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The Forgotten Highlander: An Incredible WWII Story of Survival in the Pacific Hardcover – October 1, 2010

by Alistair Urquhart (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,939 ratings
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A remarkable story of survival during World War II—a Scottish soldier that survived work camps, five days adrift at sea, and the atomic bomb!

Alistair Urquhart was a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders, captured by the Japanese in Singapore. Forced into manual labor as a POW, he survived 750 days in the jungle working as a slave on the notorious “Death Railway” and building the Bridge on the River Kwai. Subsequently, he moved to work on a Japanese “hellship,” his ship was torpedoed, and nearly everyone on board the ship died. Not Urquhart. After five days adrift on a raft in the South China Sea, he was rescued by a Japanese whaling ship.

His luck would only get worse as he was taken to Japan and forced to work in a mine near Nagasaki. Two months later, he was just ten miles from ground zero when an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. In late August 1945, he was freed by the American Navy—a living skeleton—and had his first wash in three and a half years.

This is the extraordinary story of a young man, conscripted at nineteen, who survived not just one, but three encounters with death, any of which should have probably killed him. Silent for over fifty years, this is Urquhart’s inspirational tale in his own words. It is as moving as any memoir and as exciting as any great war movie. 24 color illustrations
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Skyhorse Publishing
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    0.63 x 0.12 x 0.93 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    161608152X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1616081522
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A book you must read.”

“A story of almost unimaginable suffering.” (BBC Radio 4)

“Riveting, powerful, moving.” (The Observer)

“A remarkable memoir.” (Financial Times)

“In his memoir, Urquhart employs matter-of-fact prose that is somehow perfectly appropriate to describe the horrors he experienced. Although grateful and positive about the many benefits in his long life—he describes himself as a lucky man—he is angry at the Japanese government's lack of acknowledgment of Japan's wartime abuses, and he feels neglected by his own government. His story makes clear that he has every right to feel that way.” (Library Journal)

“Memorable, vivid, relentless.” (The Herald [UK])

“Urquhart. imprisoned in the Kanyu camps, forced to build the Death Railway, herded on the 'hell ship' Kachidoki Maru, and forced to work in mines around Nagasaki, is in a survival league of his own.” (The Times [London])

About the Author

Alistair Urquhart was born in 1919 and is the last surviving member of the Scottish regiment the Gordon Highlanders who were captured in Singapore. He teaches computer skills in Scotland. He is currently battling skin cancer—a probable result of his years of forced labor in the tropical sun. He lives in Dundee, Scotland.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Skyhorse Publishing; First Edition (October 1, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 161608152X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616081522
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.63 x 0.12 x 0.93 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,939 ratings

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Alistair Urquhart

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
4,939 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Schaf
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024
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Such a devastating story, told well. The authors first person account puts you in the story, hard to put down real easy read
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Steven R Brink
5.0 out of 5 stars simply amazingly heart breaking
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024
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Fantastic story for the ages… it begs the question of how the adults in the room can allow their children to suffer the horrors of war… how many times must history repeat itself before we demand a stop to this madness.
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Jack Spratt
4.0 out of 5 stars Emotional conclusion
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2021
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As a former Naval Officer who served on an Amphibious Assault ship in the Pacific during the Vietnam war I am interested in historical events that took place there in WWII. While in uniform I spent several days in Tokyo in 1970, and while it was 25 after WWII the animosity and anger that still existed from the older generation toward Americans was palpable. The Japanese people were unaware of their military's gross brutality and viciousness during WWII so I guess their contempt was to be expected. The government has still yet to own up to their barbarity.

I will start my short review at the ending of the book. The last chapter of the book was devoted to Alistair's life after he returned from the war. This was the most powerful and often neglected part of many historical books about the war. For me, it was certainly the most emotional part of Alistair's story. It literally brought tears to my eyes. The devastating aspects that he, and hundreds of thousands of others, had to endure and cope with due to the utter brutality and evil at the hands of their Japanese captors is chilling and overwhelmingly sad. This book is worth reading if just for an understanding of what these poor chaps, of any nationality, had to cope when the war was over. Of course, "their war" was never over...for them it was forever.

That being said, I gave the book 4 stars because I found the beginning of the book, almost a third of it, to be focused on Alistair's life before being conscripted. While it was important to understand who Alistair was as a person to establish an emotional connection I felt that this connection could have been made with much less repetition.

The majority of the book was devoted to his time served as a POW. During this time he was transferred to different POW camps and locations, the most interesting being his work on the Death Railway and bridge at the River Kwai. You will soon discover the ridiculously sanitized version of this experience if you've ever seen the movie Bridge Over the River Kwai. If you've never read any history about Japanese brutality during the war Alistair's POW experiences will be powerful and almost incomprehensible to imagine. I have read many books about the Pacific War so much of this part of the book was repetitive for me, but it is always a good reminder of the horrors and atrocities of war.

IF you have a good knowledge of this history and the Japanese military this book will be repetitive in parts but the ending will make the it all worthwhile.
12 people found this helpful
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Brian B
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2023
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I never write reviews but felt I needed to for this book. It's a must read.and one of the best books I had the honor to read. It will touch you deep down and give you perspective in life knowing what someone else went through. It will also teach you about how cruel a man can be to another man and yet how some can still find hope and courage in the worst situations possible

Beautifully written and a story that needs to be told.

Everyone should read this.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars extremely well written
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2023
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The atrocities suffered by the British, Australian, Canadian and American servicemen at the hands of the Japanese should be taught in every school to our children. Alistair Urquhart describes in great detail the brutality he and his fellow comrades experienced during the building of the death railway and the indescribable horror of the Japanese prison ships. So much is written about the dropping of the atomic bombs, but less attention is paid to the atrocities committed by the Japanese. If more people truly understood what our boys had to endure, they would have a better understanding of why the bombs were dropped. Even though it is heartbreaking to read, this is an excellent book and I highly recommend
2 people found this helpful
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Andrew Denney
5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible story
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
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Mr. Urquhart’s story vividly demonstrates the full spectrum of what humans are capable of. This book left me with a deep sense of gratitude because life could be much, much worse…
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Charles
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid book
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2024
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I’d recommend this one. Really interesting first person view on what went on as a prisoner of war in Japan
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Jeffrey T. Munson
4.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring Story of Survival
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2010
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Author Alistair Urquhart was a member of the Scottish Gordon Highlanders. His group was sent to Singapore in 1939 and by December, 1941, the Japanese had seized control. Singapore, Britain's main outpost in the Far East, fell to an invading force only 1/3 the size of the defenders. Urquhart and thousands of others became prisoners of the Japanese. This began a 3 1/2 year odyssey for Urquhart which saw him endure sadistic treatment at the hands of the Japanese.

Urquhart was conscripted to work on the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, all the while surviving on a cup of rice and water per day. Beatings became the norm, and soon, Urquhart was suffering from several different tropical diseases. He worked on the bridge for 750 days.

After his work on the bridge, Urquhart was put on one of the Japanese "Hell Ships" to be sent to a labor camp in Japan. En route, the ship was sunk by an American submarine, throwing Urquhart and his comrades into the water. Some of the prisoners were rescued by friendly submarines, but Urquhart was not as lucky; he was picked up by a Japanese ship and resumed his voyage to Japan. Once there, he began working outdoors in a mine near the town of Nagasaki. By August, 1945, the Japanese were beaten. The first atomic bomb had fallen on Hiroshima and one day while Urquhart was working outside, he was knocked over by an extremely hot blast of air. Looking north toward Nagasaki, Urquhart saw a towering cloud over the city. He did not know it at the time, but he had felt the effects of the second atomic bomb that destroyed the city. Urquhart had somehow managed to survive the war, weighing only 82 pounds at the end. He managed to work his way back to Scotland and began to get back to life.

This is a very interesting story told through the eyes of a former POW. I've read many books about the fate of Allied POWs at the hands of the Japanese, but I'm still sickened each time I read about these terrible atrocities the Japanese committed yet still refuse to admit. Many Japanese companies, including the one Urquhart slaved for, benefited from POW labor, yet they still refuse to admit it. Urquhart had to endure virtually daily beatings, solitary confinement, little or no medical care, and virtually no food and water, yet he survived. it is a testament to all POWs who managed to survive such unimaginable treatment.

I recommend this book to all readers of Pacific War history. Urquhart's story is one of resilience, determination, and stubbornness, and this book accurately portrays the atrocities that Allied POWs were forced to face.
69 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Greg Tunnock
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2024
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This was a very hard and upsetting read at parts however very well written and a great story. The author makes you feel as if you were there as a POW and the descriptions of the hellfire pass and the building of the bridge are amazing. It is well worth a read and will open your eyes to the absolutely disgusting way the allies POW's were kept.
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Remz
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in France on October 21, 2023
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A fascinating war account.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificient read of resilience, bravery, discipline, the best and the worst of the human being.
Reviewed in Spain on April 18, 2022
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A good wake up read for everyone who thinks and takes everything for granted. A well written - humbling read.
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Nick
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Australia on April 14, 2024
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Great book
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R. (RG) G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Die Wahrheit über die Brücke am Kwai
Reviewed in Germany on March 31, 2018
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Das Buch ist englischsprachig.

Wer kennt nicht den Film über die Brücke am Kwai?
Heldenhaft, mannhaft, ehrenvoll...
...nun, die Realität sah anders aus.
Wie, das findest Du in "The Forgotten Highlander".

Überheblichkeit. Ignoranz. Standesdünkel.
Die Engländer werden von den Japanern überrannt.
Ein junger Schotte wird von den Japanern gefangen genommen.
Er marschiert mit Hunderten anderen Gefangenen in den Dschungel.
Bewacht und gefoltert von sadistischen japanischen Soldaten,
bauen sie an der Thailand-Burma Eisenbahn und der "Brücke am Kwai".
Die Todes-Eisenbahn. Ein Toter pro Schwelle.
Und das ist noch lange nicht alles.

Der Autor war dabei, hat überlebt, kam lebend zurück und findet den Mut, seine Erinnerungen aufzuschreiben, als er bereits über 80 Jahre alt ist.

Immer, wenn Du beim Lesen denkst, jetzt kann es nicht mehr schlimmer kommen,
setzen Menschen dem Leiden und der Ungerechtigkeit noch eins drauf.
Du möchtest schreien, weinen. Manchmal ist es fast nicht auszuhalten.
Gerade deswegen halte ich "The Forgotten Highlander" für ein wichtiges Buch.
Nach der Lektüre geht es Dir gut, weil Du erkennst, dass Du an Luxusproblemen "leidest".

Dieses Buch verändert die Sicht auf viele Aspekte des Lebens.
Auf den Wert des Lebens.
Auf ein "Problem".
Auf das japanische Volk.
Auf "Schuld", "Täter" und "Opfer".
Auf den Wahnsinn, die Hölle, die durch Krieg entsteht.
Auf die Filmindustrie.
Auf die Menschen - was sie anrichten und was sie aushalten und überstehen können.

Nimm und lies. Deine Welt wird hinterher eine andere sein.
.
4 people found this helpful
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