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Julie Summers
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The Colonel of Tamarkan Paperback – January 1, 2006

by Julie Summers (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 111 ratings
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At the outbreak of the Second World War Philip Toosey had a career with Barings Bank, a young family and a commission with the Territorial Army. It was at Dunkirk that his charisma and fortitude were first noted, and in 1941 he was given command of an artillery regiment. Sent to fight in the Far East he and his men soon found themselves embroiled in the battle for Singapore, and were taken prisoner after the island's fall in February 1942. The Japanese, scornful of the Allied forces for surrendering, determined to make full use of the new workforce at their disposal. Toosey was sent to Thailand to command the 'bridge camp' at Tamarkan, where he was ordered to supervise the construction of two railway bridges over the river Khwae Mae Khlong. Starvation rations and harsh working conditions up-jungle meant that dysentery and cholera struck, and Tamarkan became a hospital camp. A quarter of the 60,000 prisoners working on the Thailand-Burma railway would perish, and it gained the nickname 'Death Railway'. Toosey, as camp commander, insisted on high standards of hygiene and discipline, giving his men back their self-respect and making himself a buffer for the cruel excesses of the guards. It would be another three and a half years before he returned home. Even after the war he found he was unable to stop looking after the men to whom he had become an inspiration, and his services to the Far Eastern POWs continued until his death in 1975. Written by Toosey's granddaughter, "The Colonel of Tamarkan" draws on both private archives and many original interviews with Second World War POWs from the Asian theatre to create a riveting blend of biography and history. It is a remarkable portrait of a forgotten British hero.
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  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pocket Books
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5.12 x 1.14 x 7.76 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780743495738
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0743495738
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 074349573X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pocket Books; New Ed edition (January 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780743495738
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743495738
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.12 x 1.14 x 7.76 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 111 ratings

About the author

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Julie Summers

Julie Summers

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Julie Summers was born in Liverpool but grew up in Cheshire. Her first book, Fearless on Everest, published in 2000, was a biography of her great uncle, Sandy Irvine, who died on Everest with Mallory in 1924. Her grandfather, Philip Toosey, was the man behind the Bridge on the River Kwai and her biography of him appeared in 2005. Fascinated by how people cope with extreme situations, she has turned her attention on the effect of the Second World war on non-combatants - the women and children. Recently she published Fashion on the Ration, a book that looks at what we wore during the Second World War. Her book Jambusters, the story of the WI in wartime, has inspired ITV's brand new 2015 drama series HOME FIRES, featuring Samantha Bond, Francesca Annis and many others.

She describes herself as a biographer and historian but the most important thing for her is to be a story teller. www.juliesummers.co.uk

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4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
111 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Cap'n Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars Two Lifetimes of Leadership
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2010
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As a young man Philip Toosey quickly learned his own strengths and weaknesses. No expert at performing complicated mental tasks himself, he became a past master at convincing others to do his bidding -- and getting them to respect and love him as a leader. This knack made him moderately successful as a businessman, but he found his true niche in the Territorial Army (U.K. version of the National Guard). His ability to whip part-time soldiers into fighting form parlayed into command of a regiment when World War II started, but his unit arrived in Belgium just in time to participate in the Dunkirk evacuation. A second command fared little better -- assigned to Singapore, his artillery unit fought well but was caught up in the general collapse in the face of the Japanese onslaught. It was here that Toosey's managerial genius emerged. Faced with unimaginably horrifying conditions and viciously irrational captors, Toosey realized the only way to keep at least some of his men alive was to preserve their discipline and spirit throughout the coming years of captivity. The famed movie "Bridge on the River Kwai" retells a small part of Toosey's exploits, with glaring discrepancies from reality (as Summers recounts in detail). The entire odyssey, encompassing many different locations with conditions even worse than those at the bridge, is a vastly greater and more affecting tale.

This book deserves far wider exposure than it has achieved to date, if the single previous Amazon.com review generated in five years is any indication. It is thoroughly researched, straightforwardly organized, and competently written and edited. The author (Toosey's granddaughter) shares insights into the marital conflicts and other problems of readjustment to civilian life that only a family member would have access to. Most of all, the book dramatizes the life of a man born to lead. The men Toosey commanded in Thailand never forgot the wit and devotion of the individual who, more than any other, shepherded them through their personal hell while sharing their suffering. In later years Toosey became director of multiple banks and corporations, but his first love was always the care and support of his army comrades, many of whom suffered intense post-traumatic stress syndrome before it had a name. (As did Toosey, not surprisingly.) For many reasons, not the least of which is a graphic revisitation of atrocities committed by the Japanese military, this book is well worth reading.
3 people found this helpful
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Jeffrey P. Bledsoe
5.0 out of 5 stars The story of an extraordinary man
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2008
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This is the real story of Philip Toosey, the British officer who saved hundreds of lives in Japanese WW II POW camps in Thailand. You must read this to understand the true story of "The Bridge on The River Kwai".

However, this is not just the story of what Philip Toosey did in Thailand; this is a cradle-to-grave story of an extraordinary man. The author's accounts of his childhood and early adult life provide hints of the influence that his parents, his teachers, and his mentors and business associates have on his philosophy of life, a philosophy that is essential to his leadership of men in the POW camps in Thailand.

Col. Toosey was a man who acted his conscience, stood up to the Japanese and Koreans (Korean guards in the POW camps) for his men, sometimes suffering beatings for them, and gained the respect of the Japanese camp leaders as a man who demanded, without compromise, that they abide by the international agreements on treatment of POWs. He was approachable by the lowest ranks and spent much time with his men who were dying of tropical and deficiency diseases and diseases caused by lack of hygiene, i.e., cholera and dysentery.

After the war, he served on veteran boards, helped secure funding for a Liverpool hospital specializing in tropical diseases, and was finally knighted towards the end of this life. His men from the camps stayed in contact with him and he often helped them through financial and personal struggles. His death was hastened by nutritional deprivations he suffered during his imprisonment in Thailand.

He even influenced one of the Japanese guards after the war. After Toosey gave the Japanese guard, Saito, a good report with the war crimes commission, Saito was freed without having to go through the tribunals. Saito changed his life philosophy, became a Christian, and communicated with Toosey in Toosey's later years.

Sir Philip Toosey was a man in full, a man anyone would be proud to call friend, father, or countryman. If you're interested in WW II history, conditions in Japanese POW camps, and how one life can influence so many other lives in a positive and enduring manner, you must read this book.
11 people found this helpful
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Andrew Melhopt
4.0 out of 5 stars A great man.
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2019
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We just visited Kanchanaburi and the bridge. This book gave the visit additional highlights.
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Wadehardin
5.0 out of 5 stars A real Hero
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2019
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Was amazed, how inaccurate the movie was. He was amazing man. Fought to get the best conditions he could for men. Officers worked along side men because they felt it would boost moral. After the war , he help create funds to help the prisoners try to get back to normal. Many still wrote or meet with him till he passed away. A great book to read. Granddaughter did fantastic job of putting this together. She talked to a lot of prisoners. getting there insight and views of the time spent on prison camps
One person found this helpful
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Harold
5.0 out of 5 stars What has been suppessed but not forgotten
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2010
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This book tells the story of the real British Colonel in charge of the British POW camp on the Death Railway in SE Asia including the building of the bridges on the Rive Kwai. The cruelty, brutality and downright sadism on the part of the Japanese guards described in this book have never been admitted by the Japanese government to their own people. Unlike the Australian government, the British government made life difficult for any British POW's to talk about events on the Death Railway or to receive disability pay.

This book and "The Forgotten Highlander" by Alistair Urquhart, another survivor of the Death Railway and subsequent slave labourer in the coal mines and factories in Japan are a must read for folk today who have either forgotten or were not aware of the nastier side of WW II in the Pacific.
2 people found this helpful
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bdot
5.0 out of 5 stars True Story?
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2018
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In many ways this was far more interesting than the book "Bridge over the River Kwai."
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Dr Who Regenerated
5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Bridge on the River Kwai was a Man
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2013
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This is an excellent work filled with outstanding research. I saw the movie when it came out in 1957, but it took 56 years more to know the real story and the real Colonel Nicholson.
One person found this helpful
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Mr. Flint
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2012
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Well written, absorbing true story of the Bridge on the River Kwai and the heroic men who fought against Japanese sadism during World War II.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

surrendar parmar
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story of a hero.
Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2014
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A tremendous story of a true hero. A must read for those interested in learning of Japanese brutality during WWII.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on November 17, 2016
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Anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars A challenging book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2014
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I have not had time to read this yet but I became aware of this extraordinary man in the late 70's when I was privileged to have some contact with Far East Prisoners of War. FEPOWs. These guys were real heroes of the war but overshadowed by the success of more famous soldiers e.g the Desert Rats. Perhaps with the production of a film like the "Railway Man" it may be possible to realise something of the suffering British soldiers suffered at the hands of the Japanese. One in four sleepers of the Burma railway represent the life of an allied serviceman. I look forward to reading this book, which arrived in good time.
One person found this helpful
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Christopher Potter
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 3, 2015
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good
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Peter Ward
4.0 out of 5 stars Tribute to an extraordinary Man
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2009
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This is the story of a very remarkable man. It continually made me reflect and think deeply. I plead some special interest, so that I am not emotionally detached, in that my parents knew the Tooseys in Willaston in the Wirral in the years immediately following the war and, as a small boy, I met "Toosey" and others of the family.

I can just remember a bit about the War at first hand so that all the way through the book I found myself asking the question, "How would I have conducted myself in the same circumstances?" I am just so full of admiration for the outstanding qualities of the man, that I know that I would have fallen so far short as effectively not to be on the same planet. So I hope it goes without saying that this is the most absorbing story of a man who gradually unfolded the most amazing strength of character. I freely admit that my critical faculties were not engaged with the literary standard of the writing but if the writing is to be judged by the ability of the author to make the reader turn the page over and read to the end and then to wish he or she had not finished the book, then this biography takes its place at the top table.

If one is interested in what makes a leader, what makes men look for guidance to someone, and,yes, what makes one human being love another human being, then read the book. It is perhaps a masculine book, political correctness is not within its cognisance, but when the chips are down - and they were indeed as low as it gets - the story told of the indomitable nature of the human spirit is quite simply inspiring - and very humbling. That Phillip Toosey's Japanese opponents recognised this fundamental truth as well tells us much about the elemental human condition.
3 people found this helpful
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