8vo., First Edition, with portrait frontispiece, several plates and 8 maps (one double-page); red cloth, spine lettered in silver, a very good copy in unclipped, dust jacket.

Presentation copy to Colonel K.P. Mackenzie by the Highland Counties Burma Club. Signed by Field-Marshall Auchinleck and General Sir Richard Nugent O’Connor on the front free end paper.

Auchinleck was educated at Sandhurst. He served in India and performed with distinction in the Middle East in World War I. He returned to India to command the Peshawar Brigade against the Upper Mohmands in 1933 and by the outbreak of World War II had been appointed deputy chief of the general staff at army headquarters.

He commanded British forces in Norway and India until his 1941 appointment to the Middle East, where he replaced Sir Archibald Wavell as commander in chief.

Auchinleck defeated Rommel’s forces at Cyrenaica, Libya, in 1941 and, though he was subsequently forced to retreat, helped to minimize British losses and pave the way for victory against the Germans in North Africa. After his defeat of Rommel, Auchinleck was replaced because of his questionable defensive strategy. It was not until 1943 that he was given his next major command, again as commander in chief in India.

In 1946 he was promoted to field marshal and as supreme commander in India he oversaw the division of the Indian army following the creation of Pakistan. In November 1947 he resigned due to disagreement with the Indian leaders.

A nice association copy with the two signatures.