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Ballybunion to the River Kwai: An Irishman’s Story of Survival on the Death Railway
272 pages, Paperback
Published August 21, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 1, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ A Captivating Family Saga Rooted in History and Heart
Ballybunion to the River Kwai, by Fergus Kennedy, is a gripping and deeply personal journey that weaves together the idyllic charm of small-town Ireland with the harrowing trials of the Second World War. Kennedy traces his father’s origins in Ballybunion, County Kerry—where the rhythms of community, sport, and rural life shaped his early years—and follows him on the brutal odyssey to the infamous River Kwai in Burma, where he endured the inhuman conditions of a POW camp.
What makes this memoir shine is its perfect blend of evocative local color and gut‑wrenching war reportage. Kennedy writes with clarity and compassion, never shying away from the emotional scars of conflict. His descriptions of the landscape—rolling Irish hills, misty coastal walks, the steamy, jungle-choked tracks of the Burma Railway—are vivid and transportive.
At times, the transitions between tender family anecdotes and darker chapters of war feel slightly abrupt, and some readers might wish for more context on the broader historical background. Nonetheless, these structural quibbles are minor when stacked against the resonance of the story.
This is a striking and heartfelt account of generational courage and survival. It offers both a tribute to one man’s endurance and a poignant reminder of the heritage carried by his descendants. A strong recommendation for those drawn to personal histories, wartime narratives, and Irish familial lore.
Ballybunion to the River Kwai, by Fergus Kennedy, is a gripping and deeply personal journey that weaves together the idyllic charm of small-town Ireland with the harrowing trials of the Second World War. Kennedy traces his father’s origins in Ballybunion, County Kerry—where the rhythms of community, sport, and rural life shaped his early years—and follows him on the brutal odyssey to the infamous River Kwai in Burma, where he endured the inhuman conditions of a POW camp.
What makes this memoir shine is its perfect blend of evocative local color and gut‑wrenching war reportage. Kennedy writes with clarity and compassion, never shying away from the emotional scars of conflict. His descriptions of the landscape—rolling Irish hills, misty coastal walks, the steamy, jungle-choked tracks of the Burma Railway—are vivid and transportive.
At times, the transitions between tender family anecdotes and darker chapters of war feel slightly abrupt, and some readers might wish for more context on the broader historical background. Nonetheless, these structural quibbles are minor when stacked against the resonance of the story.
This is a striking and heartfelt account of generational courage and survival. It offers both a tribute to one man’s endurance and a poignant reminder of the heritage carried by his descendants. A strong recommendation for those drawn to personal histories, wartime narratives, and Irish familial lore.
July 1, 2025
The title intrigued me as I grew up near Ballybunion and I love history so it was a win win. It is obvious the author did a lot of research as other than his dads military record he had no stories handed down from his father and there is a lot of information in the book. The book maybe suffers a little from this as it is all facts but no warmth that you get from most historical biographies written by a family member.
For those into history it is a good book and a more real telling of the bridge over the river Kwai than the Hollywood movie. It is the second book I have read about an Irishman in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and I now understand why the Allies killed so many of their own in air raids. The Thai people that smuggled in money and drugs (medicines) are true heros and it is great they are acknowledged in this book.
The bad treatment of the Irish when they came home after serving at war is mentioned and I understand as it is the author's family he is a little scathing but as an Irish woman I understand the thinking of a newly formed republic that of course did not want to fight alongside of their old oppressor. There is no acknowledgement of why Ireland had ties to Germany (even if it was ill advised) so I fear anyone with zero knowledge of Irish history and the 1916 rising will think very badly of us. It would have been better to leave out a few paragraphs if context is not going to be given.
For those into history it is a good book and a more real telling of the bridge over the river Kwai than the Hollywood movie. It is the second book I have read about an Irishman in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and I now understand why the Allies killed so many of their own in air raids. The Thai people that smuggled in money and drugs (medicines) are true heros and it is great they are acknowledged in this book.
The bad treatment of the Irish when they came home after serving at war is mentioned and I understand as it is the author's family he is a little scathing but as an Irish woman I understand the thinking of a newly formed republic that of course did not want to fight alongside of their old oppressor. There is no acknowledgement of why Ireland had ties to Germany (even if it was ill advised) so I fear anyone with zero knowledge of Irish history and the 1916 rising will think very badly of us. It would have been better to leave out a few paragraphs if context is not going to be given.
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August 10, 2025oh I thought I said I had finished it but I didn't :/ oobs
October 24, 2025
Great story written with love and nuance about an Irishman who became a POW while volunteering to fight the Japanese.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews