His Majesty’s Headhunters: The Siege Of Kohima

Price: ₹410.00
(as of Mar 13, 2024 08:55:01 UTC – Details)

Surprisingly little is known about the siege of Kohima, considered a game-changing event that altered the course of world history during the Second World War. His Majesty’ s Headhunters adds to our understanding of this battle and shows how it redefined a whole era.

Providing a unique perspective of Nagaland and its warriors, this book uncovers the untold story of the siege, regarded as one of the more celebrated battles of D-Day and often referred to as the ‘ Stalingrad of the East’ by Western scholars. Historians even believe that this was the last battle of the British Empire
and the first battle of the ‘ New India’ .

However, that is just the tale told so far by everyone except the Nagas. The real history of this battle— which involved the Japanese Army, led by Lieutenant General Sato, and the Allied forces— is yet to be recounted. As Lt Gen. Sato is said to have remarked, if it were not for the Naga people, the Allied forces would have been defeated in Kohima, and the Japanese Army would have easily secured the Dimapur railway station and moved victoriously towards Bengal via Assam, thus reversing the outcome of the war.

This rare and deeply researched historical account, drawing on records left by the officers and soldiers who fought in Kohima, is a page-turner. It brings to light the valour and spirit of the Naga ‘ headhunters’ , who made the supreme sacrifice to protect the honour of their people.

From the Publisher

The Kohima stone erected by Raja Ghambir Singh, 1833

Inscription on a modern Morung in Kigwema village mentioning the arrival of the Japanese forces

The mushroom-domed pillars of the Kachari Kingdom in Dimapur

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage Books (27 November 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0670096830
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0670096831
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 410 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 21.5 x 14 x 2.9 cm
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ India