James Holland's Burma '44: The Battle That Turned World War II in the East vividly recounts the critical Battle of the Admin Box in February 1944. In this gripping narrative, Holland highlights how a mix of British and Indian soldiers—many of whom were non-combatants like clerks, medics, and drivers—managed to withstand a powerful Japanese assault in the harsh environment of Northern Arakan. This battle marked a turning point in the Burma campaign, proving the Japanese could be defeated and paving the way for future Allied victories. Through a blend of personal accounts and strategic insights, Holland delivers a detailed and engaging exploration of both the ferocity of the conflict and its significance in the larger context of World War I

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book.

I found the book to be a very detailed account of one of the least well known theaters of war in world war 2. There writer is able to convey the often brutal combat in an extremely demanding environment, which made the participants feel claustrophobic and never knowing when or if death was coming from them out of the jungle.

The content also effectively conveyed the journey traveled by the allies as they finally found a way to defeat the previously reputed Japanese 'supermen' infantry.

Overall, this was a very interesting and compelling story, told in an engaging manner by a very capable historian.

James Holland (https://griffonmerlin.com) is the author of more than 20 books & novels. Burma '44: The Battle That Turned World War II in the East was published last June. It is the 64th book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this book as R.

This book is the story of the confrontation between the British Commonwealth forces and the Japanese in Burma (Myanmar). By February 1944, the war was not going well for the Japanese. Despite that, they made another push into western Burma with the hope of penetrating into India. At the same time, British forces were gathering to launch an offensive of their own towards the East.

The two met in the Burma, Arakan area along the western coast. The ensuing battle is known as the Battle of the Admin Box. The British had formed a defensive box near Sinzweya. That city is located close to the border between Burma and India. Up to this point, the British had failed to hold against the Japanese. Their success at Sinzweya was a huge morale boost.

The training instituted by the British, the use of Lee tanks, and the presence of modern Spitfire aircraft all contributed to winning the battle. It became a turning point in the CBI theater, much like El Alamein had been in North Africa.

Holland tells the stories of individuals and units in the steaming jungle of Western Burma. The heroic stand of the Admin Box was a pivotal battle in a mostly forgotten theater of WWII.

I enjoyed the 11 hours I spent reading this 450-page WWII-era history. I have had the opportunity to read two of his other books, BIG WEEK: THE BIGGEST AIR BATTLE OF WORLD WAR II and Normandy '44: D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France. They were both excellent reads on WWII history. I like his books as they read more like a novel than history. I have also followed his podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk since its inception in April of 2019. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.3 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

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An extremely well-done book on a little-known theatre of Operations during WW2. Burma was a kind of forgotten battleground. The story is intriguing, and the stories of heroism and tragedy will really grab you. the author makes good use of first-hand accounts and eyewitness statements to add to the feeling of being there. A great historical read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

James Holland is at the top of my list for WWII historians and authors, I can be sure when I pick up a Holland book that it will be well researched, well written, easy to follow, and the subject being of historical significance.

Holland does an amazing job in all of his books on providing thorough maps and supporting items, and this book is no exception; including numerous maps of Burma and the Battle of Admin Box, Order of Battle, Cast List, and Timeline.

The China Burma India theater is an often forgotten and under researched theater of WWII, I thought Holland did an excellent job of detailing the theater and campaign in Part 1 prior to digging into the Battle of Admin Box.

The Battle of Admin box and the fighting in The Arakan is the primary focus of the book including some of the men who fought in the battle. With the Maps and Cast List provided, it makes it much easier to follow the battle and where each unit is positioned.

Overall a great read, I'd recommend to any avid WWII readers.

The Second World War in the CBI (China, Burma, and India) theater has been left out of the narrative for too long. James Holland has painted a wonderful picture of this theater in Burma and the deep complexities of the conflict at the time. I would highly recommend this to fellow World War 2 buffs and then encourage you to search out more to see the difficult work it took for James Holland to present this story.

I am a great fan of James Holland and regularly follow his (and Al Murray's) informative WW2 podcast 'We Have Ways of Making You Talk'. However, I am ashamed to say that I have never until now, read any of his books.
Burma '44 is an incredible book covering the bloody campaign to drive the Japanese out of Burma in 1944. It is wide-ranging, covering the high-level strategic decisions, through to the individual chilling stories of soldiers and airmen who fought on the front line.
Holland describes extremely well what it must have been like to fight the Japanese in Burma. Torrential rain, steep jungle-clad mountains, biting insects, leeches, relentless mud, disease, and the constant fear of being attacked by the ruthless battle-hardened Japanese.
The level of Japanese brutality is now hard to believe. One particularly horrific example described in the book was an allied hospital being overrun by the Japanese with all the hospital’s medical staff and critically ill patients being bayoneted.
The author describes Mountbatten’s brilliance in leading, planning, and executing the successful campaign. He was, without doubt, a first class leader and strategist, and not the lounge lizard commonly portrayed by the UK media. The concept and use of combined operations in Burma proved a battle-winning strategy. The arrival of new Spitfires and transport aircraft for resupply, and the use of tanks helped the troops turn the tide.
I am pleased that Holland acknowledged the vital role in the conflict undertaken by troops from other nations, particularly from India. Having lived in Africa for a number of years, my only small niggle is that the contribution of soldiers from the West African Rifles was barely mentioned. The truly forgotten participants of the 'Forgotten Army'. Hopefully, the African Rifles will be the subject of a future James Holland book!

James Holland has written an excellent popular history of an obscure but pivotal Second World War battle. The author uses primary source material to weave a story of extraordinary courage in the face of superior Japanese force and brutal jungle conditions by British and Indian troops, in what became a turning point battle in the South East Asia land campaign. Anecdotes focus on the British troops, as that is where Holland could find source material, so the Indian soldiers get shorter shrift. The book would have benefited from maps throughout the text, rather than up front. I would have also liked to have read more about what happened to the individuals we follow after the battle. Still, well worth the read.

Holland is slowly but surely covering every year of the Second World War, and these books have worked perfectly as a way to read year by year, the major events, and minor events, of the conflict. His latest is informative and often focuses on the overlooked elements. I look forward to what he writes for 1945, and hope that he continues writing such informative books.