Welcome to the MWI Book Club, a new podcast dedicated to the proposition that a military that reads books is a military that wins wars. Join cohosts Theo Lipsky and John Amble for this second episode as they read one of the great war memoirs of all time: Defeat into Victory, by Field Marshal William Slim.
In the early months of 1942, the Japanese Army dealt the Allies a humiliating defeat in Burma. Amid a hasty British retreat north toward India, William Slim arrived to take command. Over the next two years he reconstituted Allied combat power in the form of the British 14th Army. By early 1944 his soldiers had beat back a Japanese invasion of India, and by 1945 he had retaken Rangoon.
How did Slim do it? What can his experience teach soldiers today about training? About combined arms maneuver? About logistics? About leadership? Slim gives some answers to these questions in his great war memoir, Defeat into Victory. Theo and John give the book a close read to find them—and discover loads of great stories along the way.
Have you read Defeat into Victory? Know much about this remarkable episode of World War II history? Don’t hesitate to let us know what you think of the Burma Campaign, Slim’s leadership, and what books you’d like us to read next. And be sure to subscribe to the MWI Book Club—we have some great books lined up and you won’t want to miss an episode. And if you’ve enjoyed the first two episodes, please consider taking a moment to leave a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts to help others find it.
