The Final Curtain: Burma 1941-45 Veteran’s Stories written by Jeremy Archer and
published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 312
The Final Curtain: Burma 1941-1945 comprises interviews with some of the very few
surviving veterans of this most arduous of campaigns. In their own words, soldiers, sailors
and airmen now aged between 95 and 101 vividly recount the experiences that they
endured more than seventy-five years ago. This is oral history at its best, from officers and
men of 14th Army, which comprised some 100,000 British and other Commonwealth
personnel, 340,000 from the Sub-Continent and 90,000 East and West Africans. The
interviewees include individuals from all these groups. Their accounts cover the retreat
from Burma, the Chindit operations behind Japanese lines, the hard-fought struggle in the
Arakan, the crucial battles at Kohima and Imphal, and the final advance to Rangoon,
culminating in a decisive victory.
The veterans featured in this fascinating collection include a Primus (Archbishop) of the Scottish Episcopal Church, a former Chairman of Manchester City Football Club, and the Principal of the Accra Polytechnic in Ghana as well as two career Army officers. Regardless of their post-war achievements, all the contributors share the distinction of having served in a hugely demanding and ultimately victorious campaign against a merciless enemy. Their accounts make for inspiring and unforgettable reading.
Burma, one of the hardest types of battlefield to fight in due to the heat, terrain and jungle conditions. This book The Final Curtain: Burma is a fantastic book where the reader hears from a good number of allied servicemen who fought in connection with Burma, these stories come from men who served in all branches of the armed forces. I call this book fantastic because it is a book containing stories from the men involved, their experiences, thoughts and the events that happened to them. This is so important because it is first-hand experiences, such a valuable resource in history. The author Jeremy Archer has done a great job in getting these stories and putting them together in such an easy-to-read manner, the maps in the book are good and there is a good number of photos throughout. I would certainly recommend this book highlighting such an important part of WWII.
.jpg)
