The Burma Road: The Epic Story of the China-Burma-India Theater in World War II – American Hump Pilots, Merrill's Marauders, and British Chindit Brigades in Action

by Donovan Webster

As the Imperial Japanese Army swept across China and South Asia at World War II's outset, closing all of China's seaports, more than 200,000 Chinese laborers embarked on a seemingly impossible to cut a 700-mile overland route -- the Burma Road -- from the southwest Chinese city of Kunming to Lashio, Burma. But when Burma fell in 1942, the Burma Road was severed. As the first step of the Allied offensive toward Japan, American general Joseph Stilwell reopened it, while, at the same time, keeping China supplied by air-lift from India and simultaneously driving the Japanese out of Burma. From the breathtaking adventures of the American "Hump" pilots who flew hair-raising missions over the Himalayas to make food-drops in China to the true story of the mission that inspired the famous film The Bridge on the River Kwai , to the grueling jungle operations of Merrill's Marauders and the British Chindit Brigades, The Burma Road vividly re-creates the sprawling, sometimes hilarious, often harrowing, and still largely unknown stories of one of the greatest chapters of World War II.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, War, Military Fiction, China, India

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle of this book is "The Epic Story of the China-Burma-India Theater in World War II", but that is pretty inaccurate. This book primarily deals with the fighting in Burma and centers on the American General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell. While there is some discussion of events outside of Burma, they really seem to be outside the scope of what the author wished to discuss. He primarily used Stillwell's notes and recollections, so commanders such as Claire Chennault, Chiang Kai-Shek and Lord Louis Mountbatten are not viewed in the best light, while General Slim seems to get a fair shake.

Special operations such as those by Orde Wingate's Chindits and Merrill's Marauders get a fair bit of mention, but aerial operations over the theatre are almost non-existent (probably due to Stillwell's disdain of Chennault).

I'd say this is a good book to be used as an introduction to the CBI Theatre, but it's not a comprehensive account by any stretch. It's pretty light on photos and maps, and definitely needed some proofreading as the author crosses up some dates and has some spelling errors.

Could have been a 4 star book if it contained more substance, less errors and less worship of Stillwell.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about the conflict in Burma

[Colin .d · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great!! I thought it was good because we are studying WW2 in class. The author describes a very detailed war and people that were very important to the Allies success. I suggest that anyone with great car for the stories of war and battle to read this book. With little to no knowledge on WW2 you will still enjoy this great descriptive book.

[Sweetwilliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donavan Webster looks at the Chinese-India-Burma theater through multiple lenses. My knowledge of this theatre of war is really weak compared to the Pacific so I think that this book was a pretty good comprehensive first step towards achieving a better understanding. There is considerable depth here. I really think that Stilwell's contributions are well stated as well as Chiang Kai-shek's deficiencies, and their feud between each other which eventually led to Stilwell's removal. My favorite part was journalist Eric Sevareid's account of having to bail out of a flight over the hump. Those flights were nearly as dangerous as the 8th Air Force's strategic bombing runs over Europe. There was also a first hand account of Japanese soldiers being hunted and eaten by tigers! Once again, Japanese logistical operations were insufficient. There is much more to this book than just the construction of the road. My only constructive criticism is that the maps were horribly insufficient in my edition. Otherwise, this was a beautifully written and a very good companion that I kept on my nightstand for nightly reading. I'm going to miss her.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living in Asia focuses my reading interests and it was a recent visit to 'Vinegar Joe' Stilwell's former residence/office in Chungking, China two months ago, that was the impetus behind my wanting to put all the diverse bits of information I have acquired over the years of the CBI (the China-Burma-India Theatre in WWII) into a comprehensible whole. You know how it is--you've read books on Mao, on Chiang Kai-shek, on Chennault's Flying Tigers, on the Sino-Japanese War, and even Barbara Tuchman's superb work on Stilwell, but the pieces have never jelled.

This book does the trick, and I don't think it matters if you end up here, or start here, journalist/author Donovan Webster has done a superb job in weaving all those loose strands together into the rich tapestry of one of the most fascinating stories there is that came out of WWII. His characters are well drawn, the personal tales enrich the whole story in ways that simple facts wouldn't have cut it, and the book is one of the few I've found that tells a balanced story by including material taken from the diaries and biographies of the brave foot soldiers who fought this war regardless of uniform--Indian, American, Chinese, Burmese, Japanese. It's a page turner and if it leaves you wanting to know more, there are lots of excellent books on each of the major players in the story.

PS -- I've recommended this film in another review, but it's worth repeating. Anyone interested in this topic should do everything in their power to see the eloquent 1956 B&W Japanese anti-war movie directed by Kon Ishikawa that tells the story of a young Japanese soldier who one day lays down his gun in Burma. It's called The Burmese Harp.

[Katehart82 · Rating 5 out of 5]

so far extremely interesting...my grandfather flew the hump and above the Burma Road so I wanted to know more about it.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

After living in Myanmar, this was great reading. I know much of the geography and enjoyed the way the story was told.

[Sam Culbertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a good job of laying out the construction of the Ledo/Burma road and the overall theater of China, Burma and India. Webster does well with the process that went into retaking Northern Burma from the Japanese and the horrors that went into that campaign. This also includes the defense of India and the utmost importance the allies placed on keeping China in the war and not letting China be fully taken over by Japan.

I knew nothing about the CBI theater prior to this book, which is why I enjoyed this broad overview of the theater provided by Webster. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn about the forgotten theater of World War II.

I give four stars because the writing style at some times felt like it was going all over the place with the timeline going back and forth in some places that could be confusing to keep up with. Overall, glad I read this book.

[Marshall Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book but it needed an editor who understood military organization and structure. The book was really about Stilwell and less about the Burma and Ledo Roads. It also failed to recognize properly Slim’s role in the war and continued the mythology of Wingate and the Chindits b

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently reading books about obscure historical subjects to learn about things which are not common knowledge. "Burma Road" by Donovan Webster fits the bill. Of all the books written about the second world war, there is probably no subject covered less than the China-Burma-India Theater. It was a true backwater of the war, a place where officers of genius who didn't fit in elsewhere found a home; officers like Joseph Stillwell and Orde Wingate. It was also a place where there was never enough men, material, weapons, aircraft where both sides, Japanese and Allies alike, had to make do with what they had. While the book covers the CBI generally and Burma particularly, the book is specifically about Joe Stillwell and the Burma Road. The Burma Road was a thousand mile supple route through the jungle to get supplies to China to keep Chiang Kai-Shek, a thug and a warlord who controlled much of China, in the war and fighting the Japanese. Donovan weaves an excellent story, keeping the reader engaged. It's a first rate read and well worth the time.

[D. Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with lots of reviewers that point out that the book has little to do with the actual Burma Road. I guess you can take away points for that. However, that being said, it is a great book about the much ignored CBI theater of WWII. A great overview for someone who isn't familiar with the CBI. Enough detail without getting bogged down. Webster does a great job with the larger than life characters fighting for the Allied win.

[James R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was a kid 10 or 11 years old, the "Flying Tigers" were my and my buddies heros. I believed they were planes from the US Army Air Corps. Well I found out that they were American Volunteers from the US Army, Navy and Marines and was the creation of Claire L. Chennault, a retired U.S. Army Air Corps officer who had worked in China as military aviation advisor to Chiang Kai-shek in the early months of the Sino-Japanese War. So basically they were "Mercenaries"!

[Michael Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be very engaging from start to finish on a theatre of war I knew very little about. The story mostly follows the struggles of General Stilwell in detail and his struggles to advance the Burma road to China.

Book introduces you to how Lord Mountbatten became the supreme commander, the struggles to get Chiang Kai-shek and his army to follow-through and the importance of General Chennault's 14th Air Force operating in China keeping the Japanese advance at bay.

[Katherine Hebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sorry it took so long to read this riveting book about the China-Burma-India war theater in WW II. Intricate and interesting details about the people who organized the fight against Japan---some familiar and my new hero---Vinegar Joe Stilwell---and the actual horrific battles and jungle conditions themselves.

[Darlis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. I learned so much about General Stillwell and about the Burma campaign of WWII. I even learned about Japan's campaign into India, which I had never heard of. Lots of stuff in this one was incredibly interesting.

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting and highly readable overview of a somewhat forgotten WWII theater. Webster does not cater to the American experience only, but gives weight to the perspectives of the English, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and some tribal peoples of Burma.

[Bett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed, yet entertaining tale of the CBI theatre, learn the truth about the bridge on the River Kwai and Merrill's Marauders. I like maps, annd this could have used a few more for my taste.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

My late father, John A. McNeil, was in the CBI Theater during WWII - he would have loved this book - I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, could visualize it, have heard the stories my whole life.

[Walter Mcwilliams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb narrative on perhaps the most brutal theater of WWII. I highly recommend this read!

[William Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The China-Burma-India Theater of World War II is kind of like the Rodney Dangerfield saying, it gets no respect! Nimitz and MacArthur soak up most of the attention given the Pacific War. Yet The China-Burma-India Theater had two of the best General Officers leading Allied forces there, William Slim of Great Britain and Joseph Stilwell of the United States. In defeating Japan, there were four approaches to eventually reach the Japanese Home Islands, the MacArthur approach through the Philippines to Formosa, the Northern approach through the Aleutians, the South East Pacific approach of Nimitz, and the China-Burma-India (CBI) approach. The Allies, mainly the US, supported the MacArthur and Nimitz approaches and more emphasis was placed on the Nimitz approach. The CBI played third fiddle. The difficulties were great in supplying forces in the CBI. The terrain was difficult at best from jungle to mountains. The distances were great and the infrastructure was poor for supporting the forces. This book paints that picture clearly! I have read Defeat Into Victory by Field Marshal Slim and Stilwell and the China Experience by Barbara Tachman. Both are great reads. This book is the perfect companion reader to those two books. Author Donovan Webster is very detailed in his descriptions of the battles and the trials and tribulations of the forces combating. The relations between Chiang Kai-shek and General Stilwell is described clearly. Stilwell was not nicknamed "Vinegar" Joe for nothing! Chiang was hard to deal with especially since he was afraid that his rival Generals, previously War Lords, would use American Lend Lease weapons and equipment to topple him from power so he poorly equipped the Nationalist Army. Much of the material sent was warehoused and not issued. Stilwell in spite of the obstacles placed by Chiang, equipped and trained the Chinese X Force and led it in the campaign to liberate Burma. The conditions the troops suffered were horrendous, from disease, monsoon rain, jungle animals, to fighting Japanese soldiers who would fight to the last man! The use of commando type forces, the British Chindits and the US Merrill's Marauders is extensively covered. Though tough and successful, they paid a high price in casualties and diseased soldiers. Stilwell's relations with Claire Chennault, Chiang's Air Force then US Air Forces commander is recounted. There was no love lost in that relationship. When finished reading this book, I question why we fought over such terrain. I know it held down Japanese divisions that might have been redeployed to defend the homeland but in the end the Atomic Bombs settled the question of invading homeland Japan. I recommend this book to all who are interested in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because my father served in the CBI theater during the Second World War as part of the crew of a B25 bomber. Other than a few brief mentions of the bombing of bridges and airports in Burma, he never talked about his war experience. And, when it comes to books and movies about the war, one thing that you can always count on is that the CBI theater will not be depicted. So it took me a long time, but I decided to read this to learn more about my father's war experience.

There actually isn't a whole lot about the role of the 10th Air Force (my dad was part of the 490th Bomb Squadron) in the book, but the author did give the bombers credit for their contribution to the war effort, particularly the development of the "skip bombing" technique that was particularly effective in destroying bridges. Most of the book involves the ground war and it is a fascinating history that moves quickly, is never boring and aptly illustrates the bravery of the soldiers, who fought under horrible conditions in the jungles of Burma, and the wastefulness of war, as one of the primary intents of establishing the CBI theater was to open up a route to invade Japan from the Asian mainland through China. That approach was eventually abandoned. Still, the Allies killed hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers and destroyed much military equipment, greatly weakening the Imperial forces.

The author ably explains the strategies of the generals and the difficult geographical conditions that they faced. The personalities of the various leaders are explained in great detail, with the effect that they had on their armies. The clear hero of the story is General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell. The author also includes the recollections of many soldiers on the front lines, including Japanese soldiers. Those stories add much needed perspective to the book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about the war in Asia during World War II. It is informative and readable. An excellent history.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Burma Surgeon is easy to read and a story well told. It is simultaneously a comprehensive exposition of the strategy and rationale of the CBI theater and of the experiences of men who executed it, from the highest rank to the lowest, British, American, Kachin, and Chinese. The CBI theater and its heroes receive diminished attention from Hollywood, perhaps because the whole strategy prepared Plan B for invading Japan from China and Korea. Nevertheless, the fighting, privations, heroics, brutality, and thousands of deaths in Burma were at least equal to and perhaps greater than those of the battles in the Pacific Islands (Plan A). The Burma Road is great material for Spielberg and a great script writer.

My grandfather’s part is lightly touched upon, and one of his books, The Burma Surgeon, is source material.

[Ione Ishii · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for details on how the road in Burma was constructed who engineered? where did the materials come from? who financed? - similar to the books I read about the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge. However, this was 95% about the WWII battles and tactics. Not a bad read, but not the scope of civil engineering I was hoping. What was horrifying for me was the number of Japanese who died in this theater. Little or zero was mentioned about the deaths of the civilians who died by cross fire or died working on the Burma Road. A much deeper researched book would have been richer. I still learned rather a lot, but not as much as I hoped.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dad served in the US Army Air Force during WW2 in China at the Nationalist capital after flying "the Hump" to get there. He worshiped Chennault and Stilwell and held in disdain, to put in mildly, MacArthur and Chiang Kai Shek.

This book puts this overlooked area of the WW2 Pacific area in its proper context. Webster shows the ease of the Japanese conquest and the difficulties of the allies, British, American and Chinese, to root them out.

Stilwell is the focus and Webster provides a good description of the almost impossible tasks he overcame.

Couple this with Tuchman's biography of "Vinegar Joe."

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew little about the China-Burma-India Theater of WWII, but the author gave me a better understanding of the leaders and foot soldiers as they battled the elements and one another. Reading this book gives us a sense of humbleness with each glimpse into the hardships the troops suffered and overcame.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book about WWII in the CBI theater-(China/Burma/India). I wish it had more maps although, left me trying to look up maps from the 1942-45 timeframe. Very informative and knowledgeable!!!

Grandpa Chappy flew over "the hump" with supplies, service men and provisions from India to China.

[lonner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a rather obscure theater of world war 2 - the ongoing battle for Burma. Colorful main characters include American generals “Vinegar” Joe Stilwell and Claire Chennault, British general William Slim, and Chinese generalissimo Chiang kai shek.

I liked it. You might too 😊

[Cody Sovis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half war chronicle, half adventure tale. Heroes, villains, tigers, amphibious landings...best history book I've read in years!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story, well-written. There are some weird numbers early in the book that I'm pretty sure are mistakes, but it's a story that, even as WWII readers, many are completely unfamiliar with.