Weakened by hunger, thirst and ill-treatment, author Charles McCormac, then a World War Two prisoner-of-war in Japanese-occupied Singapore, knew that if he did not escape he would die. With sixteen others he broke out of Pasir Panjang camp and began an epic two-thousand-mile escape from the island of Singapore, through the jungles of Indonesia to Australia. With no compass and no map, and only the goodwill of villagers and their own wits to rely on, the British and Australian POWs’ escape took a staggering five months and only two out of the original seventeen men survived. You’ll Die in Singapore is Charles McCormac’s compelling true account of one of the most horrifying and amazing escapes in World War Two. It is a story of courage, endurance and compassion, and makes for a very gripping read.
McCormac recounts his escape along with 16 other British and U.S. soldiers from a Japanese POW camp. Only two survived the five-month, 2000-mile trip to safety. An amazing story.
The story is fascinating in the way that these hidden histories tend to be — bringing history to a personal level.
The have been a number of books describing the atrocities of the Japanese during the Second World War. No doubt we need to be reminded of these horrors, but it often makes depressing reading. In contrast we have an exciting story of the only escape from Singapore. It is an amazing tale of hardship and endurance that reads like a thriller. It is hard to believe that it is a true story.
[McCormac's] story of the two thousand mile trek is a well-written account of one of the most amazing escapes of World War Two. It not only records the event but also sheds a ray of hope amongst the generally depressing tales of Japanese atrocities. Well worth a read.
