Our Man in Malaya - Softcover

Sheenan, Margaret

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0752450530 ISBN 13: 9780752450537

Publisher: The History Press, 2009

Synopsis

When the Japanese invaded Malaya during World War II it seemed that John Davis's service in the country had come to an end. But nothing could have been further from the truth. Davis switched from the Federated Malay States Police to the intelligence world, where he planned the infiltration of Chinese intelligence agents and British officers into the Malayan peninsula. Yet Davis was more than a wartime hero. A fluent Cantonese speaker, he became an iconic figure in Malaya's colonial history when during the Communist Emergency he confronted Chin Peng, leader of the Communist Party. Margaret Shennan uncovers the radical and temperamental man whose propensity to challenge the decisions of his superior officers did not always make him an easy comrade, but whose courage and determination to get the job done won him loyalty and respect. Illustrated with Davis's personal photographs, this is a story which truly deserves to be told.

About this title

Book Description

When the Japanese invaded Malaya during World War II it seemed that John Davis’s service in the country had come to an end. But nothing could have been further from the truth. Davis switched from the Federated Malay States Police to the Intelligence world; first with MI6 and then with SOE. Margaret Shennan tells the extraordinary, untold story of this courageous hero of the Second World War who planned the infiltration of Chinese intelligence agents and British officers into the Malayan peninsula. Yet Davis was more than a wartime hero. A fluent Cantonese speaker, he became an iconic figure in Malaya’s colonial history, playing a fundamental part in its post-war history, and witnessed the country’s emergence as an independent nation state.

About the Author

Margaret Shennan is a historian and full-time writer. Born in Kuching, Sarawak (now East Malaysia), her early years were spent near Penang, at Butterworth (now West Malaysia). Her schooldays in the Cameron Highlands ended abruptly with the Japanese invasion of Malaya. Her books include Berthe Morisot: First Lady of Impressionism, Missee, and the acclaimed Out in the Midday Sun: The British in Malaya 1880-1960.

Edition details

• Publisher: The History Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0752450530
• ISBN 13: 9780752450537
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320