Defeat Into Victory by the British Field Marshal William Slim is an intriguing account of how the Allied forces reclaimed Burma during the second World War. This book was first published in 1956 in the UK and was later also published in the US with a slightly modified title.

The account related by the Field Marshal in this book is indeed a classic one: one that speaks in detail about the Burma campaign and the stories of retreat, attrition and ultimate victory over the Japanese who surrounded it. The story has been told by a commander who was at the centre of all the events that unfolded on the battlefield. This makes the drama put into words in this riveting read more engaging. The book not only reflects the high drama of the warring period, but also throws light on some of the harsh realities that are so common during war times.

In the original edition of the book, the author had divided the saga into 6 sections, which starts with Defeat, Forging the Weapon and the Weapon is Tested and goes on to touch upon the Tide Turns, the Decisive Battle and finally the Victory. This kind of a structure given to the read did well to examine the victory of the Allies from the perspective of the resurrection of the battle prowess of the British and Indians and to a great deal influenced the historiography of the Burma campaign.