The Jungle War: Mavericks, Marauders and Madmen in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II - Hardcover

by Gerald Astor (Author)

Praise FOR Gerald Astor

Front Jacket

The massive invasions, spectacular sea battles, and devastating bombing raids of World War II could not have occurred without enormous organizations, meticulous coordination, and absolute discipline-the meat and potatoes of modern, mechanized warfare. For those with more exotic appetites, however, there was CBI: China, Burma, and India.

In The Jungle War, the man whom Stephen Ambrose called "the master of the genre" of oral history relates the sprawling and dramatic tale of the theater of war in which forceful personalities battled chaos, and "conventional" warfare was simply impossible. Gerald Astor shows how Allied reluctance to commit resources to this "side-alley fight" led to a motley amalgamation of separate commands and specialized units led by some of the most colorful, unconventional, and innovative commanders in military history. Their internecine squabbles, political intrigues, and enormous egos are as much a part of the story as the battles they fought.

You'll meet the legendary Claire Chennault, the combative visionary who created and commanded the famed Flying Tigers; General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell, the brilliant but abrasive U.S. theater commander who battled his British counterpart almost as fiercely as he fought the Japanese; General Frank Merrill, whose Merrill's Marauders became the most famous and successful infantry unit in CBI; and the British maverick General Orde Wingate, who created the famous Chindits who operated behind enemy lines. What emerges from these incisive portraits is a penetrating study of the impact of personalities on the execution and outcome of armed conflict.

CBI was a study in contrasts. As the most sophisticated combat aircraft of the era streaked to battle overhead, hapless foot soldiers chopped and slogged their way through thick, disease-ridden rain forests in which most modern technology proved useless. Astor recreates the ordeal and the horror of jungle combat through multiple firsthand accounts from the officers and men who lived it, many of which are published here for the first time.

The Jungle War transports you from the early routs and retreats that sent millions of innocent civilians fleeing for their lives to the heroic transport flights over the "Hump" of the Himalayas and the most prodigious engineering feat of World War II: the construction of the Ledo Road. Complete with photos and maps, it brings the most dramatic events and the most memorable leaders of CBI to vivid and electrifying life.

Back Jacket

Praise FOR Gerald Astor

"No one does oral history better than Gerald Astor. . . . Great reading."
-Stephen Ambrose on "The Mighty Eighth"

"Gerald Astor has proven himself a master. Here, World War II is brought to life through the hammer blows of their airborne triumphs and fears."
-J. Robert Moskin, author of "Mr. Truman's War, on The Mighty Eighth"

"Astor captures the fire and passion of those tens of thousands of U.S. airmen who flew through the inferno that was the bomber war over Europe."
-Stephen Coonts on "The Mighty Eighth"

"Oral history at its finest."
-"The Washington Post" on Operation Iceberg

"Quick and well-paced, this will please even the most jaded of readers."
-"Army" magazine on Battling Buzzards

"A stout volume by a distinguished historian of the modern military makes a major contribution on its subject."
-"Booklist" on The Right to Fight (starred Editor's Choice)

"Today, as we lose the veterans of World War II at an alarming rate, we must not lose sight of their sacrifices or of the leaders who took them into battle. Astor, an acclaimed military historian, provides an in-depth look at one of the war's most successful division combat commanders, Maj. Gen. Terry Allen. . . . This well-written portrait makes for enjoyable reading."
-"Library Journal" on Terrible Terry Allen

Author Biography

Gerald Astor, a former magazine editor and writer, has published twenty previous books, including A Blood-Dimmed Tide: The Battle of the Bulge by the Men Who Fought It; June 6, 1944: The Voices of D-Day; and The Mighty Eighth: The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It.