"The massive invasions, spectacular sea battles, and devastating bombing raids of World War II could not have occurred without enormous organizations, meticulous coordination, and absolute discipline - the meat and potatoes of modern, mechanized warfare. For those with more exotic appetites, however, there was CBI: China, Burma, and India." "In The Jungle War, the man whom Stephen Ambrose called "the master of the genre" of oral history relates the sprawling and dramatic tale of the theater of war in which forceful personalities battled chaos, and "conventional" warfare was simply impossible. Gerald Astor shows how Allied reluctance to commit resources to this "side-alley fight" led to a motley amalgamation of separate commands and specialized units led by some of the most colorful, unconventional, and innovative commanders in military history. Their internecine squabbles, political intrigues, and enormous egos are as much a part of the story as the battles they fought." "You'll meet the legendary Claire Chennault, the combative visionary who created and commanded the famed Flying Tigers; General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell, the brilliant but abrasive U.S. theater commander who battled his British counterpart almost as fiercely as he fought the Japanese; General Frank Merrill, whose Merrill's Marauders became the most famous and successful infantry unit in CBI; and the British maverick General Orde Wingate, who created the famous Chindits who operated behind enemy lines. What emerges from these incisive portraits is a penetrating study of the impact of personalities on the execution and outcome of armed conflict."-- From the book jacket.

The venues and opening shots -- The Japanese enlarged their war -- First strikes -- War comes into Burma -- Further additions to the cast -- "We got a hell of a beating" -- CBI doldrums -- Enter the Chindits -- Detachment 101, the Burma Road, and the hump -- Offensive preparations -- Long-rang penetrations and Arakan revisited -- Marauders and Thursday -- Chindits and Imphal -- The northern Burma campaign -- Imphal and Kohima besieged, Chindits beset, marauders perturbed -- Myitkyina Morass -- Finales for Maruders and Chindits -- Matterhorn -- The prisoners of war -- The tide turns -- Death throes of an army -- Final bloody days -- After-action report.