Front Line and Fortitude

‘It is a revelation: I don't think I knew anything about the Wasbies before reading Front Line and Fortitude. I love the way you have sandwiched her actual diary between the brilliant descriptions of Kenya and the challenges of post war Asia. A fascinating glimpse into another braver, finer world.'

I loved this book. It is a very readable account of life at the front line in Burma in support of the "forgotten" 14th Army in World War2. The story starts on the plains of East Africa, moves through India and Burma, ending in India with good descriptions of the countries and the travelling. There are "living" descriptions of all these places together with detailed accounts of life in the front lines as the heroine's work takes her ever closer to the frontline. Written in a very easy style. Great. loved this book. It is a very readable account of life at the front line in Burma in support of the "forgotten" 14th Army in World War2. The story starts on the plains of East Africa, moves through India and Burma, ending in India with good descriptions of the countries and the travelling. There are "living" descriptions of all these places together with detailed accounts of life in the front lines as the heroine's work takes her ever closer to the frontline. Written in a very easy style. Great.

It is social history of the highest quality. The courage and resilience of the women is inspirational. Perfect antidote to the self-obsession of modern life.

This is a fascinating, well-researched, and easy to read account of a young woman who joined the Women's Auxiliary Service, on the front line in Burma in World War 2. It is based on the life and diaries of a relative of the author, Jeanne (known as ‘Maria') whose courage, stoicism and ‘can do' attitude in truly appalling war conditions, is admirably brought to life. Maria's contribution - and that of her comrades in the tragically ‘Forgotten Army' of the Far East - deserves to be remembered, and this memoir goes a long way towards addressing that. The author also touches deftly on Maria's upbringing in the beautiful foothills of snow-capped Mount Kenya and her life after the War. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and hope that others will soon have that pleasure.