese," said Winston Churchill of North Burma, deeming it "the most forbidding fighting country imaginable." But it was here that the fledgling Office of Strategic Services conducted its most successful combat operations of World War II. Troy Sacquety takes readers into Burma's steaming jungles in the first book to fully cover the exploits and contributions of the OSS's Detachment 101 against the Japanese Imperial Army. Functioning independently of both the U.S. Army and OSS headquarters-and with no operational or organizational model to follow-Detachment 101 was given enormous latitude in terms of developing its mission and methods. It grew from an inexperienced and poorly supported group of 21 agents training on the job in a lethal environment to a powerful force encompassing 10,000 guerrillas (spread across as many as 8 battalions), 60 long-range agents, and 400 short-range agents. By April 1945, it remained the only American ground force in North Burma while simultaneously conducting daring amphibious operations that contributed to the liberation of Rangoon. With unrivaled access to OSS archives, Sacquety vividly recounts the 101's story with a depth of detail that makes the disease-plagued and monsoon-drenched Burmese theater come unnervingly alive. He describes the organizational evolution of Detachment 101 and shows how the unit's flexibility allowed it to evolve to meet the changing battlefield environment. He depicts the Detachment's two sharply contrasting field commanders: headstrong Colonel Carl Eifler, who pushed the unit beyond its capabilities, and the more measured Colonel William Peers, who molded it into a model special operations force. He also highlights the heroic Kachin tribesmen, fierce fighters defending their tribal homeland and instrumental in acclimating the Americans to terrain, weather, and cultures in ways that were vital to the success of the Detachment's operations. While veterans' memoirs have discussed OSS activities in Burma, this is the first book to describe in detail how it achieved its success—portraying an operational unit that can be seen as a prototype for today's Special Forces. Featuring dozens of illustrations, The OSS in Burma rescues from oblivion the daring exploits of a key intelligence and military unit in Japan's defeat in World War II and tells a gripping story that will satisfy scholars and buffs alike.

Verse by the Side of the Road

Verse by the Side of the Road PDF Author: Frank Rowsome, Jr.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0452267625
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 129

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Book Description
"In the fall of 1925, young Allan Odell conceived the idea of using consecutive signs along the roadside. . . . In 1963 the last signs were taken down, ending the most famous outdoor advertising venture ever.”—1977 Minnesota Almanac The whole story is in this book, plus all the jingles used. The signs are gone now, except for one set on permanent display at The Smithsonian. You can have them all, always, in your own library with this book. “Rowsome’s volume indexes each of the 600 jingles . . . and as you down the list, preferably reading aloud, it might evoke visions of 1940 Chevies, roadside diners, signs that said EATS. . . . Why were the Burma-Shave jingles so universally loved? Because they were light-hearted and humorous in hard times and war times.”—Bov Swift, Knight News Service

The Burma Campaign

The Burma Campaign PDF Author: Frank McLynn
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300178360
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 458

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Book Description
This history reveals the failures and fortunes of leadership during the WWII campaign into Japanese-occupied Burma: “a thoroughly satisfying experience” (Kirkus). Acclaimed historian Frank McLynn tells the story of four larger-than-life Allied commanders whose lives collided in the Burma campaign, one of the most punishing and protracted military adventures of World War II. This vivid account ranges from Britain’s defeat in 1942 through the crucial battles of Imphal and Kohima—known as "the Stalingrad of the East"—and on to ultimate victory in 1945. Frank McLynn narrative focuses on the interactions and antagonisms of its principal players: William Slim, the brilliant general; Orde Wingate, the idiosyncratic commander of a British force of irregulars; Louis Mountbatten, one of Churchill's favorites, overpromoted to the position of Supreme Commander, S.E. Asia; and Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, a hard-line—and openly anlgophobic—U.S. general. With lively portraits of each of these men, McLynn shows how the plans and strategies of generals and politicians were translated into a hideous reality for soldiers on the ground.

Behind the Burma Road

Behind the Burma Road PDF Author: William Raymond Peers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
This book looks at the guerilla operations carried out by Americans in the mountains of North Burma between 1943 and 1945. As the Japanese advanced into Burma from the south, they cut the Burma Road, a lifeline for the Chinese armies fighting the Japanese in China. Allies had to use cargo planes to fly supplies and equipment over the "Hump" of the Himalayas. On the ground, scattered and inadequate Allied troops were trying to contain the Japanese and push them back far enough to make building a new road possible. Among these troops were Merrill's Marauders, Wingate's Raiders, the Chinese forces under "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell and the 14th British Army.

Walkout; with Stilwell in Burma

Walkout; with Stilwell in Burma PDF Author: Frank Dorn
Publisher: New York, Crowell
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
In early 1942, as America rose in arms against Japan, Major General Joseph W. Stillwell, nicknamed "Vinegar Joe," was sent to China to shore up the U.S. ally, Chian Kai-shek. Among the men he took with him was his aide, Lt. Colonel Frank Dorn. At Stilwell's request, Dorn kept a record of the daily events of this time and this record initially served as the basis for Stilwell's official report to Washington D.C. after the collapse of the Burma front. This account gives a portrait of Stilwell and his mission.

Burma

Burma PDF Author: Benedict Rogers
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1448118654
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
UPDATED For more than 50 years, Burma has been ruled by a succession of military regimes which rank among the most oppressive dictatorships in the world. Accused of crimes against humanity, they have brutally mistreated their people. Yet, in the last few years, the pace of change has been breathtaking. Much is now hoped for. However, Burma is one of the most ethnically diverse nations in Southeast Asia: there are roughly seven major ethnic groups living along its borders. They have a long history of conflict with the government and have been cruelly treated by the current regime. Their future affects the country as a whole, as Benedict Rogers explains. Drawing heavily on his many fact-finding visits both inside Burma and along its frontiers, he gives a unique appraisal of the current ethnic situation and its implications for the nation as a whole. Wide-ranging, expertly researched, and full of brand new accounts of the courage and determination of the Burmese people, Burma: A Nation at the Crossroads explains the country's conflicted history, as well as its contemporary struggle for justice. Burma stands poised for freedom, or for further repression. No one can be sure. This fascinating and accessible book describes what is really happening inside this beautiful, secretive, and potentially prosperous country.

Born in the Jungles of Burma

Born in the Jungles of Burma PDF Author: Andrew Wax
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443824550
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
This researcher examined the evolution of warfare in an unforgiving environment, necessitating an innovative method of warfare never attempted on a large scale. It details the early history of air supply and support near the end of WWI up to and including the war in Europe in 1939 and the expanding war in Asia following the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent offensives in southeast Asia. The China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) became an important component of Allied efforts. Low in Allied priority, the difficulties encountered by the Southeast Asia Command (SEAC) increased. Burma, a British colony, was a region with few all-weather roads; the only rail lines available were in enemy hands 150 miles inside Japanese lines. Temperatures reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit with rainfall as much as 200 inches per year. Additionally, the nearest friendly seaport was more than 500 miles away. The Allied offensive, scheduled for the spring of 1944, incorporated a multi-pronged ground attack on three different Japanese fronts. To achieve success, it was essential to develop the only logical means of sustainability for ground forces: Air Supply and Support. Described herein are the efforts of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF), creating a singularly unique air unit: Air Commando 1. The coordination of Allied tactics and doctrines were worked out with a clear delineation of the chain of command. When Air Commando 1 arrived in India, the framework that became the Allied offensive, codenamed “Operation THURSDAY” was laid. For the survival of soldiers contracting one of the numerous diseases (Burma has the largest number of snakes per square mile) or suffering from combat related wounds and injuries, it was essential to receive quick medical attention. It was in the CBI that SEAC established an effective method of air evacuation that made the difference between life and death. The research unearthed most of the heretofore publicly unknown aspects of the campaign, explored in the author’s thesis, which indicate that the first sustained effort of air supply and support deep within enemy-held territory established a vital method of warfare deployed in subsequent wars.