4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good General Overview, May 20, 2003
This review is from: Fall of Singapore (Penguin Classic Military) (Paperback)
This book is a penguin reprint of a 60s publication. For someone looking for a general overview of the campaign, there is a lot here. The detail is most rich in this overview in the initial fighting in the North, Kota Bahru and the probe into Thailand to stop the Japanese. The way that Britain and the Commonwealth squandered their forces in defence of the penninsula makes for sordid reading of a campaign that never should have gone the way it did.
The initial invasion of the Island of Singapore is well dscribed but there are far too many questions not answered and not too many raised in the first place. The initial fighting on the island and the confused situation is not clearly outlined. It remained far from clear why the initial Japanese landing was so slowly responded to, why reserves were not commited quickly, and why vital supplies especially tanks and modern fighter aircraft were not allocated.
Exciting but not the definitive account of the campaign but a good place to start.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
