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The Forgotten Highlander: My Incredible Story of Survival During the War in the Far East
Alistair Urquhart was a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders, captured by the Japanese in Singapore. Forced into manual labor as a POW, he survived 750 days in the jungle working as a slave on the notorious "Death Railway" and building the Bridge on the River Kwai. Subsequently, he moved to work on a Japanese "hellship," his ship was torpedoed, and nearly everyone on board the ship died. Not Urquhart. After five days adrift on a raft in the South China Sea, he was rescued by a Japanese whaling ship. His luck would only get worse as he was taken to Japan and forced to work in a mine near Nagasaki. Two months later, he was just ten miles from ground zero when an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. In late August 1945, he was freed by the American Navy--a living skeleton--and had his first wash in three and a half years. This is the extraordinary story of a young man, conscripted at nineteen, who survived not just one, but three encounters with death, any of which should have probably killed him. Silent for over fifty years, this is Urquhart's inspirational tale in his own words. It is as moving as any memoir and as exciting as any great war movie.
312 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2010
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About the author
Alistair Urquhart
8 books14 followersAlistair Urquhart was a retired Scottish businessman and author of The Forgotten Highlander, an account of the three and a half years he spent as a Japanese prisoner of war during his service in the Gordon Highlanders infantry regiment during the Second World War.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
November 9, 2018
To read Alastair Urquhart's account of the horrors he endured at the hands of the Japanese is shocking and quite moving. An extraordinary story of a 19 year soldier in the Gordon Highlanders captured by the Japenese in Singapore. He not only survived 750 days in the jungle working as a slave on the notorious death railway and the bridge on the river Kwai but he was also taken prisoner on one of the Japanese Hell ships which was torpedoed resulting in nearly everyone on board, but Urquhart liked to tell the tale and his book is a remarkable telling of his journey.
I have read a few books written by or about survivors of the War in the far east and each one is as important in its own right and deserves its place on The History Book Shelves. These soldiers accounts of their time as POWs at at the hands of the Japensese make for harrowing but powerful and necessary reading and for me their survival stories are in rememberance and in honor of their comrades who didnt make it back home.
This account is well written, concise and moving. I marvelled at the strength of mind and character of Alistair to survive the horrendous conditions he was subjected to by the Japanese. His journey home return to civilian life must have been just as difficult as I cant imagine how he documents his return to "normal" life and his struggles with coping. I was shocked that POWs were asked to sign a disclaimer by the British Army to say they would never speak of what had happened to them while POWs. These men truly were the forgotten heroes who arrived home to silence and struggled to put the past to rights.
An inspirational story for those interested in history and war. I can also recommend
and
both books are remarkable survival stories.
I have read a few books written by or about survivors of the War in the far east and each one is as important in its own right and deserves its place on The History Book Shelves. These soldiers accounts of their time as POWs at at the hands of the Japensese make for harrowing but powerful and necessary reading and for me their survival stories are in rememberance and in honor of their comrades who didnt make it back home.
This account is well written, concise and moving. I marvelled at the strength of mind and character of Alistair to survive the horrendous conditions he was subjected to by the Japanese. His journey home return to civilian life must have been just as difficult as I cant imagine how he documents his return to "normal" life and his struggles with coping. I was shocked that POWs were asked to sign a disclaimer by the British Army to say they would never speak of what had happened to them while POWs. These men truly were the forgotten heroes who arrived home to silence and struggled to put the past to rights.
An inspirational story for those interested in history and war. I can also recommend
and
both books are remarkable survival stories.
May 10, 2021
Was really looking forward to reading this after seeing many good reviews on it, but I was very disappointed by the book. I just really did not like it and could not get into the style of the authors writing. I must say that I have the utmost respect for the author at surviving all the horrors he went through, but after reading other books and articles about the same subject, his story is a bit self centered and some of his story varies a lot from other former POW stories from the same time.
July 18, 2021
Do you think it's possible to survive having malaria, dysentery, beri-beri and tropical infected skin ulcers all at the same time while being worked to death during WW2 in a Japanese prison camp building a railroad in Burma?
The Forgotten Highlander, Alistair Urquhart, managed to do just that, surviving to return home to tell of his hellish experiences in this book.
In a strange way this book was almost uplifting instead of depressing. Alistair nearly died so many times it's a miracle he survived.
Young Alistair was enjoying his army enlistment in Singapore until the Japanese army broke through and conquered the "impregnable" colony.
In short order the young and wholesome Alistair became enslaved and forced to work building a railroad while being fed less than a cup of rice per day. He was one of the few survivors having spent 750 days of hard labor.
Alistair was slowly starving to death when the POWs were shipped to the mainland of Japan as their services were required during this stage of the war. More bad luck followed as the enslaved were packed into the ship to the extent that it wasn't possible to sit. On the journey to Japan the slave ship was hit by an American torpedo and sunk.
Alistair somehow managed to survive 5 days in the ocean until the Japanese relief effort finally found him. The survivors were packed into another ship to continue their journey to Japan but this time it was almost unbearable to read what happened next.
They were locked in the hold for 3 days without any food or water and many POW's went insane and starting killing and eating each other in order to drink blood.
Alistair did survive and returned home to the highlands of Scotland, but he would never be the same again, physically or mentally. After all his suffering he decided to dedicate his life to helping others, which he has done while living to a ripe old age.
It's a miracle that any of these poor POWs were able to survive.
Alistair's will to live was what kept him going and I've never heard or read about a man this brave.
Alistair story is inspirational although sometimes difficult to read.
This book might not be for all people due to the barbarism displayed throughout.
The Forgotten Highlander, Alistair Urquhart, managed to do just that, surviving to return home to tell of his hellish experiences in this book.
In a strange way this book was almost uplifting instead of depressing. Alistair nearly died so many times it's a miracle he survived.
Young Alistair was enjoying his army enlistment in Singapore until the Japanese army broke through and conquered the "impregnable" colony.
In short order the young and wholesome Alistair became enslaved and forced to work building a railroad while being fed less than a cup of rice per day. He was one of the few survivors having spent 750 days of hard labor.
Alistair was slowly starving to death when the POWs were shipped to the mainland of Japan as their services were required during this stage of the war. More bad luck followed as the enslaved were packed into the ship to the extent that it wasn't possible to sit. On the journey to Japan the slave ship was hit by an American torpedo and sunk.
Alistair somehow managed to survive 5 days in the ocean until the Japanese relief effort finally found him. The survivors were packed into another ship to continue their journey to Japan but this time it was almost unbearable to read what happened next.
They were locked in the hold for 3 days without any food or water and many POW's went insane and starting killing and eating each other in order to drink blood.
Alistair did survive and returned home to the highlands of Scotland, but he would never be the same again, physically or mentally. After all his suffering he decided to dedicate his life to helping others, which he has done while living to a ripe old age.
It's a miracle that any of these poor POWs were able to survive.
Alistair's will to live was what kept him going and I've never heard or read about a man this brave.
Alistair story is inspirational although sometimes difficult to read.
This book might not be for all people due to the barbarism displayed throughout.
October 22, 2011
On completion: Even before I finished the last chapter I knew I would give this book five stars, but the last chapter concisely and honestly tells how he reacted to civilian life after the war. His struggles were not simply over when he returned to Scotland. I am speaking of the psychological battles that remained to be surmounted. This moved me to tears. He was gone for six years, but even beyond the six years he had terrible memories to conquer. There was euphoria when the Japanese capitualted. I had a hard time deatling with all the smiles, but then the aftermath was properly, touchingly and heart-wrenchingly described too. Bureaucratic decisions and the British demand that the POW were NOT speak a word about their experiences makes you want to kick somebody. Why was this demanded? Politics! What else? Japan was sought as an ally against the Russians and Chinese. For me, even more than the British Army's betrayal of these soldiers, the reader feels the psychological difficulties that Alistair had to confront. I will never look at ballroom dancing in the same light again. And now I really know about the "Death Railway", about the bridge over the River Kwai, about the hellships and the "Fat Man" in Nagasaki. And the trip home. And......
Furthermore, I leave this book with the thought that people should stop griping about their small insignificant problems. I leave this book admiring Alistair tremendously.
I have written more about the book under the comments, if you are intereested.
*****************************************
Through 94 pages: What pushes me most to read this book is that the Japanese deny the massacres which they committed in WW2! I am sure that you reading my review, you are not ignorant of what has occurred. That is because we read.
Singapore has been captured by the Japanese. Alistair is forced with those others captured to walk northward. He will be one of those to build the notorious "Death Railway" from Thailand into Burma. He was soon to be one of those working on the notoriuos bridge over the River Kwai. And according to the Japanese the Rape of Nanking in 0937 just didn't happen. According to the Japanese the prisoners working on the railway, they were treated humanely.......
Then as we marched along the dusty road, without warning a horrific sight confronted us. We came face to face with a thicket of severed Chinese heads, speared on poles on both sides of the road. The mutilated bodies of these poor souls lay nearby and the heads, with their eyes rolled back, presented a truly shocking spectacle. The sickly sweet smell of rotting, putrefying flesh smothered us. ....For the rest of our march spiked heads, mainly Chinese, appeared at intervals in this way....
Unknown to us we had walked into the middle of the 'Sook Ching' massacre, a well planned Japanese purge of Chinese opponents, both real and potential. More than fifty thousand Chinese were murdered with the sickening sadism that seemed endemic in the Japanese Army. (pages 95-96)
Time and time again Japanese have murdered Chinese in a manner that is hard to comprehend. And not just the Chinese. One comes to understand that no Chinese can look on a Japanese without mistrust. How does one forget such? Historu cannot be forgotten. Should it be forgotten? How does one go on living with the knowledge?
Furthermore, I leave this book with the thought that people should stop griping about their small insignificant problems. I leave this book admiring Alistair tremendously.
I have written more about the book under the comments, if you are intereested.
*****************************************
Through 94 pages: What pushes me most to read this book is that the Japanese deny the massacres which they committed in WW2! I am sure that you reading my review, you are not ignorant of what has occurred. That is because we read.
Singapore has been captured by the Japanese. Alistair is forced with those others captured to walk northward. He will be one of those to build the notorious "Death Railway" from Thailand into Burma. He was soon to be one of those working on the notoriuos bridge over the River Kwai. And according to the Japanese the Rape of Nanking in 0937 just didn't happen. According to the Japanese the prisoners working on the railway, they were treated humanely.......
Then as we marched along the dusty road, without warning a horrific sight confronted us. We came face to face with a thicket of severed Chinese heads, speared on poles on both sides of the road. The mutilated bodies of these poor souls lay nearby and the heads, with their eyes rolled back, presented a truly shocking spectacle. The sickly sweet smell of rotting, putrefying flesh smothered us. ....For the rest of our march spiked heads, mainly Chinese, appeared at intervals in this way....
Unknown to us we had walked into the middle of the 'Sook Ching' massacre, a well planned Japanese purge of Chinese opponents, both real and potential. More than fifty thousand Chinese were murdered with the sickening sadism that seemed endemic in the Japanese Army. (pages 95-96)
Time and time again Japanese have murdered Chinese in a manner that is hard to comprehend. And not just the Chinese. One comes to understand that no Chinese can look on a Japanese without mistrust. How does one forget such? Historu cannot be forgotten. Should it be forgotten? How does one go on living with the knowledge?
May 20, 2019
4.5 stars. An amazing story of survival. Remarkable too that this book was published in 2010, when Alistair Urquhart was in his 90th year. His memory still vivid and alive enough to recount his experiences, he has left us with an incredible memoir detailing the horrific treatment he received at the hands of the Japanese. From the introduction……
I was lucky to survive capture in Singapore and to come out of the jungle alive after 750 days as a slave on the ‘Death Railway’ and the bridge over the river Kwai. Surviving my ordeal in the hellship Kachidoki Maru and, after we were torpedoed, five days adrift alone in the South China Sea, perhaps stretched my luck. So too my close shave with the atomic bomb, when I was struck by the blast of the A-bomb dropped on Nagasaki.
Full on, and to think he lived to the ripe old age of 97. Amazing. He goes on to explain that the reason he and others have remained silent for so long was to spare loved ones, and especially himself, from the distress and torment that the memories bring back. Also all survivors signed agreements with the government that they would not discuss the war crimes they witnessed……
During the Cold War those of us who survived became an embarrassment to the British and American governments, which turned a blind eye to Japanese war crimes in their desire to forge alliances against China and Russia.
Be warned this is not an easy book to read. The pain and suffering of Urquhart and fellow prisoners is gruesome at times. In appalling conditions, virtually all of them experienced tropical ulcers, dysentery, persistent diarrhoea, beriberi as well as broken bones and limbs as a result of the savage beatings from the Japanese (and Korean) guards. They ended up like walking skeletons and it’s hard to fathom how any of them made it through.
So how did Urquhart survive unimaginable hardship, pain and suffering? No doubt he did have some luck. It also helped that he was in pretty good physical condition. He was a good track and field athlete, a strong swimmer and an accomplished ballroom dancer. At the worse times he would invoke memories of a happy childhood and his loved ones. One of his main strategies was to remain somewhat of a loner. He noticed many men found the going easier by teaming up with another prisoner, sharing food and water, work, their life stories and becoming good mates. But if one of them died, which was often the case, the partner was heartbroken and went soon after….Once you got started with sentimentality and grief you were a goner. It was a selfish tactic but I was desperate to survive.
An important reason that Alistair Urquhart wanted to write his memoir was that he is dismayed and angry with the Japanese government for denying the atrocities that were committed in WWII. I admit to some bias here but my experience of being with my Japanese wife for nearly 20 years, knowing her parents who are both still alive and who were actually in Nagasaki the day the A-bomb was dropped, and of my wife’s Japanese friends and their families, is that there is indeed an awareness of what happened and great sadness and shame associated with that. True it’s not often talked about and also what students learn in school may not tell all of the grizzly details but I believe this is because of the shame brought about by discussing it. In many ways Japan is a shame based culture and most people prefer not to talk about what happened in WWII simply because it is shameful. Don’t let the silence and the sometimes questionable statements and actions from the Japanese government fool you that ordinary people don’t know what happened or that they deny what happened. Having said this though, I do understand the horror Urquhart experienced made him bitter and angry towards the Japanese.
I would have liked to hear a bit more about his life after the war, only the last 10-20 pages were dedicated to this. But that's a minor complaint, Alistair Urquhart is an inspirational person and this is a very well told and incredible survival story.
I was lucky to survive capture in Singapore and to come out of the jungle alive after 750 days as a slave on the ‘Death Railway’ and the bridge over the river Kwai. Surviving my ordeal in the hellship Kachidoki Maru and, after we were torpedoed, five days adrift alone in the South China Sea, perhaps stretched my luck. So too my close shave with the atomic bomb, when I was struck by the blast of the A-bomb dropped on Nagasaki.
Full on, and to think he lived to the ripe old age of 97. Amazing. He goes on to explain that the reason he and others have remained silent for so long was to spare loved ones, and especially himself, from the distress and torment that the memories bring back. Also all survivors signed agreements with the government that they would not discuss the war crimes they witnessed……
During the Cold War those of us who survived became an embarrassment to the British and American governments, which turned a blind eye to Japanese war crimes in their desire to forge alliances against China and Russia.
Be warned this is not an easy book to read. The pain and suffering of Urquhart and fellow prisoners is gruesome at times. In appalling conditions, virtually all of them experienced tropical ulcers, dysentery, persistent diarrhoea, beriberi as well as broken bones and limbs as a result of the savage beatings from the Japanese (and Korean) guards. They ended up like walking skeletons and it’s hard to fathom how any of them made it through.
So how did Urquhart survive unimaginable hardship, pain and suffering? No doubt he did have some luck. It also helped that he was in pretty good physical condition. He was a good track and field athlete, a strong swimmer and an accomplished ballroom dancer. At the worse times he would invoke memories of a happy childhood and his loved ones. One of his main strategies was to remain somewhat of a loner. He noticed many men found the going easier by teaming up with another prisoner, sharing food and water, work, their life stories and becoming good mates. But if one of them died, which was often the case, the partner was heartbroken and went soon after….Once you got started with sentimentality and grief you were a goner. It was a selfish tactic but I was desperate to survive.
An important reason that Alistair Urquhart wanted to write his memoir was that he is dismayed and angry with the Japanese government for denying the atrocities that were committed in WWII. I admit to some bias here but my experience of being with my Japanese wife for nearly 20 years, knowing her parents who are both still alive and who were actually in Nagasaki the day the A-bomb was dropped, and of my wife’s Japanese friends and their families, is that there is indeed an awareness of what happened and great sadness and shame associated with that. True it’s not often talked about and also what students learn in school may not tell all of the grizzly details but I believe this is because of the shame brought about by discussing it. In many ways Japan is a shame based culture and most people prefer not to talk about what happened in WWII simply because it is shameful. Don’t let the silence and the sometimes questionable statements and actions from the Japanese government fool you that ordinary people don’t know what happened or that they deny what happened. Having said this though, I do understand the horror Urquhart experienced made him bitter and angry towards the Japanese.
I would have liked to hear a bit more about his life after the war, only the last 10-20 pages were dedicated to this. But that's a minor complaint, Alistair Urquhart is an inspirational person and this is a very well told and incredible survival story.
August 25, 2017
This is the first time I read a first-hand account of a POW involved in the Malayan Campaign. I am greatly affected by it, despite being brought up on a diet of Japanese atrocities in Asia in World War 2. Much is said about the killing, maiming, raping and torture, but a reader is usually left to imagine the magnitude of these atrocities through the statistics; this book describes in graphic details the actual behaviours of the Japanese and their equally brutal Korean subjects and the horrible conditions the POWs were subjected to.
The author escaped the fighting in Malaya and Singapore as he was assigned to administrative work in the Battle Box in Fort Canning but was taken prisoner after the surrender and hence went on to suffer more than three years in various ordeals including building the notorious Death Railway in Thailand and Burma, being torpedoed in 'hellships' and then almost being close enough when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. He survived to tell the story and the story was all the more stirring precisely because it was not told with heroics in mind. He told an honest story of how he survived and how he tried to go on, he also told a story of how he eventually became almost immune to the death and suffering that was happening around him. But while this book can be read as a superficial description of one man's experience, there are hints of bigger issues that worth exploring. One of these is the author's attitudes towards the Japanese.
It is no surprise that the author loathed his enemies, especially the camp guards who tortured them no end, yet there was one interesting episode that he mentioned briefly near the end of the book that could have given the readers much to think about - he and Dr Mathieson attended to a sick Japanese girl towards whom he felt no animosity. How does a POW, having gone through such systematic inhumane treatment, feel towards another of 'the other'? This complex attitude of the POWs, even if just that of the author, would have added much to the richness of the book.
Another one is the Koreans who were conscripted to serve in South-East Asia. The Koreans today generally still harbour great dislike of the Japanese owing to the bad legacy Japan left as their colonial master. Yet, in the treatment of the POWs and the populace of South-East Asia, Koreans are known to be no less harsh than the Japanese. In fact, the author even alluded to the Japanese being more measured when it came to beating the POWs (pg. 219). The Koreans today paint themselves as the victims of the Japanese imperialism and in the current K-pop wave, most Asians other than the Japanese, are eager to agree. But were they? This is one subject that is worth exploring (together with the attitudes of the Taiwanese who were also conscripted and served in South-East Asia).
The final one is the parallel that I could not help drawing between the author's experience in signing the agreement with the Japanese in the Selarang Incident and with the British government when he returned to Britain. He described himself signing a name that would not identify him, only in this case if he were to be like his comrades who signed 'Mickey Mouse' in Selarang, he would surely blow his own cover. That bitterness in how he was treated upon his return would stay with him. This is not the first time I came across this theme, it was how General Percival was treated upon his release.
This book resonates a lot with me, mainly because it describes the experience of a soldier who was in Singapore in the days before I was born. His description of the sights and sounds of Singapore then gives me much to imagine. The bumpy road he rode along from 'Singapore' (known as 'town' today) to Changi has long since been replaced by an expressway (our term for 'highway') but it was still there when I was young, so is Selarang camp, which I drive past on occasions just to see the white buildings since its so near home. Now I know it was once home to the Gordon Highlanders as well
The author escaped the fighting in Malaya and Singapore as he was assigned to administrative work in the Battle Box in Fort Canning but was taken prisoner after the surrender and hence went on to suffer more than three years in various ordeals including building the notorious Death Railway in Thailand and Burma, being torpedoed in 'hellships' and then almost being close enough when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. He survived to tell the story and the story was all the more stirring precisely because it was not told with heroics in mind. He told an honest story of how he survived and how he tried to go on, he also told a story of how he eventually became almost immune to the death and suffering that was happening around him. But while this book can be read as a superficial description of one man's experience, there are hints of bigger issues that worth exploring. One of these is the author's attitudes towards the Japanese.
It is no surprise that the author loathed his enemies, especially the camp guards who tortured them no end, yet there was one interesting episode that he mentioned briefly near the end of the book that could have given the readers much to think about - he and Dr Mathieson attended to a sick Japanese girl towards whom he felt no animosity. How does a POW, having gone through such systematic inhumane treatment, feel towards another of 'the other'? This complex attitude of the POWs, even if just that of the author, would have added much to the richness of the book.
Another one is the Koreans who were conscripted to serve in South-East Asia. The Koreans today generally still harbour great dislike of the Japanese owing to the bad legacy Japan left as their colonial master. Yet, in the treatment of the POWs and the populace of South-East Asia, Koreans are known to be no less harsh than the Japanese. In fact, the author even alluded to the Japanese being more measured when it came to beating the POWs (pg. 219). The Koreans today paint themselves as the victims of the Japanese imperialism and in the current K-pop wave, most Asians other than the Japanese, are eager to agree. But were they? This is one subject that is worth exploring (together with the attitudes of the Taiwanese who were also conscripted and served in South-East Asia).
The final one is the parallel that I could not help drawing between the author's experience in signing the agreement with the Japanese in the Selarang Incident and with the British government when he returned to Britain. He described himself signing a name that would not identify him, only in this case if he were to be like his comrades who signed 'Mickey Mouse' in Selarang, he would surely blow his own cover. That bitterness in how he was treated upon his return would stay with him. This is not the first time I came across this theme, it was how General Percival was treated upon his release.
This book resonates a lot with me, mainly because it describes the experience of a soldier who was in Singapore in the days before I was born. His description of the sights and sounds of Singapore then gives me much to imagine. The bumpy road he rode along from 'Singapore' (known as 'town' today) to Changi has long since been replaced by an expressway (our term for 'highway') but it was still there when I was young, so is Selarang camp, which I drive past on occasions just to see the white buildings since its so near home. Now I know it was once home to the Gordon Highlanders as well
January 26, 2015
This book tells the story of Alistair Urquhart's wartime experiences as a member of the Gordon Highlander's focusing in particular on his time as a prisoner of war of the Japanese. It is a difficult book to read because of the many horrors which he faced and lived through in his six years as a member of the army. It is also, however, a very clearly written and informative book which includes information on how his life was affected in the long-term because of his captivity. One of the particularly difficult things to hear was that when he was released, the British Government asked him to sign papers saying that he would not discuss his experiences. This no doubt added to his PTSD. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in WW2 history particularly as it pertains to POW's.
October 21, 2019
A dramatic WWII story about one man’s incredible experiences at the hands of the Japanese.
Urquhart wrote this book when he was 90 years old. I don’t know if he had a ghost writer but it is an awfully well written narrative for a novice. The book covers his experience in WWII some seventy years earlier as a young Scotsman. He was drafted at the outset of WWII and assigned to defend Singapore, a British territory, against the Japanese. For the first 18 months his assignment was peaceful but on December 8th, the same day as Pearl Harbor, the Japanese bombs began to fall on Singapore. Within a few short months Singapore was overrun and the Allies surrendered en masse. Urquhart then became a POW and was sent to work on the Bridge on the River Kwai. Here he was a victim of the most horrible brutality at the hands of the Japanese.
Urquhart was probably saved from a certain death of starvation and beatings by eventually contracting cholera in the filthy camp. The cholera nearly killed him. As a result he was sent to another POW camp elsewhere in Thailand that had better facilities where he might recuperate. From the effects of the cholera he lost the use of his legs. He had to perform physical therapy to regain movement and then his horror when he regained mobility he was sent back to the labor camp.
Shortly thereafter Japan evacuated the POWs in Thailand and sent Urquhart and others to Japan by boat to work as slave labor in the coal mines near Nagasaki. Before reaching Japan however their prisoner ship, the Kachidoki Maru, was torpedoed and sunk by the American fleet. Urquhart floated alone on a raft for five days badly burned and near death when he was picked up by a Japanese fishing trawler and was turned over to the POW camp near the mines and only ten miles from the city of Nagasaki where the fatboy bomb was dropped just a few weeks later. An unlucky man to say the least. The last few chapters deal with his return home and how he got on with his life despite having PTSD.
4 stars. Surprisingly good writing and a more dramatic story than I initially anticipated.
Urquhart wrote this book when he was 90 years old. I don’t know if he had a ghost writer but it is an awfully well written narrative for a novice. The book covers his experience in WWII some seventy years earlier as a young Scotsman. He was drafted at the outset of WWII and assigned to defend Singapore, a British territory, against the Japanese. For the first 18 months his assignment was peaceful but on December 8th, the same day as Pearl Harbor, the Japanese bombs began to fall on Singapore. Within a few short months Singapore was overrun and the Allies surrendered en masse. Urquhart then became a POW and was sent to work on the Bridge on the River Kwai. Here he was a victim of the most horrible brutality at the hands of the Japanese.
Urquhart was probably saved from a certain death of starvation and beatings by eventually contracting cholera in the filthy camp. The cholera nearly killed him. As a result he was sent to another POW camp elsewhere in Thailand that had better facilities where he might recuperate. From the effects of the cholera he lost the use of his legs. He had to perform physical therapy to regain movement and then his horror when he regained mobility he was sent back to the labor camp.
Shortly thereafter Japan evacuated the POWs in Thailand and sent Urquhart and others to Japan by boat to work as slave labor in the coal mines near Nagasaki. Before reaching Japan however their prisoner ship, the Kachidoki Maru, was torpedoed and sunk by the American fleet. Urquhart floated alone on a raft for five days badly burned and near death when he was picked up by a Japanese fishing trawler and was turned over to the POW camp near the mines and only ten miles from the city of Nagasaki where the fatboy bomb was dropped just a few weeks later. An unlucky man to say the least. The last few chapters deal with his return home and how he got on with his life despite having PTSD.
4 stars. Surprisingly good writing and a more dramatic story than I initially anticipated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2010
Somehow the Second World War is often thought of as a kinder War than Vietnam or Iraq or Afghanistan. Urquhart’s memoir graphically details the horrors of ANY war. As a 20 year old he’s drafted into the British army and spends almost his entire war in the hands of cruel Japanese and Korean soldiers as he’s forced to build a railroad in the Malaysian jungle along with other UK and Australian soldiers. His keepers completely ignored the Geneva Convention and its tenets. It would have been easy for Urquhart to slip into self pity while telling his story but he doesn’t, he doesn’t need to, the facts are horrible enough. Almost worse was how he was treated when he returned home. The British government asked for documentation of the atrocities he endured. Of course none existed so he was denied the extra pay that would have provided. Instead Urquhart did what so many veterans did and still do and made the most of the life he had ahead of him.
December 8, 2014
If you enjoyed this book then you will equally like Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken".
Mr. Urquhart is a hero to all who have ever served their country in time of war. A brave person who confronted an evil capture and managed to survive the ordeal. He also gains a practical insight as to "why" Great Britain (and to the larger extent the USA) sort of wanted to push these attrocities aside and act almost as if they didn't occur. A book worth every single page in my view.
Mr. Urquhart is a hero to all who have ever served their country in time of war. A brave person who confronted an evil capture and managed to survive the ordeal. He also gains a practical insight as to "why" Great Britain (and to the larger extent the USA) sort of wanted to push these attrocities aside and act almost as if they didn't occur. A book worth every single page in my view.
March 25, 2024
A powerful book!
May 24, 2012
I was recommended to read this book by Alistair's niece whilst I was promoting my father's account of his time as a POW in Upper Silesia.
I have just finished reading this book. Any words I write will not do justice to this book or his suffering. I read the book with horror, sadness and rage.
I also feel awful to be thinking that compared to Alistair's experience, my Dad's experience seemed like a walk in the park. Of course, it wasn't, but my Dad appeared to hang on to his dignity, and was not treated as sub-human.
I struggled to carry on reading at times, as his treatment at the hands of his Japanese captors was unbelievably sadistic and cruel. I am absolutely amazed he survived his terrible treatment.
I was also terribly saddened and outraged to read that his return home was practically hidden from the British public.
Thank you Alistair for sharing your story, and making sure that what happened becomes known. I hope you're still enjoying your dancing.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
I have just finished reading this book. Any words I write will not do justice to this book or his suffering. I read the book with horror, sadness and rage.
I also feel awful to be thinking that compared to Alistair's experience, my Dad's experience seemed like a walk in the park. Of course, it wasn't, but my Dad appeared to hang on to his dignity, and was not treated as sub-human.
I struggled to carry on reading at times, as his treatment at the hands of his Japanese captors was unbelievably sadistic and cruel. I am absolutely amazed he survived his terrible treatment.
I was also terribly saddened and outraged to read that his return home was practically hidden from the British public.
Thank you Alistair for sharing your story, and making sure that what happened becomes known. I hope you're still enjoying your dancing.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
March 1, 2020
This is a remarkable story of survival of a young man from Scotland from the hands of the Japanese during the second world war.
Knowing that this is a true story makes it more sad reading. The brutality Alistair Uruqhart experienced as a POW is horrendous. It's amazing how he and others survived but it's heartbreaking that many did not.
The book was simply written thus easy to follow. The part towards the end when he came back home and trying to adjust to life again was kind of heartbreaking.
It's a good read and will make you feel blessed for not having to experience the horrors of war.
Knowing that this is a true story makes it more sad reading. The brutality Alistair Uruqhart experienced as a POW is horrendous. It's amazing how he and others survived but it's heartbreaking that many did not.
The book was simply written thus easy to follow. The part towards the end when he came back home and trying to adjust to life again was kind of heartbreaking.
It's a good read and will make you feel blessed for not having to experience the horrors of war.
March 29, 2024
This is the powerful story of a survivor. Alistair Urquhart was captured during WW11 and held as a POW. It was shocking to read of the suffering he endured at the hands of the Japanese. This gentleman survived and returned home but his struggles weren’t over, psychological issues left from his experience. I enjoyed the history in this book as well as his story. My dad was a waist gunner in WW11 and flew 32 missions over Germany.
March 22, 2015
The Forgotten Highlander by Alistair Urquhart
5 Stars and a Heart
Alistair Urquhart, the Scottish version of America’s Louie Zamperini tells his story in his own hand. It may not be written with same panache as Laura Hillenbrand’s effort, but it is simple, descriptive (sometimes painfully so), and inspiring. Alistair, a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, was drafted into the Gordon Highlands, a unit that until 1994 comprised of young men from the highlands area of Scotland dating back to 1794. Sent to Singapore he was captured by the Japanese and survived Japanese torture at various POW camps, the Death Railway, a hellship sinking, and finally the dropping of the atomic bomb at Nagasaki while interned at Fukuoka Camp 25 just miles away deteriorating from 135 pounds to a mere 82 pounds when liberated. While he has lingering health issues from his time of captivity, at the age of 96, he continues to enjoy his life-long passion for ballroom dancing and teaches senior citizens how to use computers and the internet.
But, the road back was not easy. There are two areas in which Alistair still has tremendous anger. The first one, I’m fully aware of and that is the Allies inability to insist Japan take responsibilities for the actions, a Cold-War strategy preferring to have Japan as a Pacific ally rather than a subjugate. The second item was startling to me – the UK government’s treatment of returning vets. Alistair strongly feels his delayed return home was an attempt to have him regain some of his pre-war weight before returning as the UK government forced returning to vet to sign an agreement not to speak of what they suffered and, to add insult to injury, he was charged a ‘subsistence’ fee by the UK government for his time in captivity. It wasn’t until 2000, that surviving vets were offered 10000 GBP as compensation.
Apart from his heroic story, Alistair brought to life the emotional pull of his father’s generation who lost so much during WWI as they sent their sons off to face another world war. Finally, Pearl Harbor is often addressed in a vacuum citing the US-Japanese Pacific rivalry and Japan’s desperation for fuel sources. Alistair gives the reader a greater sense of how devastating the sinking of the Navy fleet was to those already stationed in Asia.
If you ever find yourself in Aberdeen, go to the Gordon Highlander Museum. The unit has an incredibly rich history and during my visit last year a docent told me Alistair’s story, leading me to search out a book. It was a great way to to keep moving on my arrival day and fighting jet lag.
5 Stars and a Heart
Alistair Urquhart, the Scottish version of America’s Louie Zamperini tells his story in his own hand. It may not be written with same panache as Laura Hillenbrand’s effort, but it is simple, descriptive (sometimes painfully so), and inspiring. Alistair, a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, was drafted into the Gordon Highlands, a unit that until 1994 comprised of young men from the highlands area of Scotland dating back to 1794. Sent to Singapore he was captured by the Japanese and survived Japanese torture at various POW camps, the Death Railway, a hellship sinking, and finally the dropping of the atomic bomb at Nagasaki while interned at Fukuoka Camp 25 just miles away deteriorating from 135 pounds to a mere 82 pounds when liberated. While he has lingering health issues from his time of captivity, at the age of 96, he continues to enjoy his life-long passion for ballroom dancing and teaches senior citizens how to use computers and the internet.
But, the road back was not easy. There are two areas in which Alistair still has tremendous anger. The first one, I’m fully aware of and that is the Allies inability to insist Japan take responsibilities for the actions, a Cold-War strategy preferring to have Japan as a Pacific ally rather than a subjugate. The second item was startling to me – the UK government’s treatment of returning vets. Alistair strongly feels his delayed return home was an attempt to have him regain some of his pre-war weight before returning as the UK government forced returning to vet to sign an agreement not to speak of what they suffered and, to add insult to injury, he was charged a ‘subsistence’ fee by the UK government for his time in captivity. It wasn’t until 2000, that surviving vets were offered 10000 GBP as compensation.
Apart from his heroic story, Alistair brought to life the emotional pull of his father’s generation who lost so much during WWI as they sent their sons off to face another world war. Finally, Pearl Harbor is often addressed in a vacuum citing the US-Japanese Pacific rivalry and Japan’s desperation for fuel sources. Alistair gives the reader a greater sense of how devastating the sinking of the Navy fleet was to those already stationed in Asia.
If you ever find yourself in Aberdeen, go to the Gordon Highlander Museum. The unit has an incredibly rich history and during my visit last year a docent told me Alistair’s story, leading me to search out a book. It was a great way to to keep moving on my arrival day and fighting jet lag.
April 3, 2018
4.5 stars. Unreal. The events in here are Just unbelievable.
A brilliantly written memoir that will stick with you even after finishing it.
I was honestly shocked by the bleak, horrible and ghastly truth of the prisoners of war in japan that underwent unimaginable amounts of torture and cruelty at the hands of their captors.
I’ve heard many stories about the Infamous death railway before reading this book, but oh my, was I unprepared to learn the truth or what...
The death railway was one of the most horrendous crimes against humanity in the 20th century. It was the unimaginable task undertaken by the Japanese imperial army in building a railway connecting Thailand to Burma.
The captured allied soldiers from Britain, Scotland, Australia were put to work in building this railway and the treatment and cruelty that befell upon these soldiers fell nothing short of inhumanity.
At so many points of this memoir, I was left SO SHOCKED... I honestly don’t even have the words to explain it. I can do no justice with my words on the extent of suffering these prisoners had to go through while they were at these death camps.
I have read so much about the cruelty of the German Nazi regime and the communists of other eras but the cruelty of the then government and army of the imperial japan comes second to NOTHING.
It pains me to think of how an entire generation of soldiers lost their youth and their dignity and their right to be treated as fellow humans through these years of hell. No money or anything in this world can compensate the loss of lives of hundreds of thousands of young men who were simply dragged into a war they did not ask for.
Every time I come across these stories, I just hope and pray that this world would have learned its lesson and that we would NEVER have to go into fruitless wars that strips its people of their humanity in ways that we can’t even imagine..may these emblems of truth by the people who had already gone through it be our light toward peace.. and not war.
A brilliantly written memoir that will stick with you even after finishing it.
I was honestly shocked by the bleak, horrible and ghastly truth of the prisoners of war in japan that underwent unimaginable amounts of torture and cruelty at the hands of their captors.
I’ve heard many stories about the Infamous death railway before reading this book, but oh my, was I unprepared to learn the truth or what...
The death railway was one of the most horrendous crimes against humanity in the 20th century. It was the unimaginable task undertaken by the Japanese imperial army in building a railway connecting Thailand to Burma.
The captured allied soldiers from Britain, Scotland, Australia were put to work in building this railway and the treatment and cruelty that befell upon these soldiers fell nothing short of inhumanity.
At so many points of this memoir, I was left SO SHOCKED... I honestly don’t even have the words to explain it. I can do no justice with my words on the extent of suffering these prisoners had to go through while they were at these death camps.
I have read so much about the cruelty of the German Nazi regime and the communists of other eras but the cruelty of the then government and army of the imperial japan comes second to NOTHING.
It pains me to think of how an entire generation of soldiers lost their youth and their dignity and their right to be treated as fellow humans through these years of hell. No money or anything in this world can compensate the loss of lives of hundreds of thousands of young men who were simply dragged into a war they did not ask for.
Every time I come across these stories, I just hope and pray that this world would have learned its lesson and that we would NEVER have to go into fruitless wars that strips its people of their humanity in ways that we can’t even imagine..may these emblems of truth by the people who had already gone through it be our light toward peace.. and not war.
March 3, 2018
Alistair is a Scot from Aberdeen, drafted with the Gordon Highlanders in the Second World War. Following a deployment to Singapore, he is captured, alongside thousands of other men, by the Japanese army. From then on, six years of horrible treatment ensue. Made to work on the Death Railway between Thailand and Burma, he was beaten and tortured more times than one can count. The diseases he suffered from are painful to just hear of, let alone imagine what he's been through. The reason he wrote this book about his experiences is anger. On one hand, the British government made the few survivors sign slips that they hadn't been mistreated by the Japanese army, even though they had endured slave labour for years. They only recognized their ordeal in 2000 and gave them 10.000 pounds compensation. On the other hand, Japan practically erased this episode from its history, much like they did with the Rape of Nanking, and even though they prosecuted some of the war criminals, the entire subject is basically taboo.
It is exactly because of instances like these where governments engage in very Orwellian actions, that independent accounts of personal experiences are very important. Much like the Nazi concentration camps and the Russian Gulags, it is through the voice of victims that we get a glimpse into the horrors of genocide, democide, mass murder and slave labor perpetrated by the ruling class. Alistair's voice is loud and clear, the writing is sharp. He is telling it as it was. And you wish you weren't there to listen to it. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the episodes of recent human history which seem to defy the entire notion of "modern" or "civilized".
It is exactly because of instances like these where governments engage in very Orwellian actions, that independent accounts of personal experiences are very important. Much like the Nazi concentration camps and the Russian Gulags, it is through the voice of victims that we get a glimpse into the horrors of genocide, democide, mass murder and slave labor perpetrated by the ruling class. Alistair's voice is loud and clear, the writing is sharp. He is telling it as it was. And you wish you weren't there to listen to it. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the episodes of recent human history which seem to defy the entire notion of "modern" or "civilized".
July 8, 2015
If this were a work of fiction, you'd have a hard time suspending disbelief that the protagonist could survive so much. But this is the true account of Alistair Urquhart's survival of being a Japanese POW in WWII. To say I enjoyed this book makes me uncomfortable, because there is nothing enjoyable about it. But I couldn't stop reading. I was shocked at the atrocities that human beings can be capable of. I was amazed at how seemingly impossible it would be to survive on a cup of rotten rice and a cup of bad water a day while enduring hard labour, tropical diseases, torture, and beatings for 3-1/2 years.
January 26, 2011
I don't like books about war, but the summary for this man's survival of amazing events was so astounding I had to try it. What could have been a crushing, demoralizing book was read in such a way that while you felt the horror, you never succumbed to the hopelessness of man's inhumanity to man (and boy did that inhumanity to veterans ever continue once the war was over.) There's so much to say about this story and yet so few words. I HIGHLY rec this book, even if you "don't like books about war."
March 10, 2021
Unforgettable. Possibly the best war memoir I've ever read.
Japan still hasn't atoned for their crimes. Not even close.
Japan still hasn't atoned for their crimes. Not even close.
August 1, 2024
I would give this a 3-3.5 Unbelievably story that I imagine would have been quite cathartic for Alistair. I knew loosely of the terrible things that happened in the region during the war lead by the Japanese but this book gives great and detailed insight into how bad it was. Great read to build your knowledge on this. Alastair’s mindset is truly admirable.
July 1, 2015
I read this book for two reasons. I'd been reading another book about prisons in WWII (Ravensbruck) and I was curious about the background for Richard Flanagan's THE NARROW ROAD TO THE DEEP NORTH which is one of the best novels I've read recently and the main character of which was an Australian Army doctor who was in a prison camp building the railroad in Thailand. I wanted to read a memoir of someone who'd actually been there.
This was an excellent memoir, written by a hear 90-year-old who'd not talked about the war much since he returned home to Aberdeen in late 1945 after six years serving with the Gordon regiment, 3 and a half years of which he'd spent in Japanese prisons. He was imprisoned first in Singapore in 1942, and then was transported in a railroad car packed with fellow prisoners to Thailand and then marched through the jungle for days to work on the railroad. Many died in the railroad cars but the march through the jungle was indeed a "death march". The prisoners had to build their own huts. They never got more than a measure of rice and some water once a day, rice full of weevils and other stuff. Their clothes deteroirated (most tragic was losing his boots) and thereafter they went naked or with loin cloths only. He managed to stay alive to "keeping his head down" as far as possible and concentrating on survival. When he came down the cholera he was evacuated to a prison hospital which was like heaven especially since he met a doctor who helped him recover. Then it was off to the river Kwai to build the bridge, a situation orders of magnitude more dire than in the movie. From there he was evacuated by sea (thousands of men locked in the hold of a ship). The ship was torpedoed (because the Japanese put red crosses on arms shipments but not on hospital or POW ships), and he spent several days alone on the sea (which he barely survived after ingesting salt water and crude oil from a tanker sunk in the encounter too) then to another ship which took him to Japan, a camp near Nagasaki where eventually he was blown down by a whoosh from the atomic bomb and marched out through radio active waste when rescued by American forces.
The details are horrendous and generally understated so doubly believable. An important witness for events we knew had happened but need to remember. Incidentally he mentioned an heroic Australian doctor who may have been the model for Flanagan's character. Not someone he met, but he later found out the Australians went to the railroad building camp after the Brits.
This was an excellent memoir, written by a hear 90-year-old who'd not talked about the war much since he returned home to Aberdeen in late 1945 after six years serving with the Gordon regiment, 3 and a half years of which he'd spent in Japanese prisons. He was imprisoned first in Singapore in 1942, and then was transported in a railroad car packed with fellow prisoners to Thailand and then marched through the jungle for days to work on the railroad. Many died in the railroad cars but the march through the jungle was indeed a "death march". The prisoners had to build their own huts. They never got more than a measure of rice and some water once a day, rice full of weevils and other stuff. Their clothes deteroirated (most tragic was losing his boots) and thereafter they went naked or with loin cloths only. He managed to stay alive to "keeping his head down" as far as possible and concentrating on survival. When he came down the cholera he was evacuated to a prison hospital which was like heaven especially since he met a doctor who helped him recover. Then it was off to the river Kwai to build the bridge, a situation orders of magnitude more dire than in the movie. From there he was evacuated by sea (thousands of men locked in the hold of a ship). The ship was torpedoed (because the Japanese put red crosses on arms shipments but not on hospital or POW ships), and he spent several days alone on the sea (which he barely survived after ingesting salt water and crude oil from a tanker sunk in the encounter too) then to another ship which took him to Japan, a camp near Nagasaki where eventually he was blown down by a whoosh from the atomic bomb and marched out through radio active waste when rescued by American forces.
The details are horrendous and generally understated so doubly believable. An important witness for events we knew had happened but need to remember. Incidentally he mentioned an heroic Australian doctor who may have been the model for Flanagan's character. Not someone he met, but he later found out the Australians went to the railroad building camp after the Brits.
July 5, 2013
I loved this book although I'd be careful in recommending it to everyone.
I only say this since I do seem to like stories about nasty things happening to people and some people may just find this story a little too extreme for their own enjoyment.
Alistair Urquhart seems like he began life as a fairly ordinary sort of man. His CV at 19 certainly reads that way: brought up in a normal family in Aberdeen with a Mum and Dad, siblings and a first job with a local firm. Pretty sporty, likes dancing with girls.
When war broke out in 1939 he was then asked to join up and duly did so. His unit was transferred to Singapore. So far, so mundane.
Then it all goes wrong. Incredibly so.
I won't spoil the story except to say that the small amount of anger that he shows towards his so-called superiors both during the war and afterwards seems to entirely understate the extent of his suffering. I can't imagine being so sanguine in his position.
The writing itself is lucid and engaging and the narrative flows fairly well despite a big gap during 1941 which you miss unless you read carefully. These stylistic points aren't really the point but it does make an easy read.
In summary, if you are fascinated by how humans react to bad situations then this is a great book.
Think of Shackleton's South, Mawson's Alone, the Andes Survivors, Touching the Void and you have the general idea. I didn't include Primo Levi there since I am not sure that is appropriate.
I only say this since I do seem to like stories about nasty things happening to people and some people may just find this story a little too extreme for their own enjoyment.
Alistair Urquhart seems like he began life as a fairly ordinary sort of man. His CV at 19 certainly reads that way: brought up in a normal family in Aberdeen with a Mum and Dad, siblings and a first job with a local firm. Pretty sporty, likes dancing with girls.
When war broke out in 1939 he was then asked to join up and duly did so. His unit was transferred to Singapore. So far, so mundane.
Then it all goes wrong. Incredibly so.
I won't spoil the story except to say that the small amount of anger that he shows towards his so-called superiors both during the war and afterwards seems to entirely understate the extent of his suffering. I can't imagine being so sanguine in his position.
The writing itself is lucid and engaging and the narrative flows fairly well despite a big gap during 1941 which you miss unless you read carefully. These stylistic points aren't really the point but it does make an easy read.
In summary, if you are fascinated by how humans react to bad situations then this is a great book.
Think of Shackleton's South, Mawson's Alone, the Andes Survivors, Touching the Void and you have the general idea. I didn't include Primo Levi there since I am not sure that is appropriate.
May 23, 2016
I've been really busy this past month & finally found time to finish this.
This book first grabbed my attention after I heard bits & pieces of it read on a podcast. This book was pretty intense at times, & I'm still thinking about it hours later. I can be pretty naive when it comes to war & the awful situations people go through during those times. Alastair was captured by the Japanese & spent several years in what I can only describe as Hell. There are times that I wanted to cry, times that I felt physically ill, & times I had to put the book down. When you think things couldn't possibly get worse, they get worse. I can't even begin to comprehend the physical, emotional, & mental damage this poor soul endured in his life. How he managed to cope, live a full life, & use his experiences to teach others, is beyond me. It's an interesting book to read right before you visit Hiroshima, Japan, & I'm sure I'll have mixed feelings upon visiting the memorial site. Overall, I think everyone should read this book as it contains insight & information that isn't spoken of.
This book first grabbed my attention after I heard bits & pieces of it read on a podcast. This book was pretty intense at times, & I'm still thinking about it hours later. I can be pretty naive when it comes to war & the awful situations people go through during those times. Alastair was captured by the Japanese & spent several years in what I can only describe as Hell. There are times that I wanted to cry, times that I felt physically ill, & times I had to put the book down. When you think things couldn't possibly get worse, they get worse. I can't even begin to comprehend the physical, emotional, & mental damage this poor soul endured in his life. How he managed to cope, live a full life, & use his experiences to teach others, is beyond me. It's an interesting book to read right before you visit Hiroshima, Japan, & I'm sure I'll have mixed feelings upon visiting the memorial site. Overall, I think everyone should read this book as it contains insight & information that isn't spoken of.
September 1, 2013
I enjoyed this book. It was well written and engaging. There is no doubt that Alistair's story of survival is incredible. What I didn't gain from this book (hence the rating) is any insight over what made the difference. When he goes to schools, what does he talk about to the kids? If I compare this to Viktor Frankl's "Man's search for meaning", I got a lot more out of Frankl's book in terms of insight into the mentality of a survivor.
I would still recommend this book though. It's a powerful read and important that the story is told
I would still recommend this book though. It's a powerful read and important that the story is told
June 6, 2015
How do you tell of the unspeakable (indeed in some senses how do you read the unreadable)? This is a remarkable tale simply told that, at times, is very moving. To survive the Burma railway, being sunk in the Pacific and then taken to a prison camp 10 miles from Nagasaki. I'd say this would be a good read for anyone with an interest in wartime survival stories generally and a must for those interested in the death railway. Personally I'd suggest reading the Railway Man first which I found somewhat better but this is powerful.
April 7, 2013
A dramatic memoir with a lot of information and insight into the situation of the soldiers in the Far East. My expectations were slightly let down by the book cover that promised to reveal something new and sensational whereas the stories have been told before. Urquhart makes the experience more personal of course but there were interesting chapters cut short while others were drawn out, in my opinion.
October 8, 2013
It is interesting to me how much the Japanese cruelty towards POW's has been kept quiet. This book tells the story of one Scottish man's survival during the war and through subsequent hardships at the hands of the Japanese. He is a survivor and I admire him for having the courage to tell his story.
February 14, 2022
An incredibly moving account depicting the horrors suffered during the second world war in the far east. I have to admit I knew little of what happened in that part of the world during the war so to read this was an eye opener. Much of my school education about the war centred around events in Europe and didn’t cover the far east that much. To read of the things that POW troops went through was brutal. It shows what a remarkable man Alistair Urquhart is to suffer to such an extent and go on to lead a full and long life accomplishing much.
The book covers the life of Alistair Urquhart and focuses on what he went through during the second world war. Growing up in Aberdeen he was selected to be part of the Gordan Highlanders that were posted in Singapore. Not overly long into the posting he was captured by the Japanese leading to him suffering unimaginable horrors for such a long period of time. Not only did he work on the bridge on the river kwai but he was later torpedoed and felt the blast of an atomic bomb. It is an extraordinary tale of survival against such harsh odds.
It was a tough read, fully highlighting the horrors that the POWs suffered at the hands of the Japanese. The author suffered a great deal and for him to share what happened must have been incredibly difficult. It was revealed that the Army wanted statements signed to not disclose what happened and this was particularly shocking as were some of the sentences dealt to those who ran the POW camps. For a man who suffered so much this must have been tough to bare. Thousands suffered during this time and they were then to be treated in such a dismissive manner upon returning post war.
I couldn’t believe the harshness of conditions that the POWs suffered in. With very little food or water they suffered all manner of diseases and challenges. On top of that there was no medical assistance. The unforgiving taskmasters treated them as easily dispensable. They were relentless and spared no one even appearing to enjoy coming up with sadistic methods of punishment.
The book delves into adjusting back to civilian life after war. After living through despicable conditions with no food or shelter or medical equipment to then re-adjust to working and family life takes incredible strength and resilience. Fortunately, a love of dancing proved to be his saviour and to read that he rekindled his fire for his pre war passion was brilliant.
I would highly recommend reading this book. It is a real, unfiltered account of the sufferings faced during the second world war in the far east.
The book covers the life of Alistair Urquhart and focuses on what he went through during the second world war. Growing up in Aberdeen he was selected to be part of the Gordan Highlanders that were posted in Singapore. Not overly long into the posting he was captured by the Japanese leading to him suffering unimaginable horrors for such a long period of time. Not only did he work on the bridge on the river kwai but he was later torpedoed and felt the blast of an atomic bomb. It is an extraordinary tale of survival against such harsh odds.
It was a tough read, fully highlighting the horrors that the POWs suffered at the hands of the Japanese. The author suffered a great deal and for him to share what happened must have been incredibly difficult. It was revealed that the Army wanted statements signed to not disclose what happened and this was particularly shocking as were some of the sentences dealt to those who ran the POW camps. For a man who suffered so much this must have been tough to bare. Thousands suffered during this time and they were then to be treated in such a dismissive manner upon returning post war.
I couldn’t believe the harshness of conditions that the POWs suffered in. With very little food or water they suffered all manner of diseases and challenges. On top of that there was no medical assistance. The unforgiving taskmasters treated them as easily dispensable. They were relentless and spared no one even appearing to enjoy coming up with sadistic methods of punishment.
The book delves into adjusting back to civilian life after war. After living through despicable conditions with no food or shelter or medical equipment to then re-adjust to working and family life takes incredible strength and resilience. Fortunately, a love of dancing proved to be his saviour and to read that he rekindled his fire for his pre war passion was brilliant.
I would highly recommend reading this book. It is a real, unfiltered account of the sufferings faced during the second world war in the far east.
February 18, 2021
NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING EVER AGAIN.
You would be hard pressed to find someone with a tougher experience. Urqhart’s war started with being drafted and captured in Singapore. From there he was crammed into a freight train car for five days straight, being sent to be slave labor on the Death Railway of Burma for a year and a half. After a brief stint at a hospital camp to recover from a bout of cholera that nearly killed him, he was placed on one of the infamous Hellships, locked in the cargo hold for days before his ship (not marked as a prisoner transport in violation of the Geneva Convention) was mistaken for an oil transport and sunk by an American submarine. After being separated from the other survivors of the sinking and drifting for several days, Urqhart was “rescued” by a Japanese whaling vessel, placed on ANOTHER Hellship, and brought to mainland Japan. Here, he was sent to a work camp for a coal mine near Nagasaki before finishing his war experience by getting nuked.
In his time as a prisoner, Urqhart lost 40% of his bodyweight (and he only started at 135lbs), dealt with dysentery, sores, ulcers, and beriberi almost constantly, contracted malaria several times, and faced the prospect of being beaten, tortured, and murdered daily. From soon after his capture when his uniform rotted in the jungle to the end of the war, he went wearing nothing but a loincloth. Due to the starvation rations ha was on, for the rest of his life, Urqhart could not eat normally - he could not eat food that was spiced with so much as an onion, and he needed rice several times per week to keep his digestive tract alive. Up to his death in 2016, Urqhart dealt with nightmares of his time as a POW, relapses of malaria, and allied governments attempting to move on from the war without bringing justice for the atrocities committed against Far East POWs.
You would be hard pressed to find someone with a tougher experience. Urqhart’s war started with being drafted and captured in Singapore. From there he was crammed into a freight train car for five days straight, being sent to be slave labor on the Death Railway of Burma for a year and a half. After a brief stint at a hospital camp to recover from a bout of cholera that nearly killed him, he was placed on one of the infamous Hellships, locked in the cargo hold for days before his ship (not marked as a prisoner transport in violation of the Geneva Convention) was mistaken for an oil transport and sunk by an American submarine. After being separated from the other survivors of the sinking and drifting for several days, Urqhart was “rescued” by a Japanese whaling vessel, placed on ANOTHER Hellship, and brought to mainland Japan. Here, he was sent to a work camp for a coal mine near Nagasaki before finishing his war experience by getting nuked.
In his time as a prisoner, Urqhart lost 40% of his bodyweight (and he only started at 135lbs), dealt with dysentery, sores, ulcers, and beriberi almost constantly, contracted malaria several times, and faced the prospect of being beaten, tortured, and murdered daily. From soon after his capture when his uniform rotted in the jungle to the end of the war, he went wearing nothing but a loincloth. Due to the starvation rations ha was on, for the rest of his life, Urqhart could not eat normally - he could not eat food that was spiced with so much as an onion, and he needed rice several times per week to keep his digestive tract alive. Up to his death in 2016, Urqhart dealt with nightmares of his time as a POW, relapses of malaria, and allied governments attempting to move on from the war without bringing justice for the atrocities committed against Far East POWs.
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