Stilwell the Patriot

Joe Stilwell, known as Vinegar Joe" for his caustic personality, was stationed in Burma during World War II and famously differed in strategy from other commanders in his division. In retrospect analyses, it's said that if he had gotten his way, the United States might have defeated the Communists in 1945 and changed the course of history. This meticulously-reached biography of Vinegar Joe presents an intimate account of his career, working as Chinese military leader Chiang Kai-shek's chief of staff, the commander of the Chinese divisions in Burma, and the deputy supreme commander of the South East Asia Command. It explores Stilwell's determination to drive a road through the jungle in order to reopen the old Burma Road, and his passion to ensure that the colossal American contribution to the Burma Campaign was not misappropriated by Chiang, his boss. In recounting Vinegar Joe's unusual escapades, historian David Rooney provides an intimate understanding of why...