Cassell Military Classics

This is the story of the Fourteenth Army in Burma and the two great battles of Imphal and Kohima, in which the Japanese suffered the greatest defeat in their history.The battles of Imphal and Kohima were extremely complex, and fought over confusing terrain. This book, the result of much detailed research into what really happened, aims to set the record clear and straight, as well as to ensure that a story of bravery and suffering is kept alive.The Japanese drove the British out of Burma in swift and total defeat in 1942. Limited offensives were launched by British and Indian forces, with mixed results. Then the Japanese attacked Imphal and Kohima, starting the most ferocious campaign of the war. David Rooney, who saw war service in India and West Africa, examines those tactics in the ebb and flow of battle, offers a new analysis of the role of airpower and highlights the influence of British, American, Japanese and Chinese thinking at the highest level.