The present monograph is a study of the Indian armed forces during the Second World War. This monograph is a corrective to the cultural studies approach of totally neglecting blood and gore. Rather than merely providing a chronological account of military operations, combat dynamics is integrated with the social and cultural contexts. Tools, ideas, and institutions of violence have been fused with the social fabric and the cultural context. An attempt has been made to evaluate the combat effectiveness of the Indian armed forces. The focus is on leadership at the levels of brigades, battalions, and platoons and the lethal technology they used in the different terrains of Malay and Burma. Further, soldiers’ views of combat, military life, and the home front are also included.

About the Author

Kaushik Roy is Guru Nanak Chair Professor at the Department of History, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, and Global Fellow at Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Norway.