Customer Reviews

Last Man Out

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"Last Man Out", by H. Robert Charles is a non fictional story about the author being captured in a prison camp in World War II. This book is the story about Robert Charles, who was a marine machine gunner aboard the USS Houston which was sunk by the Japanese in Sundra Strait, March 1, 1942. Robert swam nine hours until he was picked up off the coast of Java by the Japanese. He was held captured for forty three months in slave labor camps in Burma, Thailand, and Saigon. The Japanese had forced the prisoners(Americans, British, and Australians) to build a 262 mile stretch of railroad, from Burma south into Thailand, through some of the worst parts of the jungles. Through all of this torture, a doctor, Dr. Henri Hekking, saved the lives of more than 250 Americans, including the author. He saved them by the knowledge of herbs that grew wild in the jungle. Then something that will help these men survive happens.
This book is a remarkable story about the treatment that prisoners in slave labor camps received. It shows the dedication that these soldiers had for their countries. This book goes beyond what is taught in the classroom. This man, Robert Charles, was there, living the torture that any person could never imagine that could happen to them. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn what these brave men went through, to save our country from being attacked. They are the heroes that saved us.

I bought this book some years ago and lent it to my Dad. My Dad, despite having a rather large collection already, asked to keep it! He said it was his very favorite. Why do I mention that? Well, my Dad was there. He was in the Burma Railway group that included Mr. Charles and Dr. Hekking, and Dr. Hekking had treated him in the camps.

This is not a psychologist's analysis, or something written by an outside historian; this is a personal account, and a treasure. Sad that Dr. Hekking's grandson didn't like it. I didn't get the same impression at all, but rather one of a story told by an entire group, as if the reader were sitting with them and they were all adding to the tale, with Mr. Charles pulling it all together.

The author tries to create the illusion that he knew my grandfather real well. In fact they only met on a few occasions. My grandfather, Henri Hekking, was a stickler for detail and was disturbed by the fact that the author "recalled" conversations between them that never occured. The "death railroad" was a very traumatic experience for alot of people and the events should be exposed, but people who glorify themselves on others heroics are bothersome to me. Overall the stories are portrayed very well but I feel they have been "over-enhanced" for better book sales.