Jim Brigginshaw Books

A classic first hand account of life and death as a POW on the Burma Railway.

The harrowing experiences of Jim Bodero during World War Two unfold as he endures captivity after the fall of Singapore. As a prisoner of war, he faces the brutal realities of being a slave laborer in a coal mine near Nagasaki. The narrative peaks with the catastrophic moment when the second atomic bomb is dropped on 9 August 1945, dramatically altering his fate and that of countless others. This story highlights themes of survival, resilience, and the profound impact of war on human lives.

When Arthur and Sarah Cunningham and their two children set sail for the far shores of Australia, they have no idea what is ahead of them. The journey itself would be challenging enough, but the deprivations of the long sea passage from Plymouth start to pale into insignificance when they find themselves marooned on a quarantine island off the coast of the promised land. After tragedy strikes, not once but twice, Sarah and her children, Davy and Emma, struggle to find a way to pursue their dreams of a better life in the harsh streets of Brisbane. Davy discovers an affinity for the sea and starts to reap the rewards from the abundant fish stocks along the Great Barrier Reef. During a sickening incident, he discovers the truth about 'blackbirding' - a licenced activity that covers up the horrific trade in slave labour to the sugarcane fields. Davy is determined to right these terrible wrongs, and bring justice to his friends, the kanakas, even at the risk of his own life...