Another in Osprey's 'Command' series, this time #17 is on what many are starting to consider the finest British general of WWII and perhaps of the 20th century, Bill Slim. Unlike many famous generals, Bill Slim did not seek the limelight. He did not toot his own horn, cared deeply for the men under his command, and actually allowed subordinates to do their job without meddling. Truly un-general-like as I'm sure you will agree.

Slim was the exact opposite of Britain's other famous general, Montgomery. He put the best men in positions of responsibility and trained his troops in methods that would not only increase their possibility of success, but also increase their chances of survival.

Slim spent WWI in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia where he learned many of his outstanding leadership traits. He went into battle with his troops and as a result was wounded more than once. In between the wars, he went into the Indian Army, 6th Gurkha Rifles where his leadership ability, his calm but firm demeanor enabled him to increase unit discipline without the usual rancor that often comes with others.

His first actions in WWII were in Iraq and Syria where he learned from some of his mistakes, but also learned that he could do much with less. His common sense approach to campaigns often relied on doing the unexpected and surprising the enemy. After success he was sent to Burma to oversee the retreat of the British army in the face of the Japanese invasion. He successfully pulled out the British without it turning into a rout, and leaving the retreating troops with a feeling of accomplishment in not being totally demoralized and destroyed by the Japanese.

It was in Burma leading XIV Corps that he had his greatest success. Leading the largest field army ever put together by the British, his tactical and strategic planning soundly defeated the Japanese when everyone else thought they were invincible. His advanced training regimen made the best soldiers in the British Army. Thanks to Slim's total color-blindness, when most British officers were not, he was able to successfully coordinate and lead men from all over the empire as well as work well with some of the more difficult Allies (like Orde Wingate). There is more but I don't want to ruin what is really an exceptional book.

Author Robert Lyman has written on Bill Slim before and you can tell that he is quite taken by the man's capabilities. The  book covers all the usual stuff from his early upbringing, earlier military life and what he did after service. It also goes into some detail on his military campaigns in Burma, itself a fascinating read. There is also information on his major opponents in the field.

It is a superb book about one of history's finest. A book I thoroughly enjoyed reading and one that I can most highly recommend to you.

August 2011

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