The War of the Running Dogs: How Malaya Defeated the Communist Guerrillas 1948-1960

by Noel Barber

Only three short years after the end of the Japanese occupation, war came again to Malaya. The Chinese-backed guerrillas called it the War of the Running Dogstheir contemptuous term for those in Malaya who remained loyal to the British. The British Government referred to this bloody and costly struggle as the "Malayan Emergency." Yet it was a war that lasted 12 years and cost thousands of lives. By the time it was over Malaya had obtained its independencebut on British, not on Chinese or Communist, terms. Here is the war as it was. Here are the planters and their wives on their remote rubber estates, the policemen, the generals and the soldiers, the Malays, Chinese and Indians of a polyglot country, all fighting an astute, ruthless, and well organized enemy.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, Military History, Military Fiction, Asia, 20th Century

329 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Noel Barber was a British novelist and journalist. Many of his novels, set in exotic countries, are about his experiences as leading foreign correspondent for the Daily Mail. He was the son of John Barber and his Danish wife, Musse, and had two brothers: Kenneth, a banker, and Anthony Barber, Baron Barber.
Most notably he reported from Morocco, where he was stabbed five times. In October 1956, Barber survived a gunshot wound to the head by a Soviet sentry in Hungary during the Hungarian revolution. A car crash ended his career as journalist. He then began writing novels: he became a best-selling novelist in his seventies with his first novel, Tanamera.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two pages into this book, I was already cringing. Barber describes 1948 Malaya as "a contented paradise in which men of many skins and creeds lived in harmony" -- this a land that had been devastated by Japanese occupation during World War II, was back under colonial rule by Great Britain, and whose modest economy was largely driven by the interests of British plantations. Even if we are to put on our Cold War blinders, it's impossible to ignore the great disparities in both fortune and power (based on skin color or creed) of that era -- hardly the recipe for contented harmony. But the fact remains that Malaysia was a 20th Century postwar success story for the West. This fundamentally Islamic country is a prospering nation, and while it still has issues with wealth disparity and a not-very-free press, it is an ally to the West. And this book is an attempt to explain how the country was "won".

In fact, Barber here offers a nuanced, thoughtful analysis of administrative support for anti-communist efforts in the country. When the book was published in 1971, the war in Vietnam would have been the obvious comparative case. No two wars are completely analogous, but in between all the stories about agents and double agents, propaganda campaigns and battle heroics, there is a very distinct thread of wisdom here. Malaya was indeed still a colonial outpost awaiting independence from Great Britain. Indeed, a big factor was Britain's promise to facilitate an independent Malaya. But how to do so?

The British leaders of the effort steadfastly maintained that what was needed was armed support for a political war, not political support for an army war. "If the army were given its head it would ... lead to a pattern of escalation, a need to impress with military might, the inevitable bombing of innocent civilians resulting in a hatred of authority. ... More guns and troops were needed of course, but only ... as an adjunct to the civil power." All war authority was placed in the hands of the civil government and police, which restrained Special Branch (troop) behavior. "This was more than ever true in a war in which ... only a minute fraction of the population were active, positive members. In this kind of war, one stray bomb that killed one innocent child could make a thousand enemies."

So how did the British do that, specifically? They resettled and gave hundreds of thousands of squatters grants of land so they would have a permanent stake in the country. They further gave village councilors legitimate local decision-making authority. And they gave workers pension funding. "It was hard for a man to become Communist when you showed him that he had several hundred dollars waiting for him when he retired - and that there would be more to come." And, of course, they scheduled elections and planned for their own (power) departure.

"There was nothing like the indiscriminate killing of civilians in Vietnam."

Barber does not exactly go so far as to dissect the hearts and minds of the population-at-large. The tales of heroism and strategy are drawn largely from a British-centric point of view of leaders and plantation owners. But Barber nonetheless can boast not only a talent for writing, but also a talent for understanding the complexities of war. I wish more of our elected leaders (and novelists, for that matter), shared that talent.

[Jonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of how the British and Malayans fought, and won, Asia's first guerrilla war against communist insurgents.

While the story lacks much by way of first person recollections, and is written in a way likely to make the PC reader combust, I still found it very readable, and the author doesn't shy away from the absurdities of the situation - be it the difficulties of translation or the fact that in broad terms both sides fought for the same outcome.

In all, a story of the best of the end of Empire. History just like it used to be.

[Izuan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perang Anjing Suruhan sebuah buku terjemahan terbitan IBDE yang diterjemahkan oleh Syed Omar Husain. Buku ini hasil karya Noel Barber The War of Running Dogs sebuah buku yang menceritakan tentang Darurat di Malaya pada tahun 1948-1960.

Sebuah buku yang sangat menarik. Buku yang menceritakan tentang Darurat bermula sehingga Darurat berakhir. Buku ini di olah dari penulis lebih berbentuk kepada penceritaan yang memudahkan pembaca untuk memahami setiap peristiwa yang berlaku. Buku ini diceritakan secara kronologi yang dapat memberi kefahaman pembaca kepada setiap peristiwa yang berlaku.

Buku ini menceritakan tentang peranan yang dimainkan oleh kerajaan British yang pada awalnya mengambil sikap sambil lewa terhadap pemberontakan oleh pihak Komunis. Buku ini juga menceritakan peranan-peranan besar tokoh yang terlibat dalam peristiwa Darurat, strategi-strategi yang dilancarkan untuk mengatasi Komunis, peranan yang dimainkan oleh unit risikan yang membawa kepada perubahan arus perang.

Buku ini adalah sebuah buku yang perlu dibaca oleh masyarakat pada hari ini untuk mengenang kembali satu peristiwa hitam yang pernah berlaku di negara kita yang tercatit di dalam sejarah sebagai satu detik hitam yang tidak akan kita lupakan. Banyak maklumat-maklumat yang mungkin diluar pengetahuan sedia ada kita diceritakan di dalam buku ini.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very journalistic account of the Malayan Emergency written by a novelist. It was written in 1971 and is very much a book of its times, with a tone which is heavily sympathetic to the British Empire and extremely shallow in its understanding of the Communist movement in Malaya. Making much the same mistake as some Americans were in the process of doing in Vietnam at the time, the author seems to regard the Communist movement as being entirely directed by outside provocateurs. The book also adopts a very patronizing tone when discussing "the natives", as fans of empire were wont to do. For instance, a Chinese lady who was perplexed and upset were confronted with being forcibly removed from her home by British soldiers is said to have "seemed stupid". There are many examples of this sort of thing. I wouldn't recommend this book at all.

[akusipeminatbuku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku ini dibahagikan kepada 3 bahagian,:

Fasa 1 : 1948 - 1951 Serangan Komunis
Fasa 2 : 1952 - 1954 Serangan Balas
Fasa 3 : 1954 - 1960 Jalan Menuju Kemenangan.

Setiap peristiwa yang berlaku diceritakan dengan jelas dan detail. Peristiwa serangan diladang-ladang milik British menjadi salah satu peristiwa hitam.

Bila membaca buku ini, kita boleh lihat bagaimana sensaranya keadaan masyarakat ketika perang gerila ini berlaku. Keadaan keselamatan yang tidak terjamin, sentiasa dalam berjaga-jaga.

Jika anda ingin tahu apa sebenarnya terjadi semasa Tanah Melayu diisytiharkan darurat, buku ini pasti menjawab banyak persoalan.

Buku ini dikarang dalam bentuk penceritaan, jadi mudah untuk kita ikuti dan fahami kisahnya. Sungguh, tidak rugi jika anda memilih untuk membaca buku ini.

[Incek Akim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku ni menceritakan perihal darurat menentang Pengganas Komunis [PK] di Malaya dari sudut pandang seorang novelis dan wartawan barat. Diterbitkan dengan tajuk "The War of the Running Dogs: Malaya 1948-1960" pada tahun 1975, kemudian diterjemahkan ke dalam Bahasa Melayu oleh IBDE pada tahun 2020. Latar cerita bermula dari awal serangan PK pada tahun 16 Jun 1948 di Sungai Siput, Perak, sehingga darurat diisytiharkan tamat oleh dalam satu perarakan kemenangan pada 31 Julai 1960 di Kuala Lumpur.

Di awal buku, diceritakan serba sedikit perihal sejarah bagaimana Empayar British meluaskan pengaruh dan kuasa mereka dalam jaringan pemerintahan negeri-negeri Melayu pada tahun 1804 di Pulau Pinang seterusnya tahun 1825 di Singapura. Akhirnya pada tahun 1874, British dah berjaya jajah seluruh Malaya. Lebih kurang 80 tahun jugak la diorang memerintah; tolak 3 tahun 2 bulan Jepun tawan Malaya. Selepas Tentera Jepun menyerah kalah, berlaku kelompongan kuasa, sementara menunggu pemerintah Inggeris kembali ke Malaya.

Khidmat dan jasa mendiang Tan Sri C. C. Too ada disebut, tapi tak diterangkan sangat. Padahal kawan tu punya sumbangan bukan main power lagi. Beliau berkhidmat dari tahun 1956 sampai 1983 mengatur gerak langkah dalam perang psikologi ni. Penulis lebih gemar menggembar gemburkan kehebatan Orang Puteh dalam buku ni. Ya la, dah mat salleh yang menulis, mesti la dia nak highlight orang-orang dia je. 😒

Selain menggunakan segala kekuatan ketenteraan yang dibekalkan dari negara-negara Komanwel yang lain, Kerajaan juga banyak menggunakan khidmat dan kecekapan Cawangan Khas dalam menangani PK. Hasil usaha Cawangan Khas ni lebih berkesan dan berbaloi dari menggunakan kekerasan semata-mata. Lawan api dengan air. Kalau korang ada follow cerita Atok Zahriman dalam group Malaysiaku Dulu Dulu Official, korang mesti tahu pasal tahap kecekapan Cawangan Khas PDRM kita. Serius power.

Peperangan menentang komunis di Malaya bukan suatu peperangan konvensional. PK menggunakan taktik gerila; serang dan lari. Manakala Kerajaan menggunakan taktik psikologi; memenangi hati dan minda rakyat. Yang menariknya, kes darurat dalam Malaya ni sebenarnya mendapat perhatian sampai ke dunia luar. Betapa pentingnya khidmat media cetak dan penerbitan dalam menyampaikan maklumat.

Kalau korang minat sejarah moden, aku syorkan buku ni untuk korang baca. Ada juga beberapa ulasan atau kritikan dari penulis tentang sikap masyarakat Malaya pada ketika itu. Kita sambut kemerdekaan dalam keadaan negara tengah darurat rupanya. Aku baru tahu. 😅

#AbahHensem
#BudakBaruBelajar
#MalaysiaMembaca

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pembunuhan 3 orang pengurus ladang berbangsa Eropah di Sungai Siput, Perak pada bulan Jun 1948 merupakan titik mula kepada kesengsaraan warga Malaya selama 12 tahun apabila darurat diisytiharkan. Pejuang gerila komunis atau dikonotasi sebagai Pengganas Komunis (PK) yang diketuai oleh Chin Peng memiliki matlamat jelas untuk mendirikan Republik Komunis di Malaya. Anggota mereka dibahagikan kepada 2 iaitu:
1. Penyerang kecil dan berbahaya yang beroperasi dari pangkalan rahsia di hutan.
2. 'Min Yuen', pasukan besar yang terdiri daripada orang awam yang membekalkan pasukan penyerang dengan wang, makanan dan maklumat.

Tumpuan diberikan kepada beberapa individu penting daripada pentadbir British, polis, peladang dan pelombong, rakyat Malaya dan juga pihak komunis. Kita akan menerokai strategi di pihak kerajaan tentang cara mengatasi keganasan PK ini. Antaranya melalui Pesuruhjaya Tinggi British Sir Henry Gurney, dan pegawai tinggi seperti Sir Harold Briggs dan Sir Gerald Templer. Strategi yang disusun seperti pemindahan setinggan Cina, pelaksanaan pendaftaran negara, ganjaran untuk penangkapan ahli PK dll. Di pihak Komunis pula, kita bakal dikenalkan dengan sosok penting mereka seperti Chin Peng, Lau Yew (ketua angkatan tentera), Lee Meng (ketua kurier), Abdullah CD (ketua komunis Melayu), Osman Cina (pakar propaganda) dan ramai lagi.

Melalui buku ini, kita akan dibawa menyoroti kekejaman PK seperti, orang awam yang dibakar, ditembak, dikelar, perut ibu hamil dibelah, dipotong kaki dan tangan, kereta api digelincirkan, bas dibakar, dan banyak lagi keganasan yang menyayat hati. Kita juga akan menyelami taktik-taktik risikan yang digunakan anggota PK dan juga skuad Cawangan Khas yang boleh dikatakan seperti menonton filem! Kurier PK melalui pos hutan menghantar maklumat dalam bentuk kod yang disorokkan dalam tiub ubat gigi, rokok, buah-buahan dan banyak lagi! Belum lagi taktik penyeludupan makanan yang tak masuk akal!

Kisah Darurat ini dikarang dalam bentuk yang mudah dan mengasyikkan untuk dibaca. Dipenuhi babak keberanian polis mahupun tentera yang mengagumkan, kepintaran taktik licik yang mengujakan, keganasan yang memilukan, juga kejayaan manis yang dikecapi. Menariknya gaya penulisannya seperti novel, segala perkara kecil yang kadang melucukan dalam peristiwa Darurat ini juga turut diselitkan dengan terperinci. Saya percaya buku ini dapat mengisi lompong-lompong pengetahuan kita mengenai peristiwa bersejarah ini di samping menghayati semangat perjuangan mereka yang bekerja keras memastikan keamanan di Malaya.

[Alex Laycock · Rating 5 out of 5]

my Dad was in the Parachute Regiment and gained a MC when fighting in this war,he never talked about it...we never asked...intrigued I read this book,found on his bookshelf,AMAZING read,it was easily explained engaging and I now regard my father with great admiration,maybe understand him a little more,he died in 2010,a fascinating book about a war we rarely talk about READ!

[Hilmi Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini merupakan salah sebuah buku terawal yang dihasilkan yang menyentuh mengenai 'Emergency'(dikenali di dalam bahasa Melayu sebagai Darurat) iaitu pemberontakan bersenjata komunis di Malaysia (Malaya ketika itu) pada tahun 1948-1960. Buku ini asalnya ditulis pada tahun 1971. Namun begitu,kandungan yang terdapat di dalamnya masih lagi relevan dan bermaklumat. Oleh itu,adalah sesuatu yang tidak menghairankan sekiranya buku tulisan Noel Barber ini masih dirujuk oleh ramai sarjana dan penulis masa kini.
Walaupun topik yang dibincangkan di dalam buku ini kelihatan berat,namun,penulis berjaya menyampaikannya dengan baik dan tidak terlalu bersifat akademik. Bahasa Inggeris yang digunakan agak mudah untuk difahami dan pembacaan boleh dilakukan secara santai tanpa memerlukan penumpuan yang begitu tinggi. Noel Barber membahagikan buku ini kepada 3 bahagian utama yang merangkumi:

a) Phase One: The Communist Offensive,1948-1951 (Di dalam bahagian ini,lebih membincangkan operasi-operasi keganasan yang dilakukan oleh pengganas komunis (digelar CT di dalam bahasa Inggeris iaitu Communist Terrorist). Penulis juga menceritakan bagaimana Darurat di Malaya berlaku dan diisytiharkan. Penulis turut membincangkan operasi-operasi dan langkah-langkah dalam menghadapi ancaman komunis)
b) Phase Two: Counter Attack,1952-1954 (Di bahagian kedua ini, penulis membincangkan bagaimana pihak British merangka dan melaksanakan strategi dan taktik yang dirancang untuk memerangi komunis)
c) Phase Three: The Road to Victory,1954-1960 (Di bahagian ketiga dan juga yang terakhir ini,Noel Barber membincangkan bagaimana pihak British cuba untuk memenangi Darurat ini dari sudut politik dan propaganda,supaya pihak komunis yang dipimpin oleh Chin Peng kehilangan punca dan motivasi untuk berjuang dan memujuk ramai anggota komunis untuk menyerah kalah)

Secara keseluruhannya,buku ini merupakan sebuah buku yang menarik untuk dibaca dan berinformasi. Penulis berjaya menyentuh dan menerangkan perjalanan konflik bersenjata ini yang bermula pada tahun 1948 sehingga tamat pada tahun 1960 dengan ringkas tetapi padat. Generasi kini mungkin menganggap bahawa Darurat merupakan sebuah konflik bersenjata yang tidak penting di dalam lipatan sejarah negara ini. Namun,adakah kita menyedari bahawa konflik ini telah mengorbankan ribuan nyawa manusia yang tidak bersalah akibat keganasan komunis.
Tambah menarik,penulis turut memaparkan peranan penting yang dilakukan oleh orang dari kaum Cina atau Tionghua dalam memerangi ancaman komunis. Darurat bukan merupakan sebuah konflik yang menentang orang Cina semata-mata. Malah,bukan hanya orang bukan Cina sahaja yang menentang komunis. Di dalam buku ini,penulis membincangkan beberapa tokoh penting yang terdiri dari orang Cina yang memainkan peranan yang cukup penting dan kritikal dalam konflik ini. Sebagai contoh,C.C.Too yang menjadi ketua cawangan propaganda dan perang saraf yang bertanggungjawab dalam begitu ramai penyerahan diri anggota komunis.

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journalist/novelist Noel Barber gives a thorough overview of the Malayan Emergency, although his tendentious arguments often become a bit wearisome. With a novelist's eye for drama, Barber focuses most of his history on individuals and through describing their feats no doubt injects some lively scenes where in reality they probably didn't nearly play out so excitingly. And herein lies the problem. Everybody, or just about everybody, in this book is depicted as brilliant, humane, dedicated, insightful, and self sacrificing. Even the communists--all but a few, and they get killed. No bad guys here. And just as Barber wants, he ends the story with a happy family, multiracial Malaysia advancing into the uplit trails of ever increasing enlightenment. He describes communist atrocities, and then praises the attitude that paid off the killers and set them up for life. He is particularly irritating in his fairy tale passages about the creation of the New Villages. Quite a bit of history has been devoted to the British and their implementation of collective punishment against the Chinese in squatter villages. But Barber will have you believe that it was all a great deal on every side, with everyone happy, deeded land, and ready for a prosperous future. The human cost of the New Villages is almost completely ignored. And for all his lathering about a free multiracial democracy, Barber had to know that Malaysia was and is still fractured across racial and ethnic lines. This book, after all, was published in 1971, and he had the example of the 13 May 1969 Incident, the race riots whose victims were mainly Chinese. Too, the aftermath of that event resulted in the New Economic Policy, which redistributed almost a third of the county's wealth from ethnic Chinese to Malays. For all that, however, if you do read this volume you will have a clear picture of how the Emergency developed and how it was fought. Just approach all the interpretive passages with a great deal of skepticism.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1951, my late father, a doctor in the British army was posted to Singapore and eventually took command of the British Military Hospital. I would have been about 8 years old at the time. Two things always puzzled me: what was the bar on his General Service Medal titled "Malay" all about and when we went on a period of R&R, why did we go to the Cameron Highlands in an armed convoy? Recently, I digitised all my father's 8mm black and white cine film and found his record of out stay in the Far East. That clearly shows the armed convoy and it was then I learned about the "forgotten war" better known as the Malay Emergency so I set out to research it and came across Noel Barber's book which I have just finished.

It was a fascinating read and brought back very clear memories. As an 8-year old, I had no idea that we were in a conflict zone (the explanation for the bar on the GSM). Neither did I realise the danger we would have been in, travelling to the Cameron Highlands in northern Malay through thick jungle. I distinctly remember stopping to communicate with a tribe of aborigines with bare breasted women and men dressed only in loin cloths. It all came back to me in this very descriptive and exciting book which I would recommend to anyone interested in military history or who just want a darn good read.

Amazingly, the emergency lasted 12 years from 1948-1960 during which time Malay gained Independence and not because of the Communist insurgency which was resoundingly defeated. This is a story of bravery, leadership and immaculate planning.

[Sivasothi N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noel Barber was a journalist who wrote novels and this book profits from both of those backgrounds. He paints a vivid picture of the insurgency from 1948-1960, called the Malayan Emergency. While this is not the last book to read about the topic, it certainly is an engaging way to begin, and covers many of the critical aspects.

I first read this in my teens, and can see how it provided a background to various aspects about that period, into which further reading would fill out. It is very easy reading, and I re-read the Kindle version (US$3.19) in a day.

Other books which will flesh out the topic and help fill gaps are:
"Red Star Over Malaya - Resistance and Social Conflict During and After the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, 1941-46" by Cheah Boon Kheng (2012; 4th end);
“Templer and the road to Malayan independence: the man and his time,” by Leon Comber (2015) - originally suggested to Comber to write by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman.
"Malaya’s Secret Police 1945-60: The Role of the Special Branch in the Malayan Emergency" by Leon Comber (2009)";
"Our Man in Malaya," by Shennan, Margaret (2015; about John Davis);
and Barber highlighted "Malaya: The Communist Insurgent War, 1948–1960," by Edgar O’Ballance (1966).

[Dennis · Rating 1 out of 5]

To me this was a disappointing book, hence the one star. I worked in Malaysia in the 1960s and although people referred to the uprising, particularly over a glass or three, much of what I was told was rather garbled, so I selected this book as I thought it would give me a good history of the conflict. No it doesn't do that, in fact it is a white wash of the British participation and they were all heroes, according this the author. There is no reference to the 7000 Australians from all the services and 39 dead, as well as the New Zealanders who also served in the conflict. The author is a former Daily Mail journalist and it shows to the extent that I doubt many of his stories of people and incidents which appear to be exaggerated. I am still in the market for a good balanced and authoritative account of the Malaysian conflict, if anyone knows one?

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The long drawn out campaign against the Communist insurgency in Malaya is not well known, being overshadowed by the conflict in Vietnam that rose in intensity as this one petered out at the end of the 1950s. Though it was on a smaller scale and of lower intensity, the backdrop was just as intriguing. A campaign of terror was waged by the mainly Chinese communist guerrillas against the public and the British colonial rulers from deep within their impenetrable jungle hideouts. These hardcore soldiers were supported logistically by a shadow network of pro-communist civilians, coerced villagers and native tribes without which they would not have lasted as long in an inhospitable terrain - as was shown when the authorities eventually cut off these sources of support as the war progressed.

Inevitably this successful fight against the Reds has been compared and contrasted to the failure of the nearby Indochinese conflict waged by French and later American forces against the Viet Minh. Admittedly there are some valid strategies that worked well in Malaya, such as letting the civilian and police, as opposed to military, lead the battle, incorporating the sympathetic civilian populace into a controlled and regulated base through vast resettlement schemes and letting them have a stake in a peaceful resolution. But one must note the differences between the two countries that were crucial. Vietnam being much larger in size, was already split internally and ruled by a formal Communist government in the North with the huge backing of China at its doorstep in terms of military training and equipment, and also importantly the vastly wider support of the locals in Malaya for their British rulers to begin with, compared to the hostility for the French by the Vietnamese.

Anyhow, Barber writes with flair and provides a crisp, fast moving account of the 12 years of conflict from the first shots to the victory parade that marked the end. The characters involved and their exploits are fascinating, with many situations befitting a spy novel. He takes the reader through the ups and downs, the ebb and flow of the conflict as each side gains or loses ground. Specific incidents such as captures of key communists and dismembering of important networks and camps mean that there is rarely a dull moment in the narrative.

[Alicia Cheah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a chaotic time for Malaya, for only 3 months after the Japanese occupation, war came again to Malaya. A "war" that everybody initially expected to last a few months stretched into 12 years. A "war" that was never officially called as a "war". The British government had called this "war" 'The Malayan Emergency'. During this trying times, Malaya was not the only country that was affected by this war against communism. However it was fought quite differently in Malaya.

The author, Noel Barber, was able to give an intense and heartwarming account. Interspersing it with parts where it was bloody and tragic, where lives were lost with individual tales of great bravery, sacrifice and love.

When I first read this in my early teens, I was completely enthralled. It stayed in my memory till today. Now with this second read more than 50 years later, it carried a different feeling. I still love how this tale recalling one of the most trying times that Malaya (now Malaysia) had to face was told.

"In 1948 Malaya was not only beautiful; it had achieved a rare distinction: it was a contented paradise in which man of many skins and creeds lived in harmony." I believe Malaysia still is.

[Bobo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banyak informasi yang tak pernah tahu dan baca sebelum ni.

[Johnny B. Rempit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Malayan Emergency is a very touchy subject. The repercussions arising from this conflict can still be felt by Malaysian citizens today. The infamous Internal Security Act was instituted during this period. So was compulsory identity registration. This book talks about those things as well as the way in which the war/conflict was handled by the British (and subsequently by the Malayans themselves). It charts out the background of the war/conflict, the violent birth of the bloody Communist insurgency, the subsequent steps that the British took to quell it and the eventual victory through the combined use of force, politics, and by winning the hearts and minds of the Malayan citizenry themselves.

[Affendi Alias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novel ini ibarat pengisi lompong2x pengetahuanku tentang sejarah Darurat pertama di Malaya. Sangat padat dengan rangkaian nama2x yang belum pernah aku jumpa di dalam mana2x buku sejarah. Buku ni wajib dibaca kepada mereka yang mencintai MALAYSIA dan menghargai setiap titis darah yang tumpah dalam mempertahankannya.

[Sheera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selesai Perang Anjing Suruhan sebelum mula berpuasa.🤲🏼

Buku tulisan Noel Barber yang telah diterjemah oleh Syed Umar Husain ini banyak menceritakan peristiwa-peristiwa penting, menarik lagi bersejarah selama 12 tahun Malaya berperang dengan komunis.

Ia dibahagikan pada tiga fasa:
1️⃣ 1948-1951 : Serangan komunis
2️⃣1952-1954 : Serangan balas
3️⃣ 1954-1960 : Jalan menuju kemenangan

Orang kata kalau tak tahu, tanya atau banyakkan baca.

Saya kini lebih sedar akan ketakutan orang Melayu dengan kaum Cina pada waktu itu. Tetapi, saya agak keliru kenapa masih banyak daripada kita hari ini pilih untuk melemparkan tuduhan orang Cina = komunis tanpa usul periksa dan benar-benar mengamati sejarah.

Bila fikir semula ia tidaklah mengelirukan sangat kerana kita sebenarnya dalam diam-diam sedar - siapa atau apa yang menggalas tanggungjawab dalam menumbuhkan tunas saling tidak percaya, perselisihan antara kaum dari dulu hingga sekarang.

Dan hey, saya dapati perselisihan dalam Parti Komunis Malaya juga saling tak tumpah seperti rasa tak senang sesetengah pemain politik dalam partinya sendiri, hari ini.

Lucu juga.

Banyak betul cerita-cerita menarik yang saya suka - Pertempuran Yeop Mahidin dan Abdullah CD; Sir Gerald Templer yang dilantik sebagai Pesuruhjaya Tinggi, jadi antara faktor perang ini lebih cepat ditamatkan dan usahanya satukan rakyat; penubuhan Cawangan Khas; detektif wanita, Irene Lee yang berjaya jejaki Lee Meng (ketua kurier wanita), detik-detik Merdeka dan banyak lagi. Banyak.

Boleh beli buku ini di @bukuibde .
Terbaik👍🏼
Selamat berpuasa semua.

[Scott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Audiobook) This book does show its age, as the descriptions of the people of Malaysia are clearly written using British condescension. Still, the key takeaway, amid all the stories and accounts and colonial superiority is that there was a successful counterinsurgency campaign, waged over a decade, that managed to check any communist rise and keep Malaysia out of the grip of a communist government. The tactics used are those that any successful counterinsurgency needs: The balance of force, but other motivations; keeping the focus on the mindset of the general population, highlighting the good of primary government and noting the ills of insurgents. Also doesn’t hurt that the Malaysian/Chinese communists lacked a leader ala Mao or Ho Chi Mien.

Would consider this book for looking for counterinsurgency lessons. Even as that style of war is slipping in primacy for the West, it could be used by other militaries, or a reference for the next counterinsurgency campaign. Otherwise, it is dated and is probably not as positive a tale as the author would want it to be (it concludes before the US ended their failed efforts in Vietnam). The rating is the same regardless of format.

[Aida Amirul · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a retelling of darurat malaya from a british(colonizer) perspective published in the 70s. it’s worth reading if you want a deep dive into the malayan emergency period. i def learned a lot. it also readable and reads like true crime. however, i dont recommend this as a standalone text. you must be well versed in colonial/occupied resistance politics to read this with a critical eye. if not, youll fall for the “positive” counterinsurgency savior narrative. this text is biased towards the brits using obvious and subtle rhetoric. every violent thing the brits did for were either justified or glossed over —they didnt take responsibility for anything, even the infamous baling massacre, which had ample evidence and standing legal challenges against the occupying force till this day.

i also would not recommend this author cuz he clearly has the typical colonizer/white supremacy mentality that sees nonwhites as lesser humans; thinks that we’re nothing but war pawns, servants, and exotic objects to enhance white people’s life. (seriously look up his other books)

[Ashwin Shanker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chanced upon this book from the bibliography in the last book I had read, i.e., The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng. The War of the Running Dogs is a comprehensive and well-researched account of the Malayan Emergency, a 12-year conflict between the British and Commonwealth forces and the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) from 1948 to 1960.

The book is written by Noel Barber, a British journalist, and author who was a war correspondent in Malaya during the Emergency. Barber provides a detailed account of the conflict, from its origins to its conclusion. He also discusses the political, social, and economic factors that contributed to the outbreak of the war, as well as the military strategies and tactics used by both sides.

The War of the Running Dogs is essential to studying the Malayan Emergency.

[Alex Breck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.
I should say at the outset that I had an emotional investment in this book, prior to reading it, as my own father did his National Service in Malaya and he'd left me this book when he passed away a few years back.
To my eternal shame, it took a global shutdown to bring me round to reading it.
A real-life account of that time, gleaned from first-hand accounts from people on all sides of the war, this is a gem of a book. Dramatic enough to qualify as a thriller, it had me spellbound at times.
Thoroughly engrossing and a timely reminder, since the withdrawal from Afghanistan, of the folly of trying to win a war purely in militaristic terms rather than seeking to influence the hearts and minds of the people.

[Eric S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good popular history of the Malayan Emergency of 1948-1960. It is written with an obvious pro-British point of view. That said, there is a good deal of information from the Communist side.
The author does a fair job of trying to present a balanced view. He does a very good job of intertwining stories of individuals with details of the larger events that were taking place. That makes for a fast and enjoyable read. The descriptions of how the jungle affects the combat operations are spot on. The picture of a British colony transitioning to independence in the middle of a guerrilla war is one of the best parts of the book.
Recommend it for anyone who wants a quick study of the 12 year war.

[Isla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is clearly an incredibly biased book in which the british can do no wrong and are only ever benevolent leaders who respect locals and their culture. Didn’t ever really get an idea of what the communists were fighting for, he never fleshed out their local ideology or origins beyond ‘it was Mao’s fault’.

Is good at characterising the big personalities (although often relies on stereotypes) and creating an interesting easy to follow narrative around the actual emergency/fighting itself. So didn’t completely hate it.

Felt like i was not getting the full story though.

[DC Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great history of the Malaysian Emergency

This is quick read and introduces a cast of colorful characters who’s stories cling to Malaysias transition to independence in 1960. It’s an often overlooked conflict, and deserves more attention, and this is an engaging overview.

If you’re looking to brush up on the demise of the British empire, communism in Asia, or just want more context to Malaysia - this is a great book to read.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. It transformed my beliefs of this war. Loved the reason for it being declared an emergency and not a war. Highly factual and useful for anyone who knows Malaysia. Good levels of intensity, balenced between war conflict, politics /administration and stealth/anti-terrorism strategy.

[Sergei Smoliakov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

An excellent book that shows who and what communism really is and how to properly fight a communist or any other terrorist insurrection. Recommend for anyone who is interested in the Cold War, Communism and the struggle against communism. From all political ideologies, Communism is the worst one.

[Naizer Aj · Rating 5 out of 5]

sangat sangat mengujakan, saya baca buku yang telah diterjemahkan oleh Syed Omar Husain. Banyak yang terjawab persoalan saya selama ini yang tidak terdapt dalam pembelajaran semasa saya dalam sekolah dahulu. Saya rekemen kepada sesiapa saja yang berminat untuk mengetahui sejarah sebenar negara sebelum merdeka.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactly the kind of book about the Emergency that I was looking for. It gives the details without getting really factually bogged down, and it tells quite a human story.

At times it feels a bit stereotypical - every orang Asli is simple, gentle or timid, and every girl is pretty. It's also let down by quite a lot of typos, but you can always figure out what is meant.