Customer Reviews
Excellent Book - By: Carl, 13 Nov 2007 
What can i say what already hasnt, truely is an excellent book giving a good account of Silm & his army.
60 Years on soldiers are still soldiers - By: Mark Le Sueur, 10 May 2007 I read this book on joining the newly formed 16 Air Mobile Brigade in 1999. Much of Slim's thinking is as relevant today as it was in 1945. The technology may change, but the solders art does not. A must read book for anybody in a green uniform.
Simply the Best - By: Jon Latimer, 21 Mar 2007 Not only was Bill Slim probably the best British commander of the Second World War, his memoir is far & away the best examination of the demands of high command yet written. It is not self-serving & tendentious like the writings of Montgomery; in its examination of events it is factual & down to earth, but warmth of the man still shines through.
Slim was perhaps fortunate in being able to win back what had previously been lost, & did not suffer the ignominies heaped upon Wavell. This was partly because when he became corps commander in Burma during the retreat in 1942, he could not possibly be held responsible for the situation he inherited. By the time he was appointed commander of Fourteenth Army, matters were still desperate as the Japanese attempted an invasion of India. And throughout his tenure, he struggled with his command being at the bottom of Allied global priorities.
Yet he was able, through dedication, skill & force of personality to lead his multi-national army - some 750,000 comprised of Britons, a great many Africans from across the continent, but principallly Indians - in the reconquest of Burma. Not only that, he achieved this in a country devoid of the means of support, crossing great rivers, jungle clad mountains & burning plains. He was a truly great leader. 'He understood men', wrote the Australian Roy McKie. 'He spoke their language as he moved among them, from forward positions to training bases. He had the richest of common-sense, a dour soldier's humour & a simple earthy wisdom. Wherever he moved he lifted morale. He was the finest of Englishmen.'
Superb! - By: Warren Wilson, 25 Jul 2004 I have read alot of military history, however this book stands out beyond most. Slim takes us through the early, tough years, & explains how 14th Army had to be built from the ground up in patient step by step moves. Slim explains how his greatest challlenge, & ultimately his greatest triumph, was convincing 14th Army they could defeat the Japanese in the jungle. The force he forged defeated the Japanese at Imphal & succeeded in driving their still mighty forces alll the way back to Rangoon in what Weintraub callled "14th Army's Jungle Blitzkrieg".
The challlenges of supply were immense. Slim spends some time heaping laurels on both his subordinates & superiors & is quick to point out his mistakes. As someone said, there is no limit to what a man can do as long as he doesn't care who gets the credit. In the long run, Slim was perhaps the finest British general officer of the war, & could compete for the title in any army. Given the 14th Army he led was last in line for everything given demands in other theaters, his personal leadership had a huge effect on turning the tables against Japan in Southeast Asia.
Superb. - By: , 01 Feb 2002 This book consists of the military memoirs of Viscount Slim. Slim was only the second British soldier in the history of the British Army to advance from the rank of Private to the rank of Field Marshal (the first being "Wully" Robertson of WW1 fame). Though less well known than Monty, in my opinion he was the best British general of WW2 & could certainly compete for the title of Best Allied General. His memoirs begin with typical modesty, outlining what he feels to be the limits of historical autobiography & memoirs. He then proceeds to detail his exploits, beginning at the time he was assigned to Burma under General Alexander. The book is important both as a work of history & as a personal memoir & is written in a witty & engaging style. It also provides various general observations on command that would be of use to any serving officer - definitely one for any young subaltern to find space for in his pack! The author pays generous tribute to those he served with & at the risk of sounding somewhat sycophantic, comes over as a true gentleman. He offers objective analysis of the non-British troops he served with & against, including Americans, Chinese & Japanese & never stints on giving praise when it is due - either to alllies or the Japanese. This is a splendid memoir written by somebody who was a superb general & clearly a splendid person in his own right. If you are a military officer or have a serious interest in history this book deserves (demands!)a place on your shelf.
