Surviving Tenko: The Story of Margot Turner
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Product Description
Product Description
The dramatic tale of Margot Turner's survival of internment in the notorious Palembang jail during the Pacific conflict of the Second World War inspired the 1980s television series Tenko. The cargo ship on which she was evacuated from Singapore in 1942 was shelled, leaving her on a makeshift raft with sixteen other survivors. One by one they perished, leaving her alone, burnt black by the sun, and suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. Discovered by a Japanese destroyer, she was imprisoned on Banka Island and nursed back to health by the nuns of a charitas hospital. A nurse by profession, Margot was initially permitted to help run the operating theatre on her recovery, when, unexpectedly she was arrested by the dreaded Kempeitai and thrown into Palembang jail. There, crammed with murderers and rapists in a filthy cell, she spent six months living in daily fear of joining the many prisoners who were noisily tortured and executed, before being returned to the prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war. In this, the first biography for forty years, Penny Starns describes the often horrific but occasionally heart-warming experiences of this unbreakable woman who, not content with surviving the war, went on to become Brigadier and chief of the British army nursing services. Using recently released material from the National Archives and Turner's own words, Starns re-analyses the Pacific conflict against a backdrop of one person's incredible fortitude and strength, and brings the story of a remarkable woman to life.
About the Author
PENNY STARNS has researched and taught history at Cambridge, London and Bristol universities, and has written history programmes for BBC Radio 4. Her other books include Nurses at War, Evacuation of Children during World War II and Odette.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The story of Margot Turner and the women who lived through this period of history is amazing. The book was fairly easy to read but I felt that the author would go off on a tangent. The blurb on the back does say it re-analyses the Pacific conflict, but I found it did'nt really go into any depth to be described as analysis. It would have been okay if now and again it had a paragraph to say this is what was going on in the wider world and how it impacted on Margot Turner. But at one point she was discussing the lack of American Nurses joining the army in 1945.
I also would say if they do a second edition, please could some one look at the photos. The only picture of Margot Turner in the book was the post-war picture on the front cover. The only nurse in the photos inside was of Vivian Bullwinkel. The only pictures of prisoners of war were men, there are five pictures of ships sinking (none connected to Margots personnel experience)and one picture of Gen. MacArthur who really isn't in the book that much! Even if there are no pictures of Margot to be had, (odd, as at one stage she was the Matron in Chief of the QA's)surely they could get some stock pictures of nursing at that time or of Singapore.
I'm afraid this is not a book that will be staying on my shelf.
I also would say if they do a second edition, please could some one look at the photos. The only picture of Margot Turner in the book was the post-war picture on the front cover. The only nurse in the photos inside was of Vivian Bullwinkel. The only pictures of prisoners of war were men, there are five pictures of ships sinking (none connected to Margots personnel experience)and one picture of Gen. MacArthur who really isn't in the book that much! Even if there are no pictures of Margot to be had, (odd, as at one stage she was the Matron in Chief of the QA's)surely they could get some stock pictures of nursing at that time or of Singapore.
I'm afraid this is not a book that will be staying on my shelf.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I agree with everything Ms Skinner, the previous reviewer, has already written about highly loosely relevant facts being used as padding, and the rather bizarre array of photographs. In truth, there probably isn't sufficient specific information about Dame Margot's wartime experiences available to justify a biography of her. Readers looking for indepth analysis of her character, motivation, decisions and opinions will be disappointed, either because she is an enigma, or because she's a fairly typical POW/career nurse of her day and there's nothing particularly enlightening to be said.
However, this will prove an interesting read for fans of the TV series "Tenko" (the rest of my review contains spoilers, so only continue reading if you've watched all three series).
I very much enjoyed identifying elements of the book that were reflected in the series. For example, the books alludes to the problems that were encountered initially by mixing people from different social and racial groups (Sylvia and Christina's scene, and various scenes between Blanche and others), about doctors being forced to falsify death certificates (Beatrice and Sato), about grasshoppers being seen as a culinary treat (Maggie and Dorothy), about prisoners becoming pregnant by the guards and undergoing rudimentary abortions (Dorothy and May), about already-pregnant women suffering stillbirth (Sally), about women coming up with imaginative recipes from meagre rations (Sylvia's marmalade). There are many more. It's explained why Sato might have been frustrated and embarrassed by his role, and why survival rates and morale amongst children were high. We learn that women organised the camps as a sort of liberal democracy, with people forming smaller "families" or cliques; this too was evident in the television series. We learn how the Dutch fit in, and the role played by the nuns. We are also told that Dame Margot didn't enjoy the tv series, claiming that it was unrealistic, although her biographer points out that it was probably because the character who was based on her was portrayed as a lesbian.
In summary, I'd recommend this book as an interesting and compelling light read for fans of "Tenko" but not to those who are particularly interested in Dame Margot Turner.
However, this will prove an interesting read for fans of the TV series "Tenko" (the rest of my review contains spoilers, so only continue reading if you've watched all three series).
I very much enjoyed identifying elements of the book that were reflected in the series. For example, the books alludes to the problems that were encountered initially by mixing people from different social and racial groups (Sylvia and Christina's scene, and various scenes between Blanche and others), about doctors being forced to falsify death certificates (Beatrice and Sato), about grasshoppers being seen as a culinary treat (Maggie and Dorothy), about prisoners becoming pregnant by the guards and undergoing rudimentary abortions (Dorothy and May), about already-pregnant women suffering stillbirth (Sally), about women coming up with imaginative recipes from meagre rations (Sylvia's marmalade). There are many more. It's explained why Sato might have been frustrated and embarrassed by his role, and why survival rates and morale amongst children were high. We learn that women organised the camps as a sort of liberal democracy, with people forming smaller "families" or cliques; this too was evident in the television series. We learn how the Dutch fit in, and the role played by the nuns. We are also told that Dame Margot didn't enjoy the tv series, claiming that it was unrealistic, although her biographer points out that it was probably because the character who was based on her was portrayed as a lesbian.
In summary, I'd recommend this book as an interesting and compelling light read for fans of "Tenko" but not to those who are particularly interested in Dame Margot Turner.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
good read
12 Mar 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am glad I read the book. I had watched the television series Tenko and it was great to read an actual account of someone who experienced this time in history. This was informational but all entertaining in that it kept your interest as you were reading. Margot was a strong women and this book did a good job presenting her life story. Well worth the purchase.
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