This is a translation of the only detailed account of the building of the notorious 262-mile long Thai-Burma railway by one of the Japanese professional engineers who was involved in its construction, thereby providing an invaluable new source of historical and technical reference to the large body of literature on this subject. Futamatsu's memoir also includes wide-ranging reflections on the course and conduct of "his" war as well as his engineering experiences.
The translator, Ewart Escritt, was a POW and worked on the railway. The introductory matter includes Escritt's detailed account of his own POW experience and reflections on the war. Many contemporary original drawings, maps, and photographs appear in the plate section.