A Doctor's War

by Aidan MacCarthy

Aidan MacCarthy relates his experiences of World War Two. After qualifying as a doctor in 1938 he joined the RAF, setting him on a path which would see him awarded the George Medal, survive Dunkirk, imprisoned by the Japanese in Java, and live through the atom-bombing of Nagasaki.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ireland, Biography, History, War, World War II, Memoir

159 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and quick read of the experiences of a young Irish doctor in the RAF during the Phoney War, the fall of the Dutch East Indies and his subsequent time as a POW in Japanese hands for more than 3 brutal years. The book is unique as it is from a doctors viewpoint in the POW camps. Originally written in 1979 and there are a few historical inaccuracies in the book.

[Ursula Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brilliant story of an Irish/British POW in Japanese concentration camps....a brutal story but not as 'un-put-downable' as other POW stories I have read

[David Corcoran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly exceptional real life storey of survival told with amazing humility. The odds against Dr. McCarthy, the suffering and events he endured, and his ability to retain his humanity throughout are a testament to a hero whose story is not well known. This story is a Hollywood blockbuster in the making!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book written by, not a writer, but a physician. Aidan McCarthy served as a physician in the RAF during the second world war. Initially stationed in France, he was evacuated from Dunkirk, only to be later sent to Singapore. He ended up in Java and was captured by the Japanese and held prisoner from March 1942 until the end of the war with Japan. He was moved from Indonesia to mainland Japan and the city of Nagasaki.

I mentioned earlier that McCarthy is not an author. That, perhaps does him a diservice, because using a physicians sensebilities and a certain detatchment, typical of a man of science, he chronicles his experience in detail. The book is fascinating. And admirable. Despite the horrors inflicted upon him and his fellow prisoners, he maintains a non-judgemental attitude and emperical point of view which bears the unmistakable stamp of first hand experience. I often felt he was reporting the results of a scientific experiment rather than four years as a prisoner of war in the most dire of circumstances. In the end it seemed obvious to me that this was an excellent way to cope with his situation, perhaps the only way to cope with it without breaking down altogether.

[Malvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly amazing story of an Irishman's service in WWII, ending up in a Japanese POW camp at Nagasaki. Aidan MacCarthy was a doctor, his war service began in the RAF at Dunkirk. He wrote down his personal memoirs of the war and they are truly extraordinary. It is a miracle he survived, let alone stayed sane; you have to read it to believe it! This is a very moving story of faith, survival, compassion and even humour among chaos and cruelty. I read it because it was referenced in 'McCarthy's Bar' by Pete McCarthy, who was similarly affected when reading the previously out of date book. So glad it is now back in print, although at times difficult to read because of the content.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished Ian Toll's trilogy about the war in the Pacific when a friend loaned me this memoir of an RAF physician's captivity. This began in the Dutch colonies and ended in Nagasaki, the author having survived the bombing in '45. His account is matter-of-fact. No embellishments, no drama, just grinding misery in various circumstances with some interesting insights as regards the Japanese military.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just another POW story.

Being a Doctor not a combat soldier makes this a very different story of a WWII POW. Far worse than Europe, and relocated many times these men saw and suffered terribly. Their location at the end of the war against Japan is remarkable. It has to be read to be believed.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book by a very brave man

What a wonderful man who lived through the he'll of a Japanese prison camp and survived with a warm living heart! Really enjoyed the book and felt I got to know the man. Highly recommend this book to all readers!

[Penny Kettlewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief, concise & remarkable

His story draws you in to the actual history of that time. No gratuitous drama added, just the true history of this man, physician & believer in God of his horrendous WW2 experiences. How he kept his sanity, faith & will to survive will inspire!

[Stephen Hatton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating memoir. Vivid and honestly written, this account of Dr Aidan MacCarthys time as a RAF medical officer during World War II is inspiring and harrowing.
This powerful first hand narrative is generously sprinkled with the authors humour and charm making for a very enjoyable read.

[Elspeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written troubling personal account of being a Japanese prisoner of war. Fascinating perspective on rations - medications & food. Risks of re-feeding, infection, war all quite incredibly documented. Not overly long & gets clearly to the point.

[Mrs Zoe A Longland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing account but amazing none the less, having lost my grandfather before being born and knowing he was in camp Fukuoka it was oddly amazing to understand a little more of what he went through.
Thoughts and love with all that have been to hell and back and survived x

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing that a guy who lived so close to me experienced some of the most harrowing events of Ww2. Fabulously written.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A miracle of survival

It's hard to believe that these guys survived all they went through. And that, for the most part, came out ok.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible Audiobook

[Murph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing memoir of an Irish doctor in the British army during World War II.

[Jemima Nilan · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times an unbelievable amount of misfortune, often told with a matter of factness; less dramatic than fiction but no less arresting

[Sharon Zink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about an Irish doctor being captured by the Japanese and eventually ending up in a POW camp in Nagasaki. He was there when the atomic bomb was dropped.

[Cathal McGuinness · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best memoir out there. How hasn't Hollywood snapped this up yet? History at its most cinematic

[Ryan Nesselroade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, moving book. An RAF doctor’s memoirs from WW2 where he spent most of his time in Japanese captivity. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys firsthand historical accounts.

[Tom Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm somewhat biased. I currently live near Castletownbere in County Cork, Ireland, where Aidan grew up. I never knew him. But having read this book, I so much wish I could shake his hand. And ask him a single, all-important question: How did you survive and endure?

A Doctor's War is the factual story of young Doctor McCarthy and his journey through World War II. An Irishman, Aidan volunteered for Britain's Royal Air Force just prior to the outbreak of hostilities. Posted in France, he survived Dunkirk. Then posted in the islands of the South Pacific, he was captured by the Japanese, a captivity that he ultimately survived.

This book is not only about survival, but also about strength and courage. Here is a young man that somehow escaped drowning when his prison boat was sunk by the Allies during transportation back to the Japanese mainland. It is a first-person journey through the horrific realities of war: beatings, executions, starvation and disease. It touches on how luck plays a crucial role: finally held at a prison in Nagasaki, only luck allowed him and others to survive the world's second atom bomb used in anger.

But A Doctor's War is much, much more. Despite his cruel captivity, Aidan constantly works to save the lives not only of his fellow prisoners but when offered the opportunity, also his captors. And it is a book of faith: McCarthy firmly believes that his faith in God was instrumental in finding the courage and will to survive.

I read the book in a single sitting. Having reached the end, closed the cover, and considered his story, I was dumbstruck: Aidan McCarthy should not have survived. And yet - he did. This is a story that affected me. His simple, always humble words forces me to sit up and take in the simple beauty of the world.

Because of Aidan, it makes me realize how wonderful it is to be alive.

[Heather The Fruit Bat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This follows the exploits of an RAF doctor during WW2 and includes his personal experience of a nuclear bombing.

[Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In and around the main blast zone cremations were not required. The bomb itself had done this grim work. In another area, further away, the tall administrative building which had been the head office of the Mitsubishi empire had been toppled in the blast. Nearly five hundred girls had been working in these offices, and when the building had been hit, they had been catapulted out. They were spread in a human carpet up to a distance of nearly a thousand feet, giving the impression of a nightmare doll factory. The majority lay as if asleep, unmarked and unburnt, still in their trouser suits, and seeming as though they were waiting to be replaced on a massive shelf."

[Ray Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

When someone recommends a book, I always read it. When a relative of Pete McCarthy, the well known writer of "McCarthy's Bar" suggested this book to me I got a copy.
Aidan MaCarthy's story begins as a bored young doctor enlists in the RAF during WWII. His travels take him to prison camps in the Far East and eventually to Japan where he witnessed a a decisive event. It's all in this compact book, including sickening descriptions of death and decadence, all needed to convey the remarkable story of this unassuming Irish doctor.

[The Dyslexic Book Babe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not quite sure what to expect with this read as I often find memoirs to be very dull and painfully narcissistic, but this was nothing like anything I’ve read before. MacCarthy recounts his riveting and often terrifying experiences as a Doctor during the Second World War and his captivity as a POW in a Japanese camp. It’s a true miracle this man survived and lived to tell the tale. About the only thing I struggled with this book was the typeset - my dyslexic brain struggled at times but the captivating story more than compensated.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very brief memoir by a young British (Irish) doctor's experiences in the RAF in World War II. If anything his experiences are an indictment of British/Allied logistics. He also reflects the stereotypical British colonist mentality. Still, it is a look at the war and life in the Japanese POW camps from the point of view of a medical officer and I have never read anything from that perspective before.

[Ariadna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A powerful autobiography of an Irish doctor fighting with the RAF during the II World War and ending prisoner of war in Japan. Very human and matter of fact.