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Forgotten War

Forgotten War

The British Empire and Commonwealth’s Epic Struggle Against Imperial Japan, 1941–1945

by Brian E. Walter

Imprint: Casemate

336 Pages, 6 x 9 in, 35 photographs

Hardcover
9781636243573
December 2023
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$37.95

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A new assessment of the British and Commonwealth contribution to the defeat of Japan in the Pacific.

The monumental struggle fought against Imperial Japan in the Asia/Pacific theater during World War II is primarily viewed as an American affair. While the United States did play a dominant role, the British and Commonwealth forces also made major contributions—on land, at sea and in the air, eventually involving over a million men and vast armadas of ships and aircraft. It was a difficult and often desperate conflict fought against a skilled and ruthless enemy that initially saw the British suffer the worst series of defeats ever to befall their armed forces. Still, the British persevered and slowly turned the tables on their Japanese antagonists. Fighting over an immense area that stretched from India in the west to the Solomon Islands in the east and Australia in the south to the waters off Japan in the north, British and Commonwealth forces eventually scored a string of stirring victories that avenged their earlier defeats and helped facilitate the demise of the Japanese Empire.

Often overlooked by history, this substantial war effort is fully explored in Forgotten War. Meticulously researched, the book provides a complete, balanced and detailed account of the role that British and Commonwealth forces played on land, sea and in the air during this crucial struggle. It also provides unique analysis regarding the effectiveness and relevance of this collective effort and the contributions it made to the overall Allied victory.

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Long Road to War.
Chapter 2: The Storm in Europe.
Chapter 3: On the Brink in Asia.
Chapter 4: Japan Unleashed.
Chapter 5: Turning the Tide.
Chapter 6: Commonwealth Contributions in the South Pacific.
Chapter 7: Return to the Indian Ocean.
Chapter 8: The Battle for India.
Chapter 9: Tightening the Noose.
Chapter 10: Victory over Japan.
Chapter 11: Review of the Asia/Pacific War.

Appendixes
Bibliography
Index

Brian E. Walter is a retired army officer from a combat arms branch with a BSc in Political Science and International Relations. A distinguished military graduate and recipient of the Excellence in Military History Award from the U.S. Army Center for Military History and the Association of the United States Army, he has been a student of the British military during World War II for more than 30 years. He is the author of The Longest Campaign and Blue Water War.

"As expected, Walter’s book is a compelling narrative history to read cover to cover and a reliable reference work that will claim an easy-to-reach spot on the bookshelf. Recommended." ~Vincent P. O’Hara, Author of "Torch: North Africa and the Allied Path of Victory"

"The British Empire’s involvement in the struggle with Japan in the Far East is indeed a ‘forgotten war’. This is true even in Britain, at least as far as recent generations are concerned, and it is even more the case in other countries. Brian Walter has jogged our collective memory with this wide-ranging book. He provides a broad and well-informed study of the British war effort against Japan at sea, in the air, and on land. And in addition, he effectively puts these operations into the context of World War II as a whole." ~Professor Evan Mawdsley, University of Glasgow

"The Forgotten War fills a huge gap in the literature of World War II. Walter does a masterful job laying out the historical forces that led to the inevitable outbreak of war in the Pacific, and then brilliantly weaves a complex tapestry of campaigns and engagements that led to the equally inevitable Allied victory. I especially enjoyed the fascinating biographical sketches of the key players. Another 5-star performance by Brian Walter!" ~Paul G. Gill, Jr., MD

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Forgotten War

The British Empire and Commonwealth’s Epic Struggle Against Imperial Japan, 1941–1945

Forgotten War

The British Empire and Commonwealth’s Epic Struggle Against Imperial Japan, 1941–1945

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