Thank you for this and I may well buy this book! (I have so many piled up, waiting to be read, it’s embarrassing!)
I was interested in what you said about Churchill (of whom I am a great fan) not being a racist. When people have told me that he was, I have typically replied, “of course he was: he was a Victorian and a product of his time”. I don’t mean that he was a racist in the sense of white supremacy, just that, to be an imperialist there had to be a degree of racism in one’s blood - surely? I’d be interested in your thoughts.
He definitely wasn’t a racist, but he thought that being a liberal Englishman brought with it certain advantages in the advancement of civilisation! He considered the Indians to be backward people who needed strong paternal leadership, from Britain.
I have the Lewin book and yours, as well as the Osprey books on the war in Burma. I’m just insatiable about it.
I first heard about Slim from a 1975 era BBC series about WW2 commanders. It had Eisenhower, Zhukov, Rommel, Bomber Harris, Yamamoto, and Slim. Do you recall it? I can’t find it anywhere online
Thank you. I also remember the comments by historian Trevor N. Dupuy about Slim in his massive Encyclopedia of Military History. He had served in Burma longer than any other American so he saw Slim's work firsthand. Like virtually everyone else, he thought Slim was a god walking the Earth. He summed up Operation Capital and the Meiktila and Mandalay campaigns this way:
"Slim's brilliant but simple plan went exactly as he had envisaged it. The plan, and its execution, merit Slim's inclusion in the list of Britain's greatest generals."
In his Encyclopedia of Military Biography, Dupuy described Slim this way:
"Slim was an extraordinary commander, calm, perceptive, flexible, and energetic; he was one of Britain's finest field commanders of World War II; part of his effectiveness as a general grew from his ability to guide and inspire an army's rank and file."
At this rate, the only one even critical of Slim has been Slim himself in his memoirs - and those are forgivable.
Thank you for this and I may well buy this book! (I have so many piled up, waiting to be read, it’s embarrassing!)
I was interested in what you said about Churchill (of whom I am a great fan) not being a racist. When people have told me that he was, I have typically replied, “of course he was: he was a Victorian and a product of his time”. I don’t mean that he was a racist in the sense of white supremacy, just that, to be an imperialist there had to be a degree of racism in one’s blood - surely? I’d be interested in your thoughts.
He definitely wasn’t a racist, but he thought that being a liberal Englishman brought with it certain advantages in the advancement of civilisation! He considered the Indians to be backward people who needed strong paternal leadership, from Britain.
That's really useful - thank you! I will 'adjust' for my next salvo! (And I have now ordered the book!)
When posting a link to a book please consider also posting the main amazon.com link and not just the amazon.co.uk link
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Retreat-Churchill-Walter-Reid/dp/1805260502/ref=sr_1_1?
OK!
I love your Forgotten War podcast!!!!
Thank you!
Sir I’m thinking of buying Russell Miller’s Uncle Bill. Why did it take so long for an authorized biography to appear?
There have been a couple, but Russell Miller's isn't the best. The best is still Ronald Lewin's from 1976
I have the Lewin book and yours, as well as the Osprey books on the war in Burma. I’m just insatiable about it.
I first heard about Slim from a 1975 era BBC series about WW2 commanders. It had Eisenhower, Zhukov, Rommel, Bomber Harris, Yamamoto, and Slim. Do you recall it? I can’t find it anywhere online
Yes, I do recall, though thinking about it, I haven’t seen it for ages. They relied very much on Geoffrey Evans excellent biography as well
Sir! Lo and behold! I dug through some old video tapes and found my recording of the Slim episode!!!
Thank you. I also remember the comments by historian Trevor N. Dupuy about Slim in his massive Encyclopedia of Military History. He had served in Burma longer than any other American so he saw Slim's work firsthand. Like virtually everyone else, he thought Slim was a god walking the Earth. He summed up Operation Capital and the Meiktila and Mandalay campaigns this way:
"Slim's brilliant but simple plan went exactly as he had envisaged it. The plan, and its execution, merit Slim's inclusion in the list of Britain's greatest generals."
In his Encyclopedia of Military Biography, Dupuy described Slim this way:
"Slim was an extraordinary commander, calm, perceptive, flexible, and energetic; he was one of Britain's finest field commanders of World War II; part of his effectiveness as a general grew from his ability to guide and inspire an army's rank and file."
At this rate, the only one even critical of Slim has been Slim himself in his memoirs - and those are forgivable.
Thanks, Rob. I love book Friday!