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Ratings: ★★★☆☆ (3.8/5)
Genre: History / Military History / Sri Lankan Non‑Fiction / World War II

Book Review:
War and Warriors by Premil Ratnayake recounts Sri Lanka's (then Ceylon) vicarious involvement in the Second World War during British colonial rule. The book describes the Japanese air raid on Trincomalee harbour on Easter Sunday, the presence of Allied foreign troops, and the naive exodus of Ceylonese civilians fleeing to rural villages. The attack, though mild by global standards, was a tremendous shock to a people unused to modern warfare. The British considered Ceylon a strategic outpost in the South Asian war theatre. An important read for those interested in Sri Lanka's colonial and military history.