It is a recognized fact that, had the war gone badly for the Allies on
the India/Burma front, and had the Japanese succeeded in invading the
Indian Continent, the outcome of the war would have been entirely
different. Yet despite this, the campaign on the Burma front is
offered surprisingly scant coverage in the majority of photo-history
books. This new book, from respected military historian and author
Norman Franks, attempts to redress the balance, noting the importance
of this particular aerial conflict within the wider context of the
Second World War.Franks takes as his focus the pilots, aircraft and
landscapes that characterized the campaign. Photographs acquired
during the course of an intensive research period are consolidated
into a volume that is sure to make for a popular addition to the
established Images of War series. Many unpublished photographs
feature, each one offering a new insight into the conflict as it
unfolded over Burmese skies. The archive offers a wealth of dynamic
images of RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires in flight, with shots of both
the aircraft and the pilots employed during this challenging conflict.
To fly and fight in Burma, pilots really had to be at the top of their
game. The Japanese enemy certainly weren't the only problem to contend
with; weather, poor food, incredible heat and all its attendant
maladies, jungle diseases, tigers, elephants, fevers... The Japanese
were the real enemy but the British pilots had so much more to deal
with. And they did it for years. In Britain, a pilot could look
forward to a break from operations every six months or so on average.
In Burma, pilots first employed in 1941 were still flying operations
in 1944. The collection represents a determination on the author's
part to record the part played by these resilient and skilled RAF
fighter pilots, the contribution that they paid in supporting General
Slim's 14th Army and the part they ultimately played in defeating the
Japanese attempts to break through into India. These efforts, all
paramount and imperative to success, are celebrated here in words and
images in a volume sure to appeal to Spitfire and Hurricane
enthusiasts, as well as the more general reader.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781473833340
Publisert
2014
Utgiver
Vendor
Pen & Sword Aviation (ORIM)
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter