The Road Past Mandalay: A Personal Narrative (Bantam war book series)

by John Masters

Book Overview

This is the second part of John Masters' autobiography: how he fought with his Gurkha regiment during World War II until his promotion to command one of the Chindit columns behind enemy lines in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553126628
• ISBN13: 9780553126624
• Release Date: January 1979
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 374 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Road Past Mandalay

John Masters' memoir is every bit as exciting as his best selling novels published in the 50s & 60s. Reading this book and his earlier memoir "Bugles and a Tiger" provides an education in the genisis of the current conflicts in Iraq, Aghanistan, and Pakistan-- Masters was a retired brigadier in the old imperal Indian Army, and served in each of those countries.

Superb Memoir of a Combat Commander

This is the sequel to "Bugles and a Tiger' and it is one of the best memoirs I have ever read. The author served in the Iraq and Persian campaigns in WWII and then became a Chindit and eventually led one of the Brigades of that organization. The author's description of how he led and made his decisions leading his Chindits in the Burma campaign is one of the greatest narratives on commanding in combat I think one can find. His description of the fighting near `Blackpool', one of the Chindit `blocks', is intense. I highly recommend this book.

Great War Memoir

The second book of author John Master's autobiography, The Road Past Mandalay covers Master's service with the old Indian Army during World War 2. The book begins with Masters as a young adjutant in a Gurkha regiment and ends with him a much-promoted divisional chief of staff. In between, Masters serves in Persia, attends staff college, falls in love ,has a child, gets married, operates behind enemy lines in Burma,and participates in the liberation of Burma from the Japanese. All of the book is well written and insightful. Some of the book is extremely grim , (as when Masters orders his most severely wounded men to be shot rather than left for the Japanese). This is not a valentine to India and to his beloved Gurkhas, as is Master's prior "Bugles and a Tiger". Instead , it is a superb war memoir of an articulate mid-level officer who saw his share of triumph and suffering. A first-class work.

Great service

This book arrived quickly and in time for Xmas all in excellent shape. Great book, responsive merchant who sold it.

Probably the Finest Battle Memoir Ever Written

John Master's second volume in his autobiography details his time during WWII as a British officer in the Indian Army. Masters--an eloquent writer with keen insight--spent most of the war as a staff officer, with time in command of one of the Chindit Brigades. Masters provides details on what it takes to be a staff officer, but also to command high-quality troops under extremely difficult conditions. Pay particular attention to the part of the book where Masters writes about ordering the mercy killing of several of his troops. Masters was forced to make a horrifically difficult decision, and would have to live with it for the rest of his life.