Dimensions
145 x 225 x 20mm
'One Man's War' is the diary of a young Australian army sergeant, Stan Arneil, kept as a prisoner of war during World War II. It covers the entire period of imprisonment from the fall of Singapore in 1942 through the infamous Burma railway camps, his return to Changi and his repatriation to Australia in October 1945.
Arneil kept the diary - written on scraps of stolen paper - partly for his family and partly to help himself stay sane. His simple, direct account of day-to-day prison camp existence in all its horror is vivid and moving. Arneil's struggles with his own depression, illnesses and his rarely abating homesickness are a moving testimony to an individual's courage and resilience in appalling conditions. Throughout his ordeal, Arneil never lost his faith, his extraordinary optimism, humanity and will to survive. He always managed to find something for which to be grateful - even when he was barely alive.
The text is accompanied by George "Changi" Aspinall's remarkable photographs. Both diarist and photographer risked death if their efforts were discovered by their captors.
