Defeat into Victory
Encyclopedia
Defeat into Victory is an account of the retaking of Burma by Allied forces during the Second World War
by the British Field Marshal William Slim and published in the UK by Cassell in 1956. It was published in the United States as Defeat into Victory: Battling Japan in Burma and India, 1942-1945 by David McKay of New York in 1961. Slim was the commander of the British 14th Army which, in concert with American and Chinese forces, defeated the Imperial Japanese Army
during the Burma Campaign
. Defeat into Victory is widely regarded as a classic memoir of high command.
. Louis Morton, writing in The Journal of Modern History considered it a work of 'wisdom, modesty, grace, and deep understanding', and 'an outstanding example of the best of British military memoirs'. In the New York Times, the writer John Masters
called it 'a dramatic story with one principal character and several hundred subordinate characters,' and said that it showed that Field Marshal Slim was "an expert soldier and an expert writer." Defeat into Victory was also a considerable commercial success with the first edition of 20,000 selling out almost immediately, being quickly followed by a second run. The book has been reissued several times since.
This structure, examining the Allied victory in terms of the resurrection of the British and Indian Armies' fighting prowess, has proved influential in the historiography of the Burma campaign.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by the British Field Marshal William Slim and published in the UK by Cassell in 1956. It was published in the United States as Defeat into Victory: Battling Japan in Burma and India, 1942-1945 by David McKay of New York in 1961. Slim was the commander of the British 14th Army which, in concert with American and Chinese forces, defeated the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
during the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
. Defeat into Victory is widely regarded as a classic memoir of high command.
Critical and popular reception
Defeat into Victory received positive reviews on its publications, being praised for its insight and the quality of writing. In a review in Military Affairs Frank Trager describes it as 'extraordinary' and making 'a most valuable contribution to our understanding' and thought it instructive in the light of contemporary American involvement in VietnamVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Louis Morton, writing in The Journal of Modern History considered it a work of 'wisdom, modesty, grace, and deep understanding', and 'an outstanding example of the best of British military memoirs'. In the New York Times, the writer John Masters
John Masters
Lieutenant Colonel John Masters, DSO was an English officer in the British Indian Army and novelist. His works are noted for their treatment of the British Empire in India.-Life:...
called it 'a dramatic story with one principal character and several hundred subordinate characters,' and said that it showed that Field Marshal Slim was "an expert soldier and an expert writer." Defeat into Victory was also a considerable commercial success with the first edition of 20,000 selling out almost immediately, being quickly followed by a second run. The book has been reissued several times since.
Structure
In the original 1956 edition, Slim divided his work chronologically into six 'books' entitled:- Defeat
- Forging the Weapon
- The Weapon is Tested
- The Tide Turns
- The Decisive Battle
- Victory
This structure, examining the Allied victory in terms of the resurrection of the British and Indian Armies' fighting prowess, has proved influential in the historiography of the Burma campaign.