From Burma With Love: Fifteen Months of Daily Letters - Personal WWII

In this review of From Burma With Love readers get a deeply personal window into one American family's wartime experience; the book is best for history readers who value primary sources and emotional honesty. Compiled by Stephen W. Reiss from nearly 1,000 letters exchanged between Irv and Mary Reiss from late 1943 through March 1945, the collection is notable for its intimacy: virtually every letter ends with the refrain I love you very very much, making the correspondence a sustained portrait of separation, worry, and the small acts of care that sustained them while Irv served overseas in India and Burma.

Key Features

• Daily correspondence: Two letters per day for fifteen months provide a near-diary level continuity that helps readers follow the emotional arc of the couple through the war.
• Nearly 1,000 letters: The volume includes additions from friends and relatives to expand context and show how others reacted and supported the couple.
• Personal refrain: Repeated closings such as I love you very very much create a powerful through-line that emphasizes devotion despite distance.
• First child present: The birth and early months of Stephen in June 1944 are documented indirectly, grounding the narrative in family life amid conflict.
• Military service record: Irv Reiss's service dates and foreign duty in India and Burma lend factual context to the letters and place the personal story within a clear historical framework.

Who It's For

This book will appeal to readers of personal wartime letters, family historians, and anyone researching American service in India and Burma during World War II who wants unvarnished, everyday detail rather than strategic military analysis. The intimate format is especially valuable to descendants and regional historians interested in the human side of service.

Readers seeking a concise military history, operational maps, or broad strategic overview should look elsewhere; this collection focuses on emotion, family routine, and correspondence rather than battle narratives or scholarly military interpretation.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Authentic primary documents deliver emotional immediacy and a continuous personal timeline across fifteen months.
• The inclusion of letters from friends and relatives broadens perspective beyond the two principal correspondents.
• Clear service details for Irv situate the letters in a verifiable historical timeframe.

Cons

• The focus on daily emotion and family life means readers expecting tactical or strategic military detail will find limited material.

Specifications

Title	From Burma With Love: Fifteen months of daily letters
Author / Compiler	Stephen W. Reiss
Correspondents	Irv and Mary Reiss (Dad and Mom) plus friends and relatives
Time span	Late 1943 through March 1945
Letter count	Nearly 1,000 letters
Notable dates	Irv service Jun 27, 1941 to Sep 17, 1945; foreign duty in India/Burma ~1 year

Our Verdict

This intimate collection is a worthwhile purchase for readers who value primary wartime correspondence and family-centered narratives; it offers a sustained emotional through-line across nearly 1,000 letters and useful service details that anchor the personal testimony in history, delivering strong value to descendants, local historians, and readers who prioritize human experience over strategic military analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these original letters?
They are presented as compiled correspondence gathered by Stephen W. Reiss, including letters from Irv and Mary plus additions from friends and relatives.

What period do the letters cover?
The letters run from late 1943 through March 1945, with related service dates provided for context.

Does the book include military details?
It includes service dates and foreign duty information for Irv but focuses mainly on personal and family matters rather than tactical military history.