The hidden history of the prisoners of war who, against all odds, lived through the largest atomic bomb ever dropped.
In one of the greatest survival stories of the Second World War, this book sweeps the men from abject capitulation in Singapore and Java to work on the notorious River Kwai railway, followed by ‘hellship’ transportation to mainland Japan where they faced their ultimate survival test in Nagasaki.
Despite the horrors they faced, this is a remarkable story of resilience, comradeship, and hope.
John Willis is a BAFTA-winning documentary maker and one of Britain’s best known television executives. He is a former Director of Programmes at Channel 4 and Director of Factual and Learning at the BBC.
In 2012 he was elected as Chair of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). He currently Chairs the Board of Governors at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. This is his third book about the Second World War. He has lived in Blackheath for over thirty years.
Patrick Kidd, Diary Writer and Senior Writer at The Times, will interview John about the book at this event.