The Adventures of Eddie Fung: Chinatown Kid, Texas Cowboy, Prisoner of War [Paperback]

Judy Yung (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2007

Eddie Fung has the distinction of being the only Chinese American soldier to be captured by the Japanese during World War II. He was then put to work on the Burma-Siam railroad, made famous by the film "The Bridge on the River Kwai". In this moving and unforgettable memoir, Eddie recalls how he, a second-generation Chinese American born and raised in San Francisco's Chinatown, reinvented himself as a Texas cowboy before going overseas with the U.S. Army. On the way to the Philippines, his battalion was captured by the Japanese in Java and sent to Burma to undertake the impossible task of building a railroad through 262 miles of tropical jungle. Working under brutal slave labour conditions, the men completed the railroad in fourteen months, at the cost of 16,000 POW and 70,000 Asian lives. Eddie lived to tell how his background helped him endure forty-two months of humiliation and cruelty and how his experiences as the sole Chinese American member of the most decorated Texan unit of any war shaped his later life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A remarkable chronicle of a boy from Chinatown who in his journey through life acquires a wealth of insight and wisdom." Franklin Ng, California State University, Fresno "An unusual and riveting contribution to Asian American history."- Valerie J. Matsumoto, University of California, Los Angeles

From the Publisher

"A remarkable chronicle of a boy from Chinatown who in his journey through life acquires a wealth of insight and wisdom." - Franklin Ng, California State University, Fresno

"An unusual and riveting contribution to Asian American history." - Valerie J. Matsumoto, University of California, Los Angeles

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 227 pages
• Publisher: University of Washington Press (December 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295987545
• ISBN-13: 978-0295987545
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eddie Rides Again or Ding-Hao Pardner!, April 11, 2008

By 

M. S. Brown "MelB" (Oak Hill, Tx.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Eddie Fung: Chinatown Kid, Texas Cowboy, Prisoner of War (Paperback)

"Another Little Big Man" might have been the immodest title of this too modest gentleman's autobiography. That memorable movie from 1970 told the life story of a diminutive guy who lived many different lives within the span of one and that could also describe Eddie Fung. Short on stature, big on life, that's Eddie. Born in San Francisco's Chinatown, he dropped out of high school and went to Texas at age 16 to become a cowboy just because he wanted to. There he discovered a now nearly vanished breed of everyday honest men and a challenging way of life that for him epitomized the American dream of freedom of spirit paid for by hard work. By 1940 as war raged in China and simmered in Europe he too joined the Texas National Guard just as many of the other ranch hands were doing. That one simple act put Eddie onto a path that took him through three and a half very tough years as the only Chinese American prisoner of war after his unit's capture by the Japanese Army early in 1942. You won't want to put it down once you begin Eddie's book but the beauty of it is that you can pick it up and open it nearly at random and be rewarded with simple truths as experienced by a complex man. For this we have Eddie's wife Dr. Judith Yung to thank for an excellent job of editing a number of multi-hour interview sessions. Judy is one of this nation's most well known and respected scholar/authors of the modern Chinese American experience. Be sure to read the Preface to learn how they met and married when Judy needed a WW II vet interview for a project she had begun. This memorable book has one little shortcoming, so to speak, that must be mentioned .... it comes to an end. This reader wanted Eddie's adventures to continue indefinitely. We do learn of his post war life including family and career, his eventual involvement with the Lost Battalion Association and its annual reunions, etc. so it is a well rounded effort. My wish came true recently when I discovered that YouTube offers a six part look at one of this special couple's book talks. Thank you sharing your life Eddie.

5.0 out of 5 stars quick read, March 31, 2010

By 

Fanny Wong "fannard" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Adventures of Eddie Fung: Chinatown Kid, Texas Cowboy, Prisoner of War (Paperback)

I ordered this book for class. My professor was able to find the author and have him lecture for us, and I even got his autograph :D Fast shipping, great condition

5.0 out of 5 stars The Adventures of Eddie Fung, January 6, 2010

By 

NavyChief-doc "Corpsman" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Adventures of Eddie Fung: Chinatown Kid, Texas Cowboy, Prisoner of War (Paperback)

My sister gave me Adventures of Eddie Fung as a Christmas present because I had previously read several other books about the Lost Batallion of WWII (Some Survived, 1000 Cups of Rice, Death March, Ghost Soldiers). All of these books are excellent and give very good accounts of the atrocities and brutality heaped upon the members of the Lost Batallion, but Eddie Fung's account stands "Head and Shoulders" above the others. Eddie gives accurate account, as other authors do, of his POW experience--with one major difference. All the other accounts of the events seem to place major emphasis on the brutality and unjust treatment given to the POWs, but Eddie approaches the book from the positiveness of the human spirit and his ability to accept the ordeals as learning blocks for the time when he would once again be on American soil. His positive approach puts the entire ordeal much more in perspective than the other accounts. Anyone wanting to learn more about the Lost Batallion MUST read The Adventures of Eddie Fung to get the entire picture. It is also a must read for any history buff that wants to learn more about the Japanese treatment of POWs in WWII. An OUTSTANDING book!!!!