Number of words: 794 What was the economic background of India when all these far-reaching political changes were taking place? V. Anstey has written that right up to the eighteenth century, ‘Indian methods of production and of industrial and commercial organization could stand comparison with those in vogue in any other part of the world.’ … Read more

Number of words: 1,036 In 1942, the Japanese people were one of the anachronisms of the modern world, for although they had acquired the material assets and trappings of modern civilization philosophy, mentally they were still struggling to emancipate themselves from the fetters of feudalism and barbaric mysticism.  In appearance there is no such thing … Read more

Number of words: 342 The Japanese soldier was proving a formattable foe: he was brave beyond belief, trained in jungle warfare and resourceful. He was extremely mobile and used bicycles pinched from the local population to speed his advancement where roads were available. His equipment and uniform, other than the imperial guards, was light, motley … Read more

Number of words: 520 Europe was a long way off and although it had been overrun by Hitler’s armies, nobody believed for a moment that England would be successfully invaded, particularly as the battle of Britain had ended in defeat for the luftwaffe.  As far as the Japanese were concerned, although they were obviously in … Read more

Number of words: 237 Singapore was a busy city inhabited by Chinese, Indians, Malays and of course the British. It was a free port and everything was duty free and cheap. A trading centre around which the far east revolved which created, on the one hand great prosperity and on the other hand extreme poverty. … Read more