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The theme of the book is threefold. Firstly, the author has refuted the acrimonious allegations that Indian troops abandoned their trenches and fled from the battlefield in the face of the enemy in 1962 without any fight and has discounted the slanderous tales about the cowardice of our soldiers.
Secondly, contrarily, the writer narrates the gallant acts of the Indian solder under the most adverse conditions of height, terrain, arctic weather and extenuating communications. Fighting on the exterior lines, when poorly supplied, troops magnificently stood out in the face of waves of ferocious and overwhelming assaults of the veteran Chinese soldiers of the Korean war where they jabbed through the ranks of the American Army. Though the Indian troops were denied offensive air support, artillery cover was meagre and the terrain was unsuitable for the employment of armour, the performance of the troops was magnificent. Fighting pitched battles, some Indian sub-units in Thagla, Bumla, Walong and Chasul sectors were completely wiped out. Troops fought out tenacious patrol encounters around Sela and kept the enemy at bay for almost a month. They also uprooted enemy roadblocks at Nyukmadong, below Sela.
Thirdly, Colonel Kler has made certain pragmatic and cogent suggestions regarding re-location of Headquarters Eastern Command and its formations in the distant, increasingly active and vibrant East. He has some ideas to put forward about the defence forces in general. He has also advanced practical and sound solutions regarding the vexed historical frontiers with China and the festering Jammu and Kashmir problem, they legacy of the partition of the subcontinent. The two balanced solutions can certainly impart stability to India and the region.
