Nations in the Balance

"Kolakowski reminds us of the high stakes at risk for both Allies and Axis powers in Burma, as well as the heroism and willpower of all the combatants concerned. The book is highly recommended to students of World War II, Southeast Asia, and to those who simply want to broaden their understanding of this lesser-known theater of war." ~Military Review

"Kolakowski’s descriptions of the Allied counter-offensive are laid out with enough specificity to satisfy grognards, with plentiful battle maps to follow the maneuver...a fine tactical and operational summary of the late Burma Campaign." ~The NYMAS Review

"This is a well-written, straightforward synopsis of the 1944 battles." ~Journal of Military History

"...a highly readable and engrossing text, richly adorned with strategic nuances, operational art, tactical accounts of vicious jungle battles, and some of the most fascinating leaders of World War II or any era." ~Army History Magazine

"...hits all the right tabletop points." ~Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

"Burma was not 'the forgotten war' as much as 'the underreported war'. It is clear that it did not receive the treatment it deserved in post-war historiography despite its undeniable strategic importance as the fragile bulwark against a Japanese invasion of India. Historian Christopher L. Kolakowski is among a new breed of scholars who are changing this, restoring the epic battles of Imphal and Kohima, to name but a few, to their rightful place in public memory. Deftly weaving together memoirs and unit diaries, he provides a rich and detailed account of the crucial battles in 1943 and 1944 when a multinational force consisting of Commonwealth soldiers, American GIs and Chinese infantrymen rose to the occasion and brought the Japanese dream of victory in mainland Southeast Asia to an end. The veterans and their families can wish for no better tribute to the immense sacrifice of these men, and to the blood and sweat they shed to help found the world we live in today." ~Peter Harmsen, Author of "Shanghai 1937" and "War in the Far East" Trilogy