This study of the Malayan Emergency examines not only the military but also the administrative, economic, political, and social aspects of the guerrilla war. Taking a cue from the hearts and minds approach to counter-guerrilla warfare, which was popularized by its success in the Emergency but which has not been well understood, the study details the evolution of the policies of the Malayan Government and the Malayan Communist Party and plots the fluctuating fortunes of each side as the sympathies, allegiances, and actions of the people were influenced by the changing circumstances.