The railway man is an autobiographical book by eric lomax about his experiences as a prisoner of war during world war ii and being forced to help build the. Buy a discounted paperback of the railway man online from australias leading online bookstore. The railway man is an autobiographical book by eric lomax about his experiences as a prisoner of war during world war ii and being forced to help build the thaiburma railway for the japanese military. Exhaustively and brutally tortured by the japanese for making a crude radio, lomax. He was put to work on the railway of death the japanese line from thailand and burma. The railway man explores torture forgiven but not forgotten. The railway man by eric lomax penguin books australia. Now a major motion picture starring colin firth, nicole kidman and jeremy irvine during the second world war eric lomax was forced to work on the notorious b. The railway man by eric lomax penguin books new zealand. The railway man, by eric lomax, is his memoirs of his experiences in world war ii, as well as his. Their numbers and their attitude of alert defiance, as though challenging us to try to escape.
But his first family were written out of the story by lomax himself. Pride and pain of patti lomax, the railway man s wife the story of her husband eric, a former pow who confronts his japanese torturer, is now a film. He is most notable for his book, the railway man, about his experiences before, during, and after world war ii, which won the 1996 ncr book award and the penackerley prize. What a great man harry ritchie daily mail forget the grueling films, just read the brilliant books independent.
After a detailed map he sketched and a crude radio he built were discovered and confiscated by his guards, lomax was interrogated on suspicion of being a spy. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the railway man. What a great man harry ritchie, daily mail forget the grueling films, just read the brilliant books, independent this beautiful. Those who experienced evil may forget it, but those who committed it never a. The railway man won the ncr book award in 1996 and the penackerley award. A pows searing account of war, brutality and forgiveness by lomax, eric and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Growing up before world war ii, lomax is fascinated by railways and spends his holidays trying to spot. Eric lomaxs railway man is a highly recommended read. The railway man, vintage war by eric lomax 9780099597551.
A pows searing account of war, brutality and forgiveness movie tiein editions by lomax, eric and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The railway man was one of the landmark books of the 1990s. The railway man is a remarkable memoir of forgiveness. Honest, painstakingly descriptive and yet somehow oddly detached, eric lomaxs autobiography the railway man provocatively gives a narrative voice to the atrocities endured by prisoners of war. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Eric lomax joined the british army royal corps of signals in 1939 and soon after he volunteered for service in defending british singapore from the advancing. Booktopia has the railway man, vintage war by eric lomax. Eric lomax, sent to malaya in world war ii, was taken prisoner by the japanese and put to punishing work on the notorious burmasiam railway. Railway man true story vs movie real eric lomax, takashi. Free pickup in store save an extra 10% on almost everything and enjoy free shipping every day. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. I purchased this book as a gift for my soninlaw after i saw the railway man movie. The railway man by eric lomax adult fiction paperback book trade me. It tells eric s incredible and moving story with grace, modesty and exceptional humility.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. During the second world war eric lomax was forced to work on the notorious burmasiam railway and was tortured by the japanese for making a crude radio. Buy the paperback book the railway man by eric lomax at indigo. A pows searing account of war, brutality and forgiveness by eric lomax the railway man by eric lomax. The railway man eric lomax documentary michael finlason. Eric lomax left was put to work building a railway by his japanese captors during the second world war, before he was accused of being a spy and interrogated by nagase takashi right. The railway man explores torture forgiven but not forgotten screenwriter andy paterson talks bringing eric lomaxs bestselling memoir to. Scottishborn eric lomax, the author of this extraordinary autobiography, the railway man, was a young officer with the royal corps of signals when he was captured by the japanese imperial army it was the ending of this book and specifically the final sentence that really got me. Books, eric lomax, history, memoir, the railway man, world war ii, wwii this is an important book in that it chronicles the reallife experience of a prisoner of war in the hands of the japanese army after the british surrendered in singapore during wwii. At the main railway station in bangkok the kempei agents led us out on to the platform, among the siamese travellers in their vivid sarongs, and handed us over to a squad of soldiers. It took more than 50 years for mr lomax, a scottish engineer and obsessive railway enthusiast, to forgive the japanese guards who tortured him.
Left emotionally scarred and unable to form normal relationships, lomax suffered for years. The book won the ncr book award and the penackerley prize for autobiography synopsis. Man s ability to fight for survival under the most horrendous of situations is portrayed so well that it comes out as a book on survival and a lot more. The most disastrous engineering project in history, it killed 250,000 allied prisoners and thai. Like in the story flash of the sun, we learn of the so many postwar difficulties that pows suffer. It was through patti that eric came to first publish the book, in 1995, though the railway man is not the memories of an old man. Just an ordinary man caught up in the shambles that was the fall of singapore, eric lomaxs treatment was no worse than that meted out to many other prisoners, indeed he was fortunate not to be sent to work on building the railway, but that he lived to tell us about it is indeed a miracle. This is a true story of eric lomax, a british army officer and exprisonerofwar pow during the world war ii, who. During the second world war eric lomax was forced to work on the n. The railway man by eric lomax, first edition abebooks. 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. It is unclear from the book whether and glimmers of lomax youthful christian faith survived at all through his experiences.
The railway man, by eric lomax, is the story of an innocent young man who had a passion for everything trains. Lomax joined the royal signal corp and was captured by the japanese in 1942. Eric lomax memoirs of being a japaneseheld pow during the war resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies. While he bitterly rails against the pettiness and stupidity of the church, he doesnt really say what he finally believed in if anything. The railway man by eric lomax free ebooks download. The author, eric lomax, was an amazing human being who survived an extraordinary experience. Eric lomaxs life story sees colin firth at his stoic best its a milk run of emotions and historical landscapes, but the railway man still chugs along the tracks of. We were victims of torture too eric lomaxs book, the railway man, about his experience as a japanese prisoner of war has inspired a major new film. During the second world war he was captured and tortured by the japanese army and forced to work on the. A naive young man, a railway enthusiast and radio buff, was caught up in the fall of the british empire at singapore in 1942. Eric lomaxs tale of forgiveness for soldier who tortured him in world war 2 the astonishing story of world war ii veteran eric lomax will be told in a new movie, the railway man. Eric lomaxs book, the railway man, about his experience as a japanese prisoner of war has inspired a major new film.
Eric sutherland lomax 30 may 1919 8 october 2012 was a british army officer who was sent to a japanese prisonerofwar camp in 1942. Left emotionally scarred and unable to form normal relationships, lomax suffered for years until, with the help of his wife, patti lomax, and of the medical foundation for the care of victims of torture, he came terms with what happened. The railway man is a remarkable memoir of forgivenessa tremendous testament to the courage that propels one toward remembrance, and finally, peace with the past. The railway man book by eric lomax 6 available editions. The number one bestseller behind the major film starring colin firth, nicole kidman and jeremy irvine. The railway man by eric lomax goodreads share book. Lomax told the new york times in 1995, shortly after the the railway man was published and became a best seller. The railway man by eric lomax and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Winner of the 1996 ncr book award a nai ve young man, a radio enthusiast and radio buff, was caught up in the fall of the british empire at singapore in 1942. The railway man by eric lomax free mobi epub ebooks download. Pride and pain of patti lomax, the railway mans wife. The railway man by eric lomax, 9780099582311, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide.