This is John Batcher. In coming weeks a conversation with James Holland, the distinguished English historian.

His new book is Burma 44, The Battle that Turned World War II in the East.

I've spoken with James before about his Normandy book,

his brother-in-arms, certainly the first part of the Italian campaign, and I look forward to

the second part, the Monte Cassino. This addresses a battle taking place in the jungles of

what is now Myanmar, Burma. In 1942 to 44, when the English were being beaten all the time. They were commanding the Indian

Army, which was made up of many different tribes. There were the Gurkhas, there were the Punjabi. All of this led to the British

Indian army combating the Japanese Imperial Army, which was sophisticated in fighting in the jungle.

This battle taking place in February of 1944 is determinative for the direction of the war.

And here James Profiles, the commanding general of this part of the battle.

His name was Slim, and Slim was a veteran of many battles across a wide landscape.

But when it came to this battle James explains why he was successful. You fight like you train. Here's James

Holland. Burma 44, the battle that turned World War II in the East, fighting in the jungle. Jungle's your friend, jungle's your enemy. More of

this in the coming weeks. It explains... Yeah absolutely. So Seventh Indian

Division is part of the 15 Corps, along with the 5 Indian Division and the 81st

West African Division and they're in a kind of a line on this kind of Western

side of of of northwest Burma and an area called the Arakhan which we better

know now is sort of the Rohingya area.

It's been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

And Kristison is the core commander, again, he's very competent.

He's kind of part of the new breed that's come into Southeast Asia

Command. And above him is Slim who has been he's been a very lucky general.

...