Tales By Japanese Soldiers (Cassell Military Paperbacks)

after I have read this book I just realized that the Japanese soldiers there were courageous and can kill many hostiles in Burma especially British India and British soldiers as well but the problem was the supply chain was very poor Japanese soldiers who implement the mission in Burma had to attack hostile base and collect food from the hostile's warehouse during the operation also witnessed B-29 shot down by Japanese flak in Burma this book implied that everything people saw in Hollywood movies did not reflect the truth it was made to satisfy American people as well as the victors of WW2to sum up, this book described the great soldiers with poor supply lines can not win the war

I found this book interesting as it told the story of a few people in one campaign. By concentrating the focus in this way the author provides intimacy to the principles. A knowledge of the campaign is helpful but not entirely necessary. If reading about battle from the Japanese point of view interests you I would recommend this book.

This is one of those books that you expect to be something, and it turns out to be something else entirely. The authors have collected a series of oral histories from Japanese participants in the Second World War who fought in Burma, and this book is an edited collection of these histories. This seems a rather obscure subject, but almost all of the armies that the Allies fought against during World War II were annihilated, to the point of just a few survivors. The Japanese army in Burma, though suffering horrific casualties, did have a significant number of survivors. As a result, they'd be where you can *find* a large group of survivors, and get a collection of oral histories such as this. There are, however, cultural considerations here, and they pretty much cripple the book.The result is a collection of stories, none of them particularly illuminating. Japan has changed a great deal since World War II, and doesn't like to talk about the atrocities committed by its troops during the war. Rather than blame "others" as Germans typically did, with East Germans insisting West Germans committed all the war crimes, and vice versa, the Japanese just don't discuss it much at all, and do their best to sweep whatever they do acknowledge happened under the rug. The result is a series of accounts of the war that have little relationship to the accounts we have from the British/Allied side. The Japanese commit no atrocities (seriously, none) and on several occasions the Japanese salute particularly brave British soldiers. The whole thing winds up looking more chivalrous and honorable than a medieval joust. There's no animosity and no hatred for the enemy, not even a little bit.I thought the whole thing a bit much, but some of the stories individually are interesting. You get an idea of how class-oriented the Japanese military was, and how poorly the higher-level officers treated the lower-level ones, and the enlisted men.

There isn't much written about ww2 by Japanese ground pounders that's been translated into English. This book gives wonderful insight into what the IJN soldiers who fought in Burma thought about themselves,their fears, hardships, deprivations, struggles. They were sent to fight there even though the high command new it would be difficult to supply them. Their spirit was to see them through. They suffered from food & weapons shortages, disease, starvation, basic neglect. But were expected to keep fighting. Some of these accounts are so shocking I was stunned. If these things ( soldiers attacking without ammo or weapons ) & other abuses were done by American commanders the public would want them removed. One of the things I noticed was great scarcasm on the behalf of some of the writers towards their superiors. Guess that happens in any army. Some of what I've read has left me shocked to the point where it's difficult to describe in words. Read it & come to you're own conclusions.

Excellent source of WWII history from the perspective of an average Japanese soldier. You can get an idea of what was going through their minds from the beginning of their campaigns to the bitter retreat at the end. As a student of WWII I found this book to be an excellent addition to my library.

Very interesting. I only wish the references were more, well, existent. Though the stories are wonderful, there is a lot of room for possible misrepresentation and fault. If of course I've overlooked something, forgive me my comments.

If its' written by a Japanese soldier, I recommend it

Barely readable. Makes one wonder about the translation.

Having visited far east war cemetries, including Borneo where death marches started in Sandakan and out of about 2700 allied prisoners only six survived by escaping and those who survived the marches were murdered at the end on the march this book makes the Japanese soldiers come across as jolly good fellows. In no other book have I read that the Japanese treated wounded enemy after battle, they simply disposed of them. When in places like Singapore, where the Japanese went though hospitals killing patients in their beds I felt that these Japanese soldiers were saying what they thought they should say, not the truth. Training in the Japanese army was brutal and this led to them being brutal in their treatment of enemy.

These are first-hand accounts by Japanese soldiers in WW2 Burma. At first, everything goes swimmingly and the troops are racing up towards Rangoon. However over-extended supply lines, and a fight back by the Allies, create a maelstrom of disaster and the latter half of the book is a shocking story of starvation and desperate defeat. Each tale is quite brief, no more than five pages. The conditions suffered by the troops are appalling. The book is excellent for describing the awfulness of defeat. For all the barbarity of some Japanese thugs, the book reminds us that the ordinary foot soldiers suffered terribly as they were abandoned. I really recommend this book.

Not as interesting a read as I thought it would be. I liked some stories but it glossed over a lot of things.There was no real mention of doubts the writers had about their war.They just felt to me as though they were expected to go and not question any of their actions.A very clinical narration, no real meat in any of the tales.

A truly gripping account of the brutal war in Burma, page after page of warfare at the sharp end.Forget everything you have read about the Japanese being automaton killing machines without fear, they were extremely brave but the book also encapsulates the fear they felt. A must read for anyone interested in the war in the far east.

Very interesting coverage by simple writing by Japanese servicemen in Burma. Rather bald accounts with any flourishes but reveal what it was like fighting in Burma providing the reader has imagination and certain "self colouring" abilities. Shameful absence of anything to do with atrocities which many Japanese military units appeared to enjoy.