
Fire in the Night
Wingate of Burma, Ethiopia and Zion
Pan Books (Publisher)
Published on 21. May 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
464 pages
978-1-4472-8507-6 (ISBN)
Description
Orde Charles Wingate. Winston Churchill thought him a military genius; others considered him greatly over-rated; a few even thought him mad. His overriding passion was for Zionism, a cause which he embraced when posted to British-ruled Palestine in 1936. There he raised the Special Night Squads, an irregular force which decimated Arab rebel bands and taught a future generation of Israeli generals (including Moshe Dayan and Yitzhak Rabin) how to fight. In 1941, Wingate led another guerrilla-style force into Italian-occupied Ethiopia and was instrumental in restoring Emperor Haile Selassie to his throne. But his most famous campaign was conducted behind enemy lines in Burma, where his Chindits shattered the myth of Japanese invincibility in jungle fighting. A brilliant maverick, Wingate was a difficult if not impossible subordinate. He was also - as this riveting new study reveals - an inspiring leader.
Reviews / Votes
fast paced and satisfying...the authors know the lot of the ordinary soldier * New York Times * ...excellent use of interviews with those who knew Wingate best * Washington Times * a balanced book of this most unbalanced man...lucid and exciting -- Phillip Ziegler * The Spectator * Riveting...John Bierman and Colin Smith, wily veterans of war reporting, are excellent on the military adventurer who so caught the public imagination -- Walter Ellis * Sunday Times * one has to consider Wingate one of the most influential military minds of the 20th century - and surely one of the strangest * San Diego Union Tribune * Engaging... a page turning tale of a military genius * Kirkus Review * Extensive use of primary material enhances the portrait * Library Journal * An illuminating study, the authors are to be congratulated on an excellent, readable book -- Hugh Toye, * Times Literary Supplement *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
787 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4472-8507-6 (9781447285076)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
11/2012
Pan Books
€13.49
Available for download
Persons
Colin Smith is a veteran news correspondent and currently lives in Cyprus, now quiescent but one of the many late-twentieth-century trouble spots on which both Colin and John Bierman reported as roving correspondents - Bierman for the BBC and Smith for Observer. Separately, each has published a number of books; jointly, this was their first effort. John Bierman died in January 2006.