Published Slim was the commander of the British 14th Army that, in concert with American and Chinese forces, defeated the Imperial Japanese Army during the Burma Campaign. This book by the general himself speaks of the arduous campaigns the Allies faced in Burma and India, facing a foe they had never come across before, the Japanese whose commitment to their goals was legendary. Author: Aaron Quotes Category: Defeat Quotes Failure Quotes "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. There is a sad comment that I had never heard, about how General MacArthur, in an action typical of his narcissism, refused to let the Brits move to save their prisoners of war until after he had ceremoniously accepted the Japanese surrender in Japan. Slim is a refreshingly blunt writer, always quick to praise superiors, subordinates, and peers while taking responsibility for his own mistakes. Most importantly, he ensured his headquarters staff shared the same hardships as his troops in the field. As memoirs go Slim lays out clearly how the war with Japan went and what it to took to turn a beaten army into a winner.
Resources were scarce, understandable given the secondary status this theatre was accorded (pg. “No man could have served his country better,” Slim said of Irwin’s tenure.Life’s a marathon, not a sprint. It was no easy task for the battleground was the jungles, swamps, hills and slushy ground. His focus on initiative and morale is particularly interesting. I cannot praise this book highly enough. There's a victory, and defeat; the first and best of victories, the lowest and worst of defeats which each man gains or sustains at the hands not of another, but of himself. 42). He gives everything from his day schedule to the biggest dilemma's he has wresteld with asI admit it is my first book on WW2 in Asia, but wow. “The only equipment my army had in full supply was, as ever, brains, hardihood, and courage.”“They identified themselves utterly with the troops ahead; they were and felt themselves to be a part, and a vital part, of the team. … persuasive young men interested in selling short cuts to victory…these ‘racketeers’, as I called them, were of two kinds, those whose acquaintance with war was confined to large non-fighting staffs where they had time to develop their theories, and tough, cheerful fellows who might be first-class landed on a beach at night to scupper a sentry-post, but whose experience was about the range of a tommy-gun…few of them had anything really new to say.Though, in fairness, the only thing worse than a foolhardy new idea is a crack-pot Slim knew that there are scores of unsung heroes in any large organization — the ones you never think about until they eventually fail in their jobs. Slim groomed trusted subordinates who could handle anything short of a major crisis while he slept. Not surprisingly he was assigned command of the 14th Army which came to be called "The Forgotten Army." His army's slaughter of Japanese troops ultimately liberated India and Burma. ITo many William Slim was possibly the finest British (and possibly Allied) General to serve during the Second World War. General Slim was an outstanding commander who believed that war is an art form anchored in principles of strategy, cross cultural management, moral courage, and alignment to the monsoon forces of nature. He also discusses the behavioral traits of the various ethnic groups under his command including, Indians, Gorkhas, Chinese, Sikhs, British, and Burmans, especially in a vignette describing an incident where he came under fire while among enlisted men and imagined how they would each react to his being wounded. Transferred to Burma in 1942, Slim arrived to an army in administrative disarray and an overwhelming Japanese assault that turned into a near-rout. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. The book had excellent insights on how to respond to failure. It is an interesting story overall, but this is a General's point of view, and most of the book discusses logistics, political problems, and strategic goals. The book had excellent insights on how to respond to failure. It is an interesting story overall, but this is a General's point of view, and most of the book discusses logistics, political problems, and strategic goals. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of This book is far from it. Slim is an excellent and very candid writer. Slim's "slim pickins" of the British imperial forces would have given most soldiers an excuse for their failure. For those who have an eye to see, this challenge can provide an opportunity to shine as a strategist. by Cooper Square Press Although this book is clearly written from a high rank perspective (everything under a full Division being 'a small force'), the author passes on his honest insights, mistakes, lessons learned and judgements at the time and afterwards. Field Marshal William Slim was one of the most understated of the Allied commanders during the Second World War. Slim is critical of himself. Properly appreciating and analyzing it would require a several weeks of classroom discussion. His focus on initiative and morale is particularly interesting. The title of the book explains the essence of the book. The best historical account of a Pacific campaign in WWII I’ve read. In the interwar period Slim successfully wrote fiction under the name of Anthony Mills and his style is easy and accomplished. The first editioField Marshal Viscount Slim (1891-1970) led shattered British forces from Burma to India in one of the lesser-known but more nightmarish retreats of World War II. Whenever Slim was forced to put his front-line troops on half rations, he did the same to his headquarters staff. Defeat Into Victory: The Magnificent Account of a Great Campaign of the Second World War And so he did. It was an almost defeat that got converted to victory through a mix of innovation, doggedness, endurance and courage. 51, 238), it was no wonder that many felt demoralised and were conditioned to think that there was no way to stop the Japanese.This book is too good to review well in the space of an essay or a paragraph.