Macarthur’S Victory: The War in New Guinea, 1943-1944

comrades *Illustrated by seven maps and an eight-page black-and-white insert

Upon America’s entry into World War II, General Douglas MacArthur was told that his forces in the south-west Pacific theatre would be ranked number three in the armaments supply chain, after Europe and the Navy in the south Pacific. Facing an entrenched enemy in New Guinea and charged with the defence of Australia, MacArthur had to make do with understrength US and Australian forces who were racked by endemic malaria and the depredations of previous battles.

To make matters worse, the leadership of the US Navy, angry over the appointment of MacArthur as supreme commander, refused to give him the full co-operation he needed for his ultimate plan to take back the Philippines. That MacArthur achieved victory in New Guinea is nothing less than remarkable. This fascinating book tells of his stunning achievement in exciting prose and exquisite detail- a fitting tribute to a legendary military personality.

Harry A. Gailey is Professor Emeritus of Military History at San Jose University and the author of twenty books, including MacArthur Strikes Back and The War in the Pacific.