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Return From The River Kwai
Blair, Joan and Clay, Return from the River Kway
338 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 17, 2021
My grandfather was one of the British POW survivors of the Rakuyo Maru (picked up by USS Sealion). He never spoke of his ordeal so what I did know of it was told to me second or third-hand. He was not interviewed or mentioned in the book, but I did appreciate such an in-depth account of what he and the other POWs experienced. It is a testament to his strength as well as the stubbornness that runs in the family! It also makes me realize how lucky we all are - he survived by a slim margin, and without him, none of my family would exist today. That’s a very humbling thought. I had much respect for him and I miss him dearly. This book has helped me feel even closer to him.
July 5, 2020
British and Australian sailors, soldiers, and airmen are marched from the prisoner of war camps in Burma and Thailand, where they were forced to construct railroads, to Saigon. There they are to be loaded onto freighters bound for Japan where they will serve as forced laborers. But first they have to survive the gauntlet of American submarines that are sinking Japanese shipping in the South China Sea. Two ships, which aren't marked as hospital ships, are torpedoed by the submarines. Will the survivors be picked up by Japanese ships and sent to Japan? Will they be rescued by the American submarines? While they are adrift they have to survive the sun, salt water, sharks, and oil slicks.
The authors were able to track down & interview many of the survivors as well as American submarine crew members. This book is a quick and enjoyable read.
The authors were able to track down & interview many of the survivors as well as American submarine crew members. This book is a quick and enjoyable read.
September 25, 2018
This is an engaging read about a tragic event during the war. While I had heard of the general situation, I was not all that aware of the details. The author perfectly blends facts with details and the right amount of personal anecdotes. While there are a multitude of characters, the narrative is easy to follow without confusing who is who.
June 2, 2024
The horrors lived by these POWs are very atrocious. They survive war camps to be torpedoed not by the Japanese but the Allied Forces. But in reading this book I realize that as bad as the Japanese treated these prisoners when the tables were turned they treated the enemy just as cruelly. I guess there are no winners in war.
Next hardcover: "Star Trek 3" by James Blish (1969)
Next hardcover: "Star Trek 3" by James Blish (1969)
August 19, 2015
The famous movie "Bridge on the River Kwai" tells a somewhat fictionalized account of the British and Australian POW soldiers who were forced to build the "Railway of Death" during WWII for the Japanese. "Return From the River Kwai" tells the harrowing tale of about 2200 of those soldiers who were selected because they were healthier than the others to be sent to Japan for work in the factories there. While en route the ships they sailed on, the Kachidoki Maru and Rakuyo Maru, were torpedoed and sunk by American submarines who weren't aware that they carried human cargo. The men who survived spent as much as a week floating in the ocean before being rescued by those same submarines. This book tells the firsthand accounts of their experiences and the hardships they endured, from the terrible conditions in POW camps and the difficulties of staying afloat and sane in a vast ocean, to the joys of being rescued and returned to society.
The Blairs have done a terrific job of putting together the individual accounts and historical documents that form one of the extraordinary stories of surviving the brutal conditions of war. Written nearly 30 years ago, I didn't expect the writing to be as engrossing as it was, but by interviewing dozens of the survivors it gave a sense of what it might have been like to have been there. Unpleasant details are not left out either, although they are told with a sense of dignity that is sometimes lacking in other books. Intertwined with the record of the survivors is the story told by the men on the submarines, who played such an important role in rescuing the stranded men. Overall a great book that details a story that ought not be forgotten, and gives a greater sense of appreciation for the struggles and sacrifices of that earlier generation.
The Blairs have done a terrific job of putting together the individual accounts and historical documents that form one of the extraordinary stories of surviving the brutal conditions of war. Written nearly 30 years ago, I didn't expect the writing to be as engrossing as it was, but by interviewing dozens of the survivors it gave a sense of what it might have been like to have been there. Unpleasant details are not left out either, although they are told with a sense of dignity that is sometimes lacking in other books. Intertwined with the record of the survivors is the story told by the men on the submarines, who played such an important role in rescuing the stranded men. Overall a great book that details a story that ought not be forgotten, and gives a greater sense of appreciation for the struggles and sacrifices of that earlier generation.
October 31, 2014
Return from the River Kwai is the story of two shiploads of POWs being sent to Japan for work detail. The Allies bomb the ships, not knowing they are carrying prisoners. In the first part of the book many uninteresting facts are strung together (based on government reports?) to lead up to the main story. After the ships are torpedoed, eye-witness accounts are included in the narrative, which make the book absolutely riveting.
It is a tribute to the resilience of human nature that most of the survivors went on to live normal lives as lawyers, farmers, firemen, postmen, meat inspectors, or artists. Some of them even remained in the military for their careers.
It is a tribute to the resilience of human nature that most of the survivors went on to live normal lives as lawyers, farmers, firemen, postmen, meat inspectors, or artists. Some of them even remained in the military for their careers.
November 12, 2008
Unbelievable, it is almost unbelievable what happened to some very unlucky Aussies during WWII. This has nothing to do with the silly movie of a similar name. This is a remarkable tale of survival, and bad luck. A great story and a great read. I guarantee you will walk away at the end of this book shaking your head. Its almost too much to understand what some men went through.
November 16, 2012
An interesting, detailed and personal account of a group of Australian and British POW's who survived the Burma Railway only to have their transport ship torpedoed as they were being sent to Japan. The book also follows the story of the American submariners and finishes with the rescue and follow-up of around 150 of the POW's.
October 19, 2014
The Japanese use prisoners of war to build a railroad in Burma. One of the rivers bridged for this effort was the Kwai. Unlike in the movie, no attempt to destroy the bridge was made. When the rail line was completed, surviving POWs were sent to Japan aboard two ships which were attacked by American submarines.
August 29, 2013
An amazing account of the Pacific Theater POW experience. Alternates between the submarine battle (and rescue) and the first-hand accounts of the POWs, which keeps the plot moving. Extensive research was conducted to write this book, as shown by the bibliography and extensive source notes of interviews, and it remains as vital today as when it was written.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews