The Railway Man

How does one survive the Bataan Death March, imprisonment in a tiny cage in one’s own filth,, starvation, gruesome beatings and torture, and extreme illness? The author writes beautifully about his experience during WWII at the hands of the Japanese with a somewhat happy ending, given his injuries, flashbacks and psychological trauma. Thank goodness he got some therapy in his seventies. And the story of meeting the interpreter at his interrogations and torturing leading to forgiveness, friendship, peace and redemption is the reason I call it a happy book ending. If you are not into trains particularly, the first ten percent is a part you might want to just skim for biographical details. Read this book!

I was inspired to read the book after watching the movie. At first I found the book a little slow moving but once I read further I became more and more absorbed with this amazing story of courage and tenacity in the face of extreme brutality. The book is a lot more complex and far reaching than the movie which understandably centres on just the Kanchaburi period of the story due to the limitations of screen time. I learnt a lot more about Eric Lomaxes civilian life as well.
But what stands out is the underlying theme of eventual forgiveness and redemption.

There are other books about atrocity.

This book should be required reading for the entire planet.

It sheds light on mental health and humanitarian issues that could appropriately inform the highest and lowest levels of government and education.

This rare, shining example of healing wrapped up in a bow might serve as a resource for thousands whose stories cannot be so tidily ended.

If you love WWII stories, you’ll find in The Railway Man a different point of view, far from the European front and miles away from the Nazi concentration camps, as Eric Lomax’s ordeal developed in the Pacific front, where POW concentration camps, human rights violaciones and the worst expressions of mankind’s capacit for brutality were equally displayed.
Held cautive by the Japanese army, Lomax and a group of POWs are forced to work in the Burma-Siam railway, one of the most ambicious and poorly planned civil engineering projects in history. But, instead of telling a story about forced labor under the brazzing sun of Southeast Asia, Lomax shares his experiences as a prisoner entangled in the brutal military “justice” system after he’s found in the possession of a handmade map ot the whole Burma-Siam railway system.
His is a story of survival against all odds, about going through the most inhuman treatments, about having to endure the most heinous displays of cruelty exerted from one human being to another, of hating intensely one’s enemy and finding that such hate distroys, hurts and extends the torture even if years have gone by. But above all, it is the story of a man learning to leave all of this behind and free himself from the horror of his past by forgiving one of his tormentors.

If you’ve ever wondered what would you do to someone who put you through hell, should you have the chance to meet them face to face, this is a story you can’t miss.

the Railway Man is an awesome story of Resilience , forgiveness and what it means to be human. I had heard about this book during a sermon a few weeks ago. Normally I do not read anything that even has violence in it, but the way the pastor described the story I had to read it. It is the story on and English POW is a Japanese Prison camp during the 2nd world war. I recommend this book and it will restore your faith in God’s love and forgiveness and humanity.

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