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The Railway Man

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The Railway Man

By: Eric Lomax
Narrated by: Bill Paterson
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About this listen

 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. Asia Europe Japan Military Military & War World War II War Veteran Singapore Imperial Japan Railroad Imperialism China

Critic Reviews

What a great book. What a great man (Harry Ritchie)
Forget the grueling films, just read the brilliant books
This beautiful, awkward book tells the story of a fine and awkward man. Here, I think, is an account that rises above mere timeliness and comes near to being a classic of autobiography (Ian Jack)
When I turned to the book, the complexity of Lomax's emotions came alive and burned off the page
Of all the billions of words that have been written about the Second World War, with the exception of Churchill's Nobel Prize winning history, it is not an exaggeration to say there is no account of it more worth reading that this. Wistfully romantic, historically important, startling, horrifying and ultimately electrifyingly uplifting, The Railway Man is as indispensable as any book can be. (Tom Peck)
This is a harrowing but very honest and ultimately compassionate memoir
Now is the time to read the true life story of Scot Eric Lomax... A story of courage and survival
It made me cry, I felt angry at man’s inhumanity to man and yet uplifted by the way Eric finally came to terms with the suffering he’d endured and was able to forgive (Lesley Pearse)
A story worth preserving (Iain Campbell)
A powerful autobiography that shines a light on a difficult period in history (Sally Newall)
All stars
Most relevant
Well read by Bill Patterson. A story of extreme courage and a will to survive.

A thought provoking book

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I read this book before traveling to Thailand to see Hellfire Pass and The Bridge on the River Kwai because I wanted to hear the story of someone who was there during WWII. This book has given me so much more than that!

Eric Lomax’s novel is a testament to his incredible story of hardship, survival, loyalty and forgiveness! Don’t hesitate to listen to this beautiful book!

Bill Paterson’s voice and beautiful accent brings the story to life

An incredible story of hardship, survival and forgiveness

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A harrowing story, beautifully written & narrated. I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

Incredible!

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I found this an excellent book.
My father had fought against the Japanese in WWII. I now understand in part maybe why he was the way he was. A rather difficult man.
This book does give a very true and graphic description of life of the men fighting in this part of the world also the horrendous way the captured men where treated.
I know both my father and grandmother took many long years to forgive or even talk to them. Sometimes I wonder if they ever did Georgie.
The narration of this book was I think what made it even better. Had I tried to read this myself I don't think I could have got through the torture. He somehow made it easier, don't think it that he was being gentle or anything, just I was able to hang in and listen.
An excellent book right to the end

Excellent

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I managed to catch the last half of the Railway Man screen adaptation on our local TV station a few weeks back. Curiosity got the better of me as I felt the book would do away with the screen dramatisation. I was not wrong and my heart goes out to our diggers that defended our shores against the Axis powers during the Second World War.
But the power of forgiveness from those that suffered at the hands of their tormenters speaks volumes at how consuming and futile the battles of man are. It struck me that Eric Lomax spent 50 of his years with hatred bottled up. And his tormenters accomplice, spent the same amount seeking forgiveness. How much of our lives have been wasted on similar follies? I dips me lid to the diggers past and present, from both sides for their suffering. And to their families that have carried the burden as well.
Rest in peace to all that have passed and survived those shocking times.
Ryan

Humbling listening.

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