The Evacuation of Civilians from Burma: Analysing the 1942 Colonial Disaster - Softcover

This is a fine volume and will make a useful addition to the library of any scholar interested in Burma's modern history. Leigh has done a fine job identifying archival materials and making use of the wide array of primary sources available. * Journal of Contemporary History *

The string of military defeats during 1942 marked the end of British hegemony in Southeast Asia, finally destroying the myth of British imperial invincibility. The Japanese attack on Burma led to a hurried and often poorly organized evacuation of Indian and European civilians from the country. The evacuation was a public humiliation for the British and marked the end of their role in Burma.

The Evacuation of Civilians from Burma investigates the social and political background to the evacuation, and the consequences of its failure. Utilizing unpublished letters, diaries, memoirs and official reports, Michael Leigh provides the first comprehensive account of the evacuation, analyzing its source in the structures of colonial society, fractured race relations and in the turbulent politics of colonial Burma.