Burma BoyIt's winter 1944 and the Second World War is entering its most crucial stage. A few months ago Ali Banana was apprenticed to a whip-wielding blacksmith in his rural hometown; now he's behind enemy lines, trekking through the Burmese jungle, a private in Thunder Brigade. He is fourteen years old. Led by the scarred, charismatic Sergeant Damisa, Thunder Brigade has been given orders to go behind enemy lines and wreak havoc. But the jungle is a treacherous place, riddled with Japanese snipers, infection and disease.As torrential rains turn the landscape into a mud-riven death trap, the losses mount up, Ali's sanity falters and troubling questions arise. Who, for instance, is 'Kingi Jogi'? What does his empire stand for? And what does it all mean for Banana, the men of Thunder Brigade and for their inspirational general? Burma Boy is a story of the adventure of war and the terrible consequences of that adventure. Biyi Bandele's novel is a meticulously researched, elegantly written tribute to the Africans who fought in the Second World War - detailing the madness, the horror, the sacrifice and the dark humour of its most vicious battleground. |
From inside the book
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Page 68
... Guntu was actually quite a short man . And since Farabiti Zololo , who was tall , was also called Dogo , it was decided that Guntu - whose real name was Dogo - would be called Guntu , which means the short one , and Zololo who was quite ...
... Guntu was actually quite a short man . And since Farabiti Zololo , who was tall , was also called Dogo , it was decided that Guntu - whose real name was Dogo - would be called Guntu , which means the short one , and Zololo who was quite ...
Page 69
... Guntu , ' said Guntu , turning viciously on Banana , thinking he was the one , ' then Guntu it is . ' ' But I didn't say a thing , ' Banana protested . ' Now you're calling me a liar as well . ' Guntu's voice had become shrill . ' I ...
... Guntu , ' said Guntu , turning viciously on Banana , thinking he was the one , ' then Guntu it is . ' ' But I didn't say a thing , ' Banana protested . ' Now you're calling me a liar as well . ' Guntu's voice had become shrill . ' I ...
Page 159
... Guntu would take a crap at night only if he was far away from any light source and during the day only when he could keep an eye on his shadow . Bloken thought Guntu had lost his mind . Why else would the short man keep on calling him ...
... Guntu would take a crap at night only if he was far away from any light source and during the day only when he could keep an eye on his shadow . Bloken thought Guntu had lost his mind . Why else would the short man keep on calling him ...
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Common terms and phrases
Aberdeen African Aluwong ambush army Atabrine Banana asked Bangalore torpedo Bloken body bombs boys Brigade HQ bullets Burma called chickenpox Chindits Chiringa colonel D-Section Danja dead death Doctor Hamid Dogo enemy eyes face Farabiti Banana fight fire Gboko Gideon Force Godiwillin grenades guns Guntu Gurkhas Hailakandi Hausa head heard helmet Hill hippee hippee ya-ya Imperial Japanese Navy India inside Janar Japanese Japs joined jungle Kaduna kamus kill Kingi Joji knew kofur Kyaftin Gillafsie later laughing learnt looked Maiganga Major Wingate mango Mawlu Mepacrine metres morning Muddy River mules Nigerian night pack Pash Pash's perimeter picked platoon remembah rifle rucksack Samanja Damisa Samanja Grace Samanja Show shehu sleep snake sojas speak Hausa stopped stronghold suddenly talking Tayib tell There's thing thought told trees trenches trucks voice walked wanted White City Wingate's wire wonder words Yusufu and Iddrisi Zaria Zololo