
We Have a Library in Mind
An Extraordinary Survival Exercise in a Second World War Japanese Camp
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
We Have a Library in Mind
An Extraordinary Survival Exercise in a Second World War Japanese Camp
About this book
The Imperial War Museum archived Anthony Smelt's personal papers because he spent three years of the Second World War interned in Batu Lintang, a camp in Borneo. He had been working as a civil servant in British North Borneo until the Japanese invaded at the beginning of 1942. In those years of captivity, he was an active member of the camp, documenting the diet of his fellow internees and contributing to various aspects of their lives. He was later awarded an OBE for his services during internment, when POWs and civilian internees alike endured food shortages, disease, forced labour, brutal treatment, and lack of adequate clothing and living quarters. Of the approximately 2,000 British POWs held at Batu Lintang, over two-thirds died during or as a result of their captivity.
An additional cruelty was enforced boredom. With so many types of recreation forbidden, however, a dozen of the men – all identified by the author from an encoded list in her grandfather Anthony's papers – decided to invent a magical library.
Offering short biographies of the main protagonists, descriptions of their experiences in camp and a concise examination of the 'library' itself, Lucy Alexander has revealed an astonishing exercise in mental survival under the most appalling circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Introduction
- 1 William Anthony Casterton Smelt (IL #2)
- 2 John Norrie McArthur (IL #5)
- 3 Alan Rice-Oxley (IL #14)
- 4 George Cathcart Woolley (IL #22)
- 5 Reggie Rutter (IL #48)
- 6 Harry & Agnes Keith (IL #49)
- 7 Arthur Hugh Peters Humphrey (IL #57)
- 8 Edric Medley Selous (IL #74)
- 9 Cyril Drummond Le Gros Clark (IL #75)
- 10 Kenelm Hubert Digby (IL #93)
- 11 Lawrence John Clapham (IL #99)
- Unabridged List of Library Entries
- Endnotes
- Bibliography