General W. J. Slim achieved something no one believed possible. Appointed to lead what was soon to become the famous 'forgotten' 14th Army in 1943, at a time when British units in the Far East were defeated and demoralised, within six months he had dealt the first death blow to the Japanese Army. This - the battle of Kohima and Imphal - was the largest single defeat of the Japanese on land in the Second World War and led to their complete destruction in Burma by August 1945. So, how did he do it? And why is he not better known? Slim did not fit the British military mould. Like Patton he was a manoeuvrist: he fought differently, seeking victory by cunning and guile, starkly different from how the British Army fought its wars at the time. Like the legendary soldier T. E. Lawrence, Slim was an exponent - long before it became fashionable - of mission command, giving his subordinates their head and encouraging initiative and imagination at the lowest levels of command. But above all Slim was a soldier's general - it wasn't just his men who revered him, but his equals too: Mountbatten, with whom he bonded in a way unparalleled in South East Asia Command, and Stilwell, another maverick, who would serve under no other British commander but him. They were not wrong; he was a singular man, a supreme commander, who remains worthy of our respect.
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'This is a first-rate book, and without doubt the best account of Bill Slim's conduct of the Burma Campaign.' -- Dr Richard Holmes, Cranfield University
Lyman is good on strategy... (and) astute on what it took to fight the war on the ground. -- Andrew Lycett, The Sunday Times, 25 January 2004
Robert Lyman, himself an ex-soldier ... asserts that Slim was the outstanding British general of the war. He is surely right. -- Max Hastings, The Sunday Telegraph, 25 January 2004 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Lyman is good on strategy... (and) astute on what it took to fight the war on the ground. -- Andrew Lycett, The Sunday Times, 25 January 2004
Robert Lyman, himself an ex-soldier ... asserts that Slim was the outstanding British general of the war. He is surely right. -- Max Hastings, The Sunday Telegraph, 25 January 2004 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Author
In my book I argue that General ‘Bill’ Slim was probably Britain’s most successful military commanders of WW2, achieving even more than Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein. I believe that Slim's legacy - in terms of the art and science of war - was as great, if not greater, than Monty's.
In my book I reappraise Slim’s achievements and place him as the primogenitor of modern British military doctrine. I argue that Slim was remarkably unlike his peers as a military commander - being simultaneously intelligent and compassionate, as gifted a strategist as he was a leader of men with the uniqueness of touch shared with the likes of Marlborough, Nelson and Wellington. A general with the common soldier’s touch was rare in the British Army in the first half of this century- Slim was not just a great general but one of those rare commanders who can hold and sustain the affection of their men. Not for nothing did his men call him ‘Uncle Bill’. Equally, Slim’s contribution to legacy to modern warfare was profound:
· First, he created, almost single-handedly, the Anglo-Indian 14th Army that smashed decisively the Japanese in drawn-out and exhausting battles in 1944 (Imphal-Kohima) and 1945 (Mandalay-Meiktila). He took a defeated and demoralised army and created from it a fighting machine that ‘shocked Britain’s enemies and astonished her friends.’
· Second, his method of waging war – now described as ‘manoeuvre warfare’ - has since been adopted across the Western world and forms the foundational doctrine of modern armies. Slim’s approach to war looks almost as if it was reverse –engineered from modern doctrine, so close are the parallels between the two. He fought a distinctly different style of warfare to Monty in North West Europe, basing his tactics firmly on the principles of risk, surprise, ingenuity and subtlety.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By Loved-IT
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was extremely well written and researched. I knew very little about Bill Slim but after finishing this book I, at least, am convinced that he was one of the most skillful, yet curiously unknown commanders in Modern British History. The scale of his achievements are simply astonishing when you take into account the tenacity of his opponents, the appalling conditions he faced and the woeful leadership in some sections of the British Army at that time. His ability to adapt to changing circumstances and to learn from his mistakes were surely a decisive factor in the battles for South East Asia.
This book is a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in World War II. It reminded me also of the tremendous sacrifices that many thousands of British and Commonwealth troops made in that war, many of whom were thousands of miles from home.
I agree with the previous reviewer that some of the maps are very difficult to read, especially for non-experts like myself.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By D
Format:Paperback
Robert Lyman has produced a brilliant history of Slim's victory in Burma and convinces the reader that he was the outstanding British commander of the Second World War. Slim, although relatively unknown now, transformed a defeated and dejected force into the Army that would defeat the seemingly invincible Japanese Army -that had mastered the terrain in 1942- just two years after its crushing defeat in 1942.
Robert Lyman's thoroughly researched book lucidly displays his mastery of the subject with ample maps and quotes from Slim and the other commanders in the Burma chain of command. It should be read by anyone with an interest in military strategy, the Second World War or indeed the battle for Burma.
Robert Lyman's thoroughly researched book lucidly displays his mastery of the subject with ample maps and quotes from Slim and the other commanders in the Burma chain of command. It should be read by anyone with an interest in military strategy, the Second World War or indeed the battle for Burma.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Jerry Bird
Format:Paperback
Commanding General Officer of the 14th 'Forgotten' Army - Forgotten General? The name of Bill Slim does not normally rank alongside other WWII Allied Generals when people think of the more well known figures in the 'Western' theater of operations - the Montgomery's, Bradley's, Wavell's, Patton's and of course Eisenhower himself. Even US General McArthur is probably better known for his exploits in the Pacific than Bill Slim in Burma.
Like most aspects of the Burma Campaign, Bill Slim was/is relatively unknown in the broader context of WWII, but to those who served under him his inspired leadership was truly remembered, especially as it was through that leadership the tide of war in Burma turned against the Japanese. Robert Lyman in my opinion has thoroughly researched his subject and produced an excellent and comprehensive book giving the reader, I believe, a pretty good insight into the Man, the General, the Leader.
Would things have been different in 1942 if Bill Slim had been in charge then? Maybe not, but what the book demonstrates is that when Bill Slim was given command he pulled together what forces he had, built them up into a formidable fighting army which carried the fight to the Japanese right through to the cessation of hostilities. This happened within a period of only two years against an enemy who were still very much on the offensive and far from defeated, as compared to the 4 years between Dunkirk and Normandy in Europe.
I have read other accounts about Bill Slim, but this is by far the best and a necessary read for those interested in this quite remarkable man; or in the Burma Campaign in general. Well done and thank you Robert Lyman.
Like most aspects of the Burma Campaign, Bill Slim was/is relatively unknown in the broader context of WWII, but to those who served under him his inspired leadership was truly remembered, especially as it was through that leadership the tide of war in Burma turned against the Japanese. Robert Lyman in my opinion has thoroughly researched his subject and produced an excellent and comprehensive book giving the reader, I believe, a pretty good insight into the Man, the General, the Leader.
Would things have been different in 1942 if Bill Slim had been in charge then? Maybe not, but what the book demonstrates is that when Bill Slim was given command he pulled together what forces he had, built them up into a formidable fighting army which carried the fight to the Japanese right through to the cessation of hostilities. This happened within a period of only two years against an enemy who were still very much on the offensive and far from defeated, as compared to the 4 years between Dunkirk and Normandy in Europe.
I have read other accounts about Bill Slim, but this is by far the best and a necessary read for those interested in this quite remarkable man; or in the Burma Campaign in general. Well done and thank you Robert Lyman.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
William Slim, the greatest Allied general in WW II
Since the end of the Second World War the reputations of some of the generals have increased and that of others diminished. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Desmond J. Keenan
4.0 out of 5 stars
How Uncle Bill beat the Japs.
In some detail and with very precise reasoning, Lyman convincingly shows why "... it was Slim who should rightly be regarded as the greatest British general of the Second World... Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2011 by Grr
4.0 out of 5 stars
Close but no cigar....
Overall a really good book highlighting the insights into the situation in Burma during WW2, and had this book been entitled "Burma and Bill" it may have been slightly more... Read more
Published on 16 Nov 2006 by Simon
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sound piece of military history, enjoyable read
Military biographers often have a very human tendency to describe "their" general as more farsighted, more daring, more beloved of their men, etc., etc. Read more
Published on 17 Feb 2004 by G. van Geleuken
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