Early in 1944, when the war between the Allies and Japan was three years old, twenty thousand special troops invaded enemy-held Burma. Three thousand were Americans and came to be known as Merrill's Marauders. The rest were 'Chindits', mainly British soldiers together with Nigerians, Chinese, Gurkhas, and Burmese. Trained in guerrilla warfare, they penetrated Burma by secret routes or landed on remote airfields hacked out of the jungle. Their mission: to free the land route, blocked by the Japanese, along which aid from America could reach China.

List of maps: Stilwell and Wingate’s plan of campaign ; Battle of Walawbum ; Chindit brigades deploy into action ; attack on Indaw ; Chindit positions, mid-April 1944 ; 77th Brigade in Railway Valley ; The situation in May 1944 ; Blackpool ; Chindit movements after the Fall of Blackpool ; Mogaung ; the Chindits last battles.

The two generals -- Preparations -- The generals make their plans -- Galahad goes to war -- Operation Thursday -- Emphasis in the Railway Valley -- Enterprise at Indaw -- Lentaigne succeeds Wingate -- Blocking the Bhamu Road -- Thunder at the White City -- The strongholds abandoned: all March North -- Profound in the depths -- Lack of amity -- The Chindits last battle -- Epilogue.