The story of the fall of Singapore is quite well known, however the stories of escape and evasion are rarer. Escape from the Rising Sun describes an amazing feat of sailing 1500 miles across the Bay of Bengal with supplies running out and in a battered, fragile sailing boat. Not only did the escapees have to deal with the elements but they were strafed by an enemy fighter and almost inadvertently sailed through a Japanese fleet.
This is not a story about battles, but a story of the human spirit against adversity and is a story worth preserving.
It was last published in the 1970s and I’m again glad that Endeavour Press reprinted it in this digital edition.
What an exciting book about a harrowing escape from Singapore after it fell to the Japanese in 1972. I was led to this book by reading "They Left Us Everything" by Plum Johnson. Her father was one of the survivors of this escape.
An incredible voyage of a brave group of people who managed to escape the wrath of the marauding Japanese and fought the natural forces to reach to safety. Their grit and determination and the "never say die" spirit came handy.
Truly inspiring story that proves how determined men can achieve the impossible ! My only complaint would be that the book reads like a novel and it made the "non fiction" aspect less evident... I also struggled a bit with the navigation terms but that's on me !
A fascinating true life adventure story, which somehow makes light of what must have been a voyage of pain, anxiety and fear. A very easy book to read.