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 58
... rifle . ' Before you start cleaning your rifle , ' said Samanja Damisa , grabbing hold of Haliyu Danja's Lee - Enfield to demonstrate , ' always make sure the cartridge is empty . When you've checked it's unloaded , then inspect the ...
... rifle . ' Before you start cleaning your rifle , ' said Samanja Damisa , grabbing hold of Haliyu Danja's Lee - Enfield to demonstrate , ' always make sure the cartridge is empty . When you've checked it's unloaded , then inspect the ...
Page 59
... rifle should be as good as new . Repeat the process every single day . Make it a habit , the first thing you do when you wake up . Clean your rifle at the first oppor- tunity every time after you've used it , and particularly when you ...
... rifle should be as good as new . Repeat the process every single day . Make it a habit , the first thing you do when you wake up . Clean your rifle at the first oppor- tunity every time after you've used it , and particularly when you ...
Page 60
... rifle for them all to see , ' always assume that it is loaded . Even if you know it isn't . Always handle it with the same level of care that you would if it was loaded . If you don't , boys , one day you'll pick up your rifle to clean ...
... rifle for them all to see , ' always assume that it is loaded . Even if you know it isn't . Always handle it with the same level of care that you would if it was loaded . If you don't , boys , one day you'll pick up your rifle to clean ...
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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