Unofficial History by Field Marshal Sir William Slim

Review by Roshen Dalal
Field Marshal William Joseph Slim (1891-1970) fought in the British army in both the First and Second World Wars, and later became the thirteenth governor general of Australia. In this book he recounts some of his experiences, in a series of essays. These describe skirmishes that were too minor to figure in official histories, or which were dismissed in gazettes with just a couple of lines.
In his essays Slim brings out the human side of war. Always with a touch of warmth and humour, he describes the men under his command, fellow officers, and the people he met in the course of his long and varied war career. He depicts his entry into Baghdad during the First World War, encounters with Turks and Arabs, and his incorrigible subordinate, Private Chuck, whom he seems to have deeply admired. Later, he is posted in a small town in India, where he tries to keep the peace between groups of Hindus and Muslims. Leading Gurkha troops in the North West Frontier, he provides an endearing and amusing portrait of the upright, loyal, and single-minded Gurkhas. Only they, he says, can sit to attention in a truck, and to keep sitting, ramrod stiff, as the Gurkha driver, driving at high speed, goes over the edge of the road with a great bump, and returns without losing his place in the convoy. In the Second World War he finds himself in Iran, liasing with Russian troops. Here we get accounts of the Russian general Novikov, the lavish Russian parties, and Russian women troops, and even a Russian woman ADC to the general. His account of his exhibition dance with her, is one example of how he could even laugh at himself!
For Slim, the wars were not of his making. He went wherever he was sent, and did his best, without losing his humanity, and his empathy, even for his war enemies. Thus he writes, ‘Looking back over a varied experience, I find I have liked all the soldiers of different races who have fought with me, and most of those who have fought against me. This is not strange for there is a freemasonry among fighting soldiers that helps them to understand one another even if they are enemies, and when peace comes, prevents them from hating too long.’
This collection of essays was first published in 1959.