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Escape to Pagan: The True Story of One Family's Fight to Survive in World War II Occupied Asia Kindle Edition

by Brian Devereux (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 48 ratings
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The true story of a soldier who survived Japanese capture, a sinking hell ship, and the bombing of Nagasaki, all while his family fought their own battle in the Burmese jungle.

While leading an attack on Hong Kong’s Golden Hill, Jack Devereux of the Royal Scots is shot through the head. Then a Japanese officer attempts to behead him in order to blood his samurai sword. Waking briefly, Devereux kills his would-be executioner, impressing his captors. Fascinated by their prisoner’s grisly wounds, they allow him to live, but Devereux’s trials are only beginning.

In a precarious physical state, the wounded soldier experiences the horrific sinking of the Japanese freighter LisbonMaru, in which hundreds of POWs drown; survives the shark-infested South China Sea; and burrows in the mines of Nagasaki as the atom bomb falls. Meanwhile, his family hides in Burma, hoping against hope that they will one day be reunited with Devereux.

Written by his son, Brian Devereux—whose mother carried him from Mandalay to the deserted medieval city known today as Bagan—this is an amazing account of the terrifying wartime journey of a soldier and his family.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    359 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Casemate
  5. Publication date
    July 5, 2016
  6. File size
    2595 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Pulse-pounding . . . The Devereux saga is tremendously gripping and gory. . . . Escape to Pagan is also a story of hope.” —South China Morning Post

“A gripping true story of survival . . . The beautiful landscape of Burma and the tragedy of warfare are evocatively portrayed in this haunting and moving book.” —The Daily Telegraph

About the Author

Brian Devereux was born in Burma in 1940. For twenty-five years, he worked as a freelancer and stuntman in the film industry, once doubling for Michael Caine, performing all the stunts in Deadfall. Devereux’s business endeavors have also included owning a country-house hotel.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01H13AUSK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Casemate (July 5, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 5, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2595 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 359 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 48 ratings

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
48 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Gary Timm
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
It is impossible to put this book down. If you do, you can feel it calling you.The most extraordinary escape I have ever "experienced." This is a masterpiece. The characters still visit me and I sit and ponder, think, admire...........
6 people found this helpful
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Betsy
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2019
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed reading this book from a historical as well as cultural aspect. Though I usually don't enjoy books that skip from one perspective (narrator) to another I really liked this one. My only disappointment was the missing "plates" referred to in the narrative. I'm guessing there are photos in the printed version - which I would have enjoyed seeing.
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tomrock
4.0 out of 5 stars Would recommend this book
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2017
Verified Purchase
Very personal account of survival under Japanese occupation. The father describes how he survived as a POW under incredible odds after being wounded and left for dead.
. And the account of the grandmother, mother and little boy's journey is well written. The grandmother's knowledge of the Burma interior saved their lives over and over. Would recommend this book.
4 people found this helpful
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IlanaWD
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting story
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2016
An interesting story, revealing relatively untold episodes of the WWII in Asia, particularly Burma/Myanmar. It focuses on a personal saga and the rhythm of the story may be sometimes pretty slow, but there are many observations and remarks useful for both the historian and the memoir lover.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange of an honest review
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Readerme
5.0 out of 5 stars Escape to Pagan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2017
Verified Purchase
I loved this book - it gave a fascinating insight into a real family adventure during a real war. I was completely engaged with the Grandmother who was the matriarchal decision maker and protector of the family. It's astonishing that this family went through so much and survived and a real reminder of how lucky we are not to live through war-torn times. If you love military history and appreciate authentic insights not included in the history books then you'll really enjoy this.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazonian
3.0 out of 5 stars A harrowing story and mostly well told
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
I had a fascinating holiday in Burma many years ago, which was the reason that I purchased this book. It's a harrowing story of determination and courage. It rambles slightly at times and would have benefited from some editing.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
brilliant but disturbing
2 people found this helpful
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Grus Grus
2.0 out of 5 stars Story badly told
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2018
Verified Purchase
There is probably a good story to be found but the narrative is so poorly stated that I was unable to follow the story. I put the failure of the book down to the inability of the editor to guide the author who obviously found difficulty in writing the book. The book relied on the editor inserting a device to 'denote a change of narration between Brian Devereux and his mother' plus a change of type. This made the story difficult to comprehend.
One person found this helpful
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Jen
3.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
Rather boring in the telling. I couldn't get very far with reading it.
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