Prisoners of War

Australians Under Nippon

By: Tim Bowden

Narrated by: Tim Bowden

This documentary series, first presented in 1985 by acclaimed producer and presenter Tim Bowden, is a harrowing account of the ordeals faced by Australian POWs in Japanese camps, at the height of World War II. Told through the first-hand accounts of survivors from the war, this series has been remastered and serves as an indispensable insight into the realities of the war in the Pacific.

©1985 Tim Bowden (P)1985 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Amazing stories of Survival

These great soldiers, sailors, nurses and
Civilians survived unfathomable terror, hardships and torture to relate their stories that kept the reader captivated throughout the book. At the end the reader may realize how humans can survive regardless of their suffering. This is a must read for our younger generation!

Sympathy for family who were POW of the Japanese

The only people who attacked Australia after the English. How we were defending the UK, Europe leaving our gates wide open. Then the Japanese arrive in Asia with the non practice of Geneva Convention. Hence belief people, POW, were lost in action whilst severely punished by the Japanese following their God - Japanese royalty - kill or die trying don't come home until called. The amount of time after the end of the conflict of the war prisoners were still being punished.

FILM SOUNDTRACK - DOES NOT WORK AS AN AUDIOBOOK

What disappointed you about Prisoners of War?

Not being able to understand what's being said. Some of the Australian accents are just too thick. I thought it would be one narrator reading the first-hand accounts of the war.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I didn't get that far. I gave up after 30 minutes.

How could the performance have been better?

This is the soundtrack of a documentary film. It doesn't work as an audiobook. The survivors' accents are hard to understand. Then some are speaking over sound effects of bombing and shooting - maybe from an underlying film segment - and that only makes it all worse.

A kind interview

This book is more of interview than a story, does not carry person away as a story book does. More for scholars than readers or listeners.