The War Against Japan

The first of five volumes of the 18-volume official British History of the Second World War dealing with the war against Japan; this book describes the fall of Britains Far Eastern territories: Hong Kong Borneo Malaya and finally the fortress island of Singapore - perhaps the greatest single British disaster of the entire war. The authors pin the blame for the loss of Britains Asian empire on the neglect of its defences between the wars and on the Governments preoccupation with saving Britain itself in 1940. In the authors opinion the campaign in Malaya was lost beofre it begun at least partly because of the ineptitude of the authorities on the spot. The book describes Japans plans for imperial aggrandisement at the expense of vulnerable British and Dutch colonies in the region and the rapid collapse of the European empires before the lightning Japanese advance. The loss of the British warships Prince of Wales and Repulse complementing the disasters onshore and the disappearance of so many men - British Australian and other Commonwealth nations - into the horrors of Japanese captivity complete the sad story of one of Britains lowest points in the Second World War. With 27 appendices illustrating the strength and structure of the forces engaged the book is generously illustrated with 28 maps and sketches and 26 photographs.