Items related to Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong,...
Synopsis
More than 10% of Hong Kong's defenders were killed in battle; a further 20% died in captivity. Those who survived seldom spoke of their experiences. Many died young. The little primary material surviving--written in POW camps or years after the events--is contradictory and muddled. Yet with just 14,000 defending the colony, it was possible to write from the individual's point of view rather than that of the Big Battalions so favoured by God (according to Napoleon) and most historians.
The book assembles a phase-by-phase, day-by-day, hour-by-hour, and death-by-death account of the battle. It considers the individual actions that made up the fighting, as well as the strategies and plans and the many controversies that arose.
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About the Author
Tony Banham has been studying the Battle of Hong Kong for well over a decade. He has written extensively on the subject, and has been a consultant for television documentaries about the battle.
Review
Until now, the story of the Battle of Hong Kong has defied a coherent retelling. Over a third of its defenders were killed in battle or died in captivity; those who survived seldom spoke about their experiences; and written accounts recorded while in combat were largely destroyed during the Japanese occupation. The only primary historical material that remains was written from memory in POW camps, or years after the fact.
This book represents the first attempt to piece together all existing accounts of the December 1941 fighting between the Garrison and the invading Japanese. Banham makes use of the Garrison’s small size – only 14,000 soldiers – to weave a historical account from the perspectives of individuals, rather than big battalions. His story covers the fighting phase by phase, and considers the individual actions that made up the battle, the military strategies, and the many controversies that arose both during the struggle and after.
Military historians interested in the Hong Kong battle, and the role of Canadian and British forces in the combat, will welcome this original and comprehensive account.
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- PublisherUBC Press
- Publication date2003
- ISBN 10 0774810440
- ISBN 13 9780774810449
- BindingHardcover
- LanguageEnglish
- Number of pages452
- Rating
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