Captive Artists: the unseen artwork of British Far East prisoners of war
Captive Artists, the unseen artwork of British Far East prisoners of war, by Meg Parkes, Geoff Gill and Jenny Wood and published by Palatine Books, is now available from the publisher's website and all bookshops, price £20.
Author: Meg Parkes, Geoff Gill, Jenny Wood
Imprint: Palatine Books
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-910837-28-3
Extent: 400 pages
Format: 243 x 169 mm
Illustrations: over 270, colour
Pub. date: 2 December 2019
However, if payment can be made by cheque it can be ordered direct and at a discount from LSTM thereby maximising profit for FEPOW research.
The discounted price is £18.
(plus £2 optional donation for p&p to addresses in UK only; for international orders email: fepow [dot] project [at] lstmed [dot] ac [dot] uk (subject: Captive%20Memories%20book%20order) for p&p cost).
Cheques should be made payable to: LSTM, with "Captive Artists" written on the back and sent, together with your mailing address, to: Communications Team (book orders), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA
'A terrific achievement'
'A must read for anyone with even a passing interest in the Second World War or the multi-layered history of the Far East.'
Captive Artists is a fascinating study of works of art created by British servicemen in captivity in the Far East during WWII. The variety of artwork is particularly notable; not only are there sketches and watercolours but also needlework, stained glass and sculpture. Taken together they paint a picture of remarkable lives lived in remarkable conditions. There is emotional and physical pain, hope, humour and misery as well as observations of the unique times they were experiencing through the canny eye of an artist. Some were talented and experienced, others entirely new to the challenge of expressing themselves in a new way and yet they all shared these strange surroundings. A deep fascination with their alien world is a common theme and among the most impactful works of art are the impressively detailed observations of the natural world: here are butterflies, monkeys, plants and flowers glimpsed as a still moment when the world was in chaos and permanent motion.
These artists were not just passing the time but determined to preserve jungle life as they knew it for future generations, and finally they are getting the attention they deserve. It is a must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in the Second World War or the multi-layered history of the Far East. A terrific achievement, brilliantly executed by the three authors, each of whom brings out different strands of narrative and analysis with their own knowledge and experience.
Dr Sam Willis, British historian, television presenter and writer.