Following the immense praise for Bayly and Harper's "Forgotten Armies", its authors now tackle with the same verve, controversy and wit the even more contentious issue of how new nations were born from the wreck of Britain's empire in southeast Asia. The almost continual fighting that followed Japan's defeat scarred everywhere in the region - from the violent British occupation of south Vietnam to the horrors of Partition in India; from the hasty retreat from Burma to the Malayan 'Emergency', one of the first and most dramatic counter-insurgency wars of the twentieth century. "Forgotten Wars" explores the lives of politicians, soldiers and ordinary people as the travails of decolonisation merged with the hatreds of the Cold War.
Forgotten Wars: The End of Britain's Asian Empire
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Review
'An outstanding narrative account ... If there are lessons from history they are surely to be found in this book' -- Richard Overy, author of THE DICTATORS
'History on majestic form' -- Observer
`An extremely well-researched, well-written book whose analysis and judgments command respect ... gripping'
-- Financial Times
`They have done a marvellous job in recovering [this] largely forgotten history ... a delight to read' -- Independent
`[A] tragic and bloody story ... a brilliant, devastatingly honest analysis of the last years of Britain's Asian Empire' -- Daily Telegraph
'History on majestic form' -- Observer
`An extremely well-researched, well-written book whose analysis and judgments command respect ... gripping'
-- Financial Times
`They have done a marvellous job in recovering [this] largely forgotten history ... a delight to read' -- Independent
`[A] tragic and bloody story ... a brilliant, devastatingly honest analysis of the last years of Britain's Asian Empire' -- Daily Telegraph
About the Author
Christopher Bayly is Vere Harmsworth Professor of History at the University of Cambridge and winner of last year's Wolfson Prize for lifetime achievement. Tim Harper is a Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge. Forgotten Armies was published by Penguin in 2004.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By Miran Ali
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
An excellent read, well written and apparently unbiased. The authors cover the return of British forces primarily in Burma and Malaya. Also covering the British military operations in Indochina and Indonesia and the events leading to the Partition of India.
The book covers a huge scope of much neglected history and should be read by anyone interested in this region. Especially the sections on Burma and Malaysia.
My only complaint is that the sections on each country ends with the departure of the British. I would have enjoyed reading a postscript of the politics of those countries after the end of military actions.
The book covers a huge scope of much neglected history and should be read by anyone interested in this region. Especially the sections on Burma and Malaysia.
My only complaint is that the sections on each country ends with the departure of the British. I would have enjoyed reading a postscript of the politics of those countries after the end of military actions.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By ElCid
Format:Hardcover
The title is from an European perspective. In Asia the war against the Japanese and the various other wars, such as the ones against western imperialism in Surabaya, Saigon, Malaya, etc., have never been forgotten. All these are described in beautiful prose and with the perceptive and sensitive eye of true humanitarians as well as the confidence and skill of two fine historians. Having read their earlier book, The Forgotten Armies, I only hope that there is another to come to complete a trilogy. Bayly and Harper have done a great service to those who wish to understand today's political situation in Asia and the world. They should be essential reading for them.
By peter upton
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book ( along with Forgotten Armies) chronicles two key periods that get over-looked in the aftermath of WW2. With the collapse of Japan in 1945- this book chronicles the break up of empires, the embarassing rush to regain Imperial control ( the section on France and Vietnam is very revealing) and the bizarre alliances formed to prop up what was left of the Empire - the English, French and Dutch ones. It is sometimes shocking in its analysis but brilliant scholarship and narrative make this a must read.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Forgotten Politics
This book might have been better titled "Forgotten Politics". There is very little searching military history and although the authors imply objectivity their thinly veiled... Read more
Published on 29 July 2010 by Canada Dry
2.0 out of 5 stars
Far too dry
I hate not finishing a book I've started, but I was tempted to do so about 150 pages into this, after ploughing through another page-long paragraph. Read more
Published on 20 July 2008 by NG
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant account of Labour's wars against national liberation...
In this sequel to Bayly and Harper's superb history, `Forgotten armies: Britain's Asian empire and the war with Japan' (2004), they show how new nations were born from the wreck of... Read more
Published on 18 May 2007 by William Podmore
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