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The Verdict

Quite possibly the finest infantry memoir of the entire war, from an unexpected source — the man who later created Flashman. George MacDonald Fraser fought in Burma as a nineteen-year-old private, and his account of it is profane, funny, clear-eyed, and entirely without self-importance. He renders his Cumbrian section in their own dialect and refuses every cliché of the war memoir. The Forgotten War at the level of the man carrying the rifle, by a writer of the first rank.

Who Should Read It

Why We Rated It 4.8

Historical Context

The Burma campaign (1942–45) was fought in jungle and monsoon against the Japanese, by a multinational army under General Slim. Fraser served in the Border Regiment during the final advance. The memoir was published in 1992, long after his Flashman novels had made his name.

Events Covered

Editions & Reading Notes

Read It Alongside

Defeat Into Victory Field Marshal William Slim · 1956 · ★ 4.8

Memoir

The Forgotten Highlander Alistair Urquhart · 2010 · ★ 4.5

Memoir

Where to Buy

ISBN: 978-1602392908

Other Books About the Same Events

Defeat Into Victory Field Marshal William Slim · 1956

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The Bridge on the River Kwai Pierre Boulle · 1952

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Ship of Ghosts James Hornfischer · 2006

Popular History

King Rat James Clavell · 1962

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The Forgotten Highlander Alistair Urquhart · 2010

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More by George MacDonald Fraser

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this by the Flashman author?

Yes — George MacDonald Fraser drew on his own wartime service in Burma. It is non-fiction, unlike his comic novels.

What should I pair it with?

Field Marshal Slim's Defeat Into Victory gives the commander's view of the same campaign Fraser fought as a private.