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The Railway Man: A POW's Searing Account of War, Brutality and Forgiveness
 
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The Railway Man: A POW's Searing Account of War, Brutality and Forgiveness (Paperback)

by Eric Lomax (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 292 pages
  • Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (30 Sep 1995)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0393334988
  • ISBN-13: 978-0393334982
  • Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,490,786 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review
"'An extraordinary story of torture and reconciliation - I turned the last page weeping tears of sorrow, pride and gratitude' John McCarthy" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
A naive young man, a railway enthusiast and radio buff, was caught up in the fall of the British Empire at Singapore in 1942. He was put to work on the 'Railway of Death' - the Japanese line from Thailand to Burma. Exhaustively and brutally tortured by the Japanese for making a crude radio, Lomax was emotionally ruined by his experiences. Almost 50 years after the war, however, his life was changed by the discovery that his interrogator, the Japanese interpreter, was still alive - their reconciliation is the culmination of this extraordinary story. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
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3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A harrowing though ultimately uplifting account., 21 April 2004
By A. B. Pearl "A Pearl" (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Railway Man (Paperback)
This account of the author's experiences as a Japanese prisoner of war is,as you'd expect, a fairly harrowing one. But what lifts this remarkabletale is the book's humanity and compassion, and the tenderness of itsnarrative.
Whether Eric Lomax is re-living his childhood fascination with steamlocomotives and trams, or describing the horrendous, inhuman acts of torture, the prose are consistently imbued with an almost poetic andinnocent sense of wonder.
The details, observations and character sketches are authentically andvividly drawn. But it is the final passages of this book which documentthe author's determination to come face to face with one of his torturers,that make this extaordinary book so moving, compelling and ultimatelyuplifting.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkable Testimony, 25 Oct 2005
By C. Tait "Cat man" (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Railway Man (Paperback)
Eric Lomax's book is a remarkable tale of courage, endurance and forgiveness. I bought the book whilst on holiday in Singapore and thought it superb from beginning till end.

I have a great love of literature but sadly there isn't much on the bookstore shelves to get excited about. Nowadays, it seems that there are way too many "authors" who have never really lived and the superficiality of their prose is clearly that of the untried apprentice. On the other hand, Eric Lomax may not be a famous author but the beautiful simplicity and humility of his brutal tale make it worthy of fame. It is clear from the outset that his his voice is one of genuine authority: the authority of a man who has earned his right to authorship through an immense suffering.

I recommend this book as a classic of its kind and as one of particular value to anybody who has suffered in circumstances not of their own making.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it, 23 Aug 2007
This review is from: The Railway Man (Paperback)
This book is one of the most moving biographies I have ever read. Twenty something "celebrities" who pen biographies should feel ashamed of themselves for thinking they have a story to tell. This man is one of the few with a story worth telling. I am grateful to have read his story, and wish to say that people like him are too few in this world. Read this book, please, and see how some people can be worth celebrating.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars the railway man
What a read. I bought this book second hand in Singapore after visiting Kanchanaburi and couldn't put it down, its as though he holds your hand and takes you through his... Read more
Published 25 days ago by Whbleasdale

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant gripping read
i wondered if i was reading the right book when i started reading this one,starts of slow all about his life and railways (trainspotting i thought). Read more
Published 8 months ago by R. Carson

5.0 out of 5 stars The Railway Man/ Authur Eric Lomax
Without doubt the finest book I've ever read. Anybody who can read this without tear staining the pages has no soul or emotions. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Lf Weller

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING!
I have never read a book so fast in all my life! A real 'page-turner', a riveting story. Its incredible that anyone could survive the experiences described in this book. Read more
Published 17 months ago by CauseOfCollapse

4.0 out of 5 stars An honest and unique personal testimony
The reason this book makes such an impact is that while numerous other books of WWII experiences and POW and torture on the Burma Railway have been written since that conflict... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Siriam

5.0 out of 5 stars poignant for today
I was extremely moved by this book when i read it a few years ago and gave it to my father in law, a second world war veteran. Read more
Published 21 months ago by mathwonk

5.0 out of 5 stars superb read
Not being an avid reader of books I picked up this one after being recommended by John Gaunt on Talksport.
Though I'd give it a go... and it blew me away. Read more
Published on 9 Jul 2007 by D. Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars Just read it!
This is essential reading - make no mistake. All schools should have this book in their libraries & also taught in their English lessons although not because of its particular... Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2007 by Sizzle

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant story of courage and reconciliation
Eric Lomax, like many young men of his generation, had a love for steam railways that bordered on an obsession. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2005 by Timothy De Ferrars

5.0 out of 5 stars Dont be fooled by the Title.
I can honestly say that this is the most incredible book that I've ever read. I got 'made' if that's the right word to read it as a chosen book for A-level English Language and... Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2004 by loopzdaloop

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