- Paperback: 212 pages
- Publisher: Authors Online Ltd (28 Feb 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0755201612
- ISBN-13: 978-0755201617
- Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.6 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,346,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Sapper Derek Clarke tells the true and gripping tale of his journey to the front line and fight against the Japanese Imperial Army and life as a Prisoner of War in Changi, Taiwan and Tokyo prison camps 1941-1945.In moving description and fine original sketches he reveals the daily work and characters that make up his world during this period which included three and a half years' imprisonment. Often humorous but never bitter in spite of the beatings and deprivations, Derek brings home to the ordinary reader a sense of the amazing will to survive that emerged under appalling conditions and of the spirit that kept the men going under forced labour conditions. Artist Derek, along with his musical friend Harry Berry, contributed much material for prison camp shows that helped keep up the spirits of the 600 plus prisoners from many countries held at Omori prison camp in Tokyo 1943-1945. This is the "sister" book to "My Darling Wife: The true wartime letters and diaries of Harry Berry to Gwen 1940-1945" which covers the same period.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Salmon Tales (sic),
By Alison (London England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: No Cook's Tour (Paperback)
Derek (Nobby) Clarke's 'No Cook's Tour', with its mischievous wartime anecdotes, provides the perfect partner book to his friend Harry's moving account;* shared experiences, expressed by an artist who joined the army seeking adventure, and by a journalist and musician parted from his young wife.
Derek's amazingly well preserved, detailed sketches bring to life his colourful text. Richly descriptive tales of daring raids on Japanese supplies, reminiscent of 'The Great Escape' - with trousers full of stolen food instead of tunnel dirt! On another occasion, a nonchalant stroll across the yard, a salmon tail hanging out of Derek's jacket - his friends, unable to warn the oblivious thief, hold their breath...! The harsher realities of survival are told with dreadful clarity - in one instance, suffering a flesh-rotting disease, he woke in the night to find a rat eating his arm. Although some of his recollections do make disturbing reading, Derek's affable humour and literary charm really lifted this book for me. An elderly Japanese taskmaster, nicknamed 'Spider' on account of his lanky legs and hunched stance, rants and yells instructions. His optimistic outlook enabled Derek to see opportunities and hope in a situation that brought many men to despair. It was a way of life made tolerable only because he, Harry and their companions kept each others' spirits up; , writing and performing musical productions, exchanging daydreams, and sharing bounty and burdens in equal measure. True Heroes.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Salmon Tales (sic)!,
By Alison - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: No Cook's Tour (Paperback)
Derek (Nobby) Clarke's `No Cook's Tour', with its mischievous wartime anecdotes, provides the perfect partner book to his friend Harry's moving account;* shared experiences, expressed by an artist who joined the army seeking adventure, and by a journalist and musician parted from his young wife.
Derek's amazingly well preserved, detailed sketches bring to life his colourful text. Richly descriptive tales of daring raids on Japanese supplies, reminiscent of `The Great Escape' - with trousers full of stolen food instead of tunnel dirt! On another occasion, a nonchalant stroll across the yard, a salmon tail hanging out of Derek's jacket - his friends, unable to warn the oblivious thief, hold their breath...! The harsher realities of survival are told with dreadful clarity - in one instance, suffering a flesh-rotting disease, he woke in the night to find a rat eating his arm. Although some of his recollections do make disturbing reading, Derek's affable humour and literary charm really lifted this book for me. An elderly Japanese taskmaster, nicknamed `Spider' on account of his lanky legs and hunched stance, rants and yells instructions. "Oh bugger off you daft old [...]," they tell him, good humouredly pushing him out of the way - I laughed aloud thinking of this skinny creature, beside himself with frustration, waving and screeching all to no effect like some oriental John Cleese. His optimistic outlook enabled Derek to see opportunities and hope in a situation that brought many men to despair. It was a way of life made tolerable only because he, Harry and their companions kept each others' spirits up; trading `booty', writing and performing musical productions, exchanging daydreams, and sharing bounty and burdens in equal measure. True Heroes. * "My Darling Wife: The true wartime letters and diaries of Harry Berry to Gwen 1940-1945" |
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