Description

The first of five volumes of the 18-volume official British History of the Second World War dealing with the war against Japan; this book describes the fall of Britain’s Far Eastern territories: Hong Kong, Borneo, Malaya, and finally the fortress island of Singapore - perhaps the greatest single British disaster of the entire war. The authors pin the blame for the loss of Britain’s Asian empire on the neglect of its defences between the wars, and on the Government’s preoccupation with saving Britain itself in 1940. In the authors’ opinion, ‘the campaign in Malaya was lost beofre it begun’, at least partly because of the ineptitude of the authorities on the spot. The book describes Japan’s plans for imperial aggrandisement at the expense of vulnerable British and Dutch colonies in the region, and the rapid collapse of the European empires before the lightning Japanese advance. The loss of the British warships ‘Prince of Wales’ and ‘Repulse’, complementing the disasters onshore, and the disappearance of so many men - British, Australian and other Commonwealth nations - into the horrors of Japanese captivity, complete the sad story of one of Britain’s lowest points in the Second World War. With 27 appendices illustrating the strength and structure of the forces engaged, the book is generously illustrated with 28 maps and sketches and 26 photographs.

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4.6 out of 54.6 out of 56 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

David Rasch5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase Something I''ve never seen before. Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2015 This just what I was looking for in two ways. First it is a complete history of the Singapore campaign in military language. Second and just as important it is the Official History of the Second World War from Britain. It is a good fast read in spare language including the... See more This just what I was looking for in two ways. First it is a complete history of the Singapore campaign in military language. Second and just as important it is the Official History of the Second World War from Britain. It is a good fast read in spare language including the wry British humor I love so well. It details a discrete British failure even more dramatic and significant and the Pearl Harbor bombing. One person found this helpful Helpful Report Christopher F. Nelson5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase War Against Japan Volume I Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2013 TGreat bookhis is part of the official British History of the Second World War. This Book Concentrates on the Start of the War in the Pacific One person found this helpful Helpful Report

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Peter_R_H4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase A clear readable facsimile of a classic account of the Malaya Campaign Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2011 This is a facsimile copy of the first volume of the British Official History of the war against Japan. Some amendments have been made by a borrower (the original was held by Bournemouth Libraries). It is focussed on the campaign in Malaya (December 1941 to February 1942)....See moreThis is a facsimile copy of the first volume of the British Official History of the war against Japan. Some amendments have been made by a borrower (the original was held by Bournemouth Libraries). It is focussed on the campaign in Malaya (December 1941 to February 1942). It contains summaries of contemporary events in the Philippines and "Dutch East Indies", but NOTHING on the Retreat through Burma, which is contained in the second volume. The narrative is painstaking and yet remarkably clear. The preface clearly states the limitations of the sources available; the normal (near) contemporaneous unit diaries and other records were lost during the campaign. There are clear influences from the Japanese sources available in 1957. The Author was judicious in not assigning ''guilt'', though his opinion of Percival''s generalship does not appear high. 4 people found this helpful Report

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