A Boy's War (An Omf Book) [Paperback]

David Michell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1997

Autobiographical account of a schoolboy's experiences as an internee in China during World War II.

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: O M F Books (June 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9971972719
• ISBN-13: 978-9971972714
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Australian
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Evangelism > General
  • #55 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > World War II > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trapped in China during WW II, March 27, 2007

By 

Smallchief - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Boy's War (An Omf Book) (Paperback)

"A Boy's War" tells of a six-year old Australian boy, son of a missionary, who went off to Chefoo boarding school in China in 1939 and didn't see his parents again until 1945. World War II intervened and he was interned by the Japanese in Weihsien camp in Shandong province, China.

This is a brief book of 170 pages, but Michell covers a lot of ground. He tells about his life at the boarding school as the clouds of war gather and Japan conquers more and more of China. Then, he endures two years of internment with more than one thousand other foreigners at Weihsein. The internees were rescued dramatically by American partroopers at the end of the war and young David undertakes an epic journey back to Australia by ship where he is reunited with his family. The author concludes by telling us about his 1985 return visit to Weihsein.

This is a missionary's story and the author affirms his faith, although not in a way that will offend the non-religious. The boy was fortunate in having many surrogate parents during his years of isolation, of whom one of the most important was Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner (recall "Chariots of Fire?") who lived and died at Weihsein. John Birch -- who inspired the radical political organization, the John Birch Society -- is a minor character in the book as he too was a "mish kid" in pre-Communist China.

Weihsien camp in China has generated a great deal of literature. Rarely have so many talented people resided together in such close quarters. "Shantung Compound" is a sociology classic by Langdon Gilkey and "The Call" by John Hersey is one of my favorite novels. "A Boy's War" is a brief introduction to missionary life in China and the experiences of foreigners trapped by war.

Smallchief

5.0 out of 5 stars a very moving story of one boys journey through war, July 19, 2011

By 

N. Martinez "C. Martinez" (bulverde, tx usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Boy's War (An Omf Book) (Paperback)

I started reading this story because this boy was in a prison camp with Eric Liddell-the central figure of "Chariots of Fire". He has a chapter on Eric in the camp and what of effect Eric had on everyone there.This a moving account from a childs point of view of what its like to be in a prison camp away from family for a long time. I would love to see this book turned into a movie.