Randy's Book Review: Retreat With Stilwell by Jack Beldon

While helping Brenda list books I ran across this book titled “Retreat with Stilwell” published in 1943. The book chronicles the invasion of Burma and the retreat of the Allied forces under the command of American General Joe Stilwell.  It  is a firsthand account by author Jack Belden. Moving from south to north the Japanese quickly over run the county, overpower the allied forces and create a mass retreat by the British, Chinese and native forces.  Already in Burma covering the Chinese war with Japan, war correspondent Jack Belden attaches himself to Gen. Stilwell as he retreats using motor vehicles, mules, water rafts and finally on foot. 

The first paragraph states;

“On the eve of the invasion of Burma the outcome was a foregone conclusion. The Japanese marched in as a single co-ordinated  unit organized for total war, with supreme confidence, in high spirits, and armed with an appeal to the native population to help them overthrow the British, who met the invasion without plan, morally undermined by a fatal policy, and organized for an ancient kind of frontier warfare."

Not only does the author write about the invasion of the Japanese and the retreat of allied troops but also tells the reader about the politics and actions which caused the Allied forces to lose control of the country.

This is a book that I could not put down. I read it in just a few days. The geography of Burma and the Asian names of the geographical features of the country were unfamiliar to me. The book provided a map of the country and I was able to follow the action by referencing the map as I read the book. Because the author spoke Chinese he was able to better define the many characters in the book and had more insight into the feeling and motives of the people of Burma. I found this book to be very interesting and would read this book again.