IN GURKHA COMPANY - The British Army Gurkha's 1948 to Present by Cross, Lt. Col. J. P

London, 1986, Arms & Armour Press, UK 1st edition, hard bound w/DJ, Fine/Fine condition , 6 1/4 x 9 1/2, 203 pages, illus. maps, appendices, index.------------------------------------ Excellent account of operations of British Gurkha battalions in Malaya, Borneo and the Falklands. For two hundred years, `Gurkha' has been a name to conjure with. Hardy hillmen, born and bred in the shadow of the Himalayas, the Gurkhas are renowned for their military excellence, unwavering loyalty and awesome bravery.Known as 'The Brigade of Gurkhas', they have been an integral part of the British Army since 1948, serving in theatres of conflict that have called for both tenacity and adaptability. The Emergency in Malaya and the Confrontation in Borneo demanded the highest skills of jungle fighting – where the Gurkha's ability to remain silent and still, unseen among the jungle leaves or the high grass, confounded the enemy time after time. And, when the action began, their courage and pugnacity struck terror into the hearts of their foes in countless sharp actions along the border between Borneo and Indonesia.------------------------------------------------------------ Like their comrades in the British Army, the Gurkhas have adapted to new roles and challenges, including the demanding task of peacekeeping in an urban environment, such as Hong Kong; but their daunting reputation remains unchanged – during the Falklands conflict, the Gurkhas barely had time to get to grips with the enemy, yet the mystique of their name preceded them to the enemy lines. Spiced with gruesome (if apocryphal) stories, it contributed in no small way to the low morale of the Argentine land forces.--------------------------------------------------------------------------Many books have extolled the exploits of the Gurkhas; In Gurkha Company brings to the subject a depth of experience and understanding that few authors can match. Colonel J. P. Cross served for more than thirty years with these tough soldiers, hunting out communist terrorists in the rubber plantations of Malaya and fighting at their side in the jungles of Borneo. His perceptive account paints a portrait of the Gurkha battalions from the inside, enabling the reader to appreciate and understand the unique blend of martial qualities that has made these highland warriors so formidable on the battlefields of the world.