Australian History
Book Details

Ray Parkin On A POW's Survival

MUP Masterworks #2

Ray Parkin

At risk of death, prisoner of war Ray Parkin secretly kept a journal of the months in 1943-44 he spent working on the Thai-Burma Railway.

Opinion

"This collection of observations that he kept secret from the Japanese have a beautiful eloquence and striking clarity. What is remarkable is the absense of malice in his tone and a careful eye for detail, of the jungle fauna and flora, of the character of the men around him and of the frame of mind he retained to endure the hardships."
David Sly, Adelaide Review, 29/4/05

"sharp, relevant context, despite having been taken from [a] much larger book"
"sobering vignettes of the consequences of war"
"It forms a portrait of resilience through adversity that Parkin saw as common among Australian POWs."
David Sly, Adelaide Review, 29/4/05

About this Title

At risk of death, prisoner of war Ray Parkin secretly kept a journal of the months in 1943-44 he spent working on the Thai-Burma Railway. His account, first published as Into the Smother, received international acclaim for its restrained but realistic depiction of POWs living, working and dying in a Japanese camp deep in the Thai jungle. It was hailed by the legendary literary critic Max Harris as 'probably the finest POW writing in English'.

The MUP Masterworks series celebrates distinguished Australian writers and ideas. Each volume contains an extract from a literary work of enduring influence and popular appeal.

The second title in the MUP Masterworks series. This title was released for Anzac Day 2005.

About the Author

Melbourne-born Ray Parkin (1910-2005) was an omnivorous reader and gifted artist who largely educated himself and became a fine maritime painter. He spent eighteen years in the Royal Australian Navy, including three years as a prisoner of war of the Japanese during World War 2. After the war he became a waterfront tally clerk and wrote of his wartime experiences in Out of the Smoke, Into the Smother and The Sword and the Blossom, all published to critical acclaim by The Hogarth Press, London, in the 1960s.

After his retirement Ray spent many years researching, writing and illustrating his remarkable, award-winning work H. M. Bark Endeavour, published in 1997 by Melbourne University Press.

978-0-522-85196-0