Sunday, March 17, 2013

The Forgotten Highlander-Alistair Fuquhart

Months ago, I told you that I had read a book that I would tell you about, so I am finally keeping that promise...
 
If you have read my blog before, you might remember that I have mentioned Mr. Louis Zamperini and his book, "Devil At My Heels", and when I read it in 2004, I found it so moving that I wrote a letter to the publisher.  Mr. Zamperini wrote me back! When I wrote him again, he sent me a note to let me know that Laura Hillenbrand was writing a book about him.  Her book about him, "Unbroken", was released in 2010 and was named the best nonfiction book of the year from Time Magazine.    You may read my post about Mr. Zamperini here.

I have now read another book by a man from Scotland and it is also a story from World War II and he also was a Japanese POW.    It is a very moving story.  In the USA, the book is entitled :
"The Forgotten Highlander:An Incredible Story of Survival In The Pacific" and it is written by Alistair Fuquhart.  Everything that this poor man endured is almost too much to read and to absorb, it is that intense.  Alistair was in the Gordon Highlanders and was in Singapore when the Japanese overtook the city.  Forced to work on the Burma Railway (also called the Death Railway due to all who died building it)  he was one of those who built the infamous Bridge Over The River Kwai. (The movie about it is based upon a work of fiction.  JUST a movie, not like that in real life!!)  After that he was put onto one of the Japanese Hell ships which was torpedoed by a US Naval ship. (The ship was not shown to have prisoners aboard, so the author does not blame the USA.)  Adrift at sea for five days in a tiny raft, he was picked up and sent to a prison camp outside Nagasaki.  Yes, you might guess that he was knocked over by a blast of hot air one day and later found out that it was the atomic bomb which was dropped there...
After the war, he married and had two children.  He never spoke of these wartime horrors and it was sixty-five years before he decided to write down his story.  Here are some links where you may read more.  Japanese hell ships  Death Railway  BBC Review

Even after all these years, Mr. Fuquhart feels he needs to eat rice at least three or four times a week.  When I told my husband this, he said, in a soft and thoughtful voice, "For him, rice would represent life"...

Now, how can someone endure such a horrible experience?  I have read reviews that MUSIC is what saved him.  And I so agree, he speaks of music all through it but I must tell you that it is actually LOVE that saved him.   It was the love of music you see, the love of it and the thought of the love of his wonderful family back home in Scotland.  If you go to the Amazon website for the United Kingdom, you can read a review of his book, which I think is the second review down, and I love that it is written by his daughter! 

If anyone in Scotland ever gets to meet Alistair Fuquhart, please shake his hand for me, would you? Pass along my good wishes and let him know that I thought his book was very well written.  It's difficult to think of all this man went through, both during the war and also how much he was tortured by his memories after the war.  Stephen Spielberg has now, I believe, secured the rights to this story, so you should look out for it on the big screen within the next few years.

 
Alistair Fuquhart, I will not forget you!  I will try my best to let others know of your story.  Leaving you with one of the songs mentioned in the book, "Moonlight Serenade".  Enjoy!






27 comments:

  1. What an amazing, troubling story. Thank you for telling it here otherwise I would never had heard his name. God bless him....and you- xo Dana

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    1. Thanks, Diana. If you don't read his book, look out for the movie about him.

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  2. This is a very interesting story - to have moved you so much to write a letter - and then he writes you back. I am new here so I don't know too much about it - but it did sound like a great story.
    Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!
    Sandie

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    1. I wish I could write to Mr. Fuquhart too.
      Mr. Zamperini must have replied to many people over the years, it amazes me that he did that, but that is that generation for you!

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  3. You always find the most fascinating life-stories, Kay. I can only imagine how he must have suffered. I will look out for the book.

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    1. You know, biographies were always my first love.
      I love true life stories and especially ones, where the person is interesting and able to convey life in a postive way even if they have gone through terrible times.
      Let me know if you read this book.

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  4. That is a wonderful post. It is important to remember all those brave men and what they went through. The terrors of war are unimaginable for me.

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    1. Thanks. I think it is important to remember what they went through, we need to honor them.

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  5. Kay, Thank you for always posting wonderful things of our older heros. What a story this man has to tell. Bless Mr. Zamperini's heart. xoxo,Susie

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    1. Thanks, Susie. Bless Mr. Zamperini and Mr. Fuquhart both. xx

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  6. Just read your post re The Forgotten Highlander and put it on hold at the library.

    Laura Hillenbrand's book about Louis Zamperini is STILL on the best seller list after all this time!!!

    Another book you might want to check out having nothing to do with WWII is "Far From the Tree" by Andrew Solomon. Let me know what you think.....PS Have missed you in church the last few weeks.

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    1. Good, let me know what you think of this book after you have read it.
      I will look up the book you mentioned.
      Oh, I have a lot a rough couple of weeks lately, but hope to get back on track soon!
      Thanks for your comment, even though you forgot to type in your name at the end!! :-)

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  7. I'm putting this on my "must read" list ASAP. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Good, Jeanette, I hope you get a chance to read it!

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  8. It is always so difficult to read and remember the horrors these brave people went through in the war, but we must, because we cannot forget.

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    1. I so admire these guys. That generation has my utmost respect.

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  10. Beautiful. And how nice to end with Glenn Miller... His Moonlight Serenade is one of my favourite songs. In the 1950's, KOL radio in Seattle had a dance program that came on at 10 PM... the host was a man named Bob Walgren. Moonlight Serenade was his theme song. I used to listen just for the opening credits and then turn off the radio and go to sleep, because the next day was a school day. Haven't heard the song in ages, but it's very evocative and bittersweet....

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    1. Thank you, Carol. As a teenager, I was sent an album of 40's Big Band music by error. I was surprised to get it, but even more surprised when I loved it!
      Thanks for your comment. You have good taste in music!

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  11. This kind of book is so important. In a few years, none of his generation will still be alive to tell us what it really was like. Why there are still so many people out there who glorify war truly is beyond me.

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    1. You can bet that those who lived through this would not glorify war. That is why I think it is important that men like Mr. Zamperini and Mr. Fuquhart tell their stories.
      There are not that many left from World War II, not those who fought in it anyway.

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  12. The Greatest Generation has truly earned that name. The war heroes of WWII are fading fast and their stories need to be told and remembered forever. What a great man. I could go on about the world today and wonder if we could do the same as those in the 40's. I don't know. I do know that I admire men like him and hopefully his story will reach the big screen. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks, Cathy, I so very much agree with you.
      I need to do a post about what the English people went through during World War II, it is truly an incredible story and not one that most Americans know.
      Thanks again for your comment!xx

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  13. Aye many suffered badly on the Burma railway. Many intriguing tales came from there.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, I was hoping that I would get one from Scotland.
      For those who survived working on the railway, they still had to live with their memories.

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