A child at arms

Patrick Davis was posted as a novice "hostilities only" officer to a veteran Gurkha battalion that "had fought for about as long as troops can fight and remain a recoverable unit" during the desperate campaigns in Burma, as Slim and his "Forgotten Army" demonstrated to the world the myth of Japanese invincibility, driving the enemy before them in streaming defeat. This is the narrative of a young officer's fears and triumphs, of the discomforts and tragedies attendant on battle, the terrors and confusion in the midst of action against a fanatically tenacious enemy. There have been few better accounts of the relationship between British officer and Gurkha volunteer, and of the insidious drain on stamina and courage that all men face during prolonged exposure to battle. This is a welcome reissue of one of the finest pieces of writing to emerge from World War II.