Princeton news ernest gordon, longtime dean of the. Rev ernest gordon, who found religious faith during confinement at japanese. To end all wars on dvd three journeys of the spirit are powerfully portrayed in this adaptation of ernest gordons classic spiritual memoir, through the valley of the kwai. Alastair gordon, in memory of ernest gordon 19162002, preface of to end all wars. Throughout the text, gordon describes the brutal treatment that he and many others endured throughout their imprisonment. Back storyduring that time the japanese advanced on singapore, and gordon and a few. But if you just cannot find the original book, this is still an excellent story and worth the. To end all wars is ernest gordons gripping true story behind both the academy awardwinning film the. He died on january 16, 2002 in princeton, new jersey, usa. Love, heroism, selfsacrifice, sympathy, mercy, integrity and creative faith, on the other hand, were the essence of life, turning mere existence into living in its truest sense.
Following the war, gordon studied at hartford conn. It is the true story behind the academy award winning film the bridge over the river kwai starring the late alec guinness. He was ordained a minister of the church of scotland at paisley abbey in. Salt in your face, the wind at your back, and all the world before you, and youre freer than a bird in the air or a fish in the ocean. Based on the book by ernest gordon, to end all wars is the story about captured allied pows struggle to survive in a thailand concentration camp. Though it makes for some searing reading, it is one of the most uplifting books on the subject that i have read. If youve been in combat, suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder ptsd, or know someone who does, ernest gordons to end all wars is a book i heartily recommend.
To end all wars is ernest gordons gripping true story behind both the. A true story about the will to survive and the courage to forgive. Ernest gordon was born on may 31, 1916 in greenock, scotland. Because of gordons obvious closeness to the event, its not much of a surprise that several sequences in the film are dripping with melodrama. One of them, that of captain ernest gordon ciaran mcmenamin, is a fact based one. To end all wars is ernest gordons gripping true story behind both the academy awardwinning film the bridge on the river kwai starring alec guinness and the. A true story about the will to survive and the courage to forgive it was a voice other than reason that replied, you could live. To end all wars ebook by ernest gordon rakuten kobo. Gordons book was finally reissued with the title to end all wars to tie in with the film.
Gordon and his entire scottish sutherland highlanders division were captured after the fall of singapore and held deep within the. Major ian campbell wants to escape and wants revenge. The book served as an inspiration to the film to end all wars, where he was portrayed by actor ciaran mcmenamin. In to end all wars, the japanese capture and torture captain earnest gordons unit and order them to build a railroad from thailand to burma. Rather then focusing on the plight of the jewish people, this story centers around the truelife events of ernest gordon, author of through the valley of the kwai. To end all wars captured allied troops forcedlabor construction of a railroad through thailand and burma inspired david leans screen classic the bridge on the river kwai. The book inspired a movie, to end all wars, scheduled for release this spring.
To end all wars is a recent republish of the late ernest gordons story of survival and finding christian faith while enduring the hell of the thai burma railway. The feeling that you get from to end all wars paperback is the more deep you rooting the. To end all wars is ernest gordons gripping true story behind both the academy awardwinning film the bridge on the river kwai starring alec guinness and. Ernest gordon, a scottish soldier who fought in world war ii, recounts his firsthand experiences as a prisoner of war in multiple japanese internment camps throughout his book, to end all wars. Faced with the appalling conditions of the prisoners camp and the brutality of the captors, he survived to become an inspiring example of the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. Postproduction of the film footage was delayed because of lack of funding, which was eventually provided by gold crest films. Ernest gordon and japanese interpreter nagase, now old men, meet and shake hands in thailand at a memorial to those who died building the railroad. The screenplay is based on the autobiography of ernest gordon and recounts the experiences of faith and hope of the interned men. Now a major motion picture starring robert carlyle and kiefer sutherland waking from a dream, i suddenly realized where. Gordons ordeal and how he forgave his captors is told in the movie to end all wars, to be released this spring. To end all wars is a 2001 war film starring robert carlyle, kiefer sutherland and sakae kimura. At the age of 24, ernest gordon was captured by the japanese while escaping from sumatra during the second world war. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Gordon, a scottish captain during world war ii, told his story as a firstperson narrative, not just in order to set the record straight, but also because he was there and desired to bring to life again the many allied. To end all wars is the story of the authors time in a series of japanese pow camps during world war ii. Dusty builds a chapel and witnesses, in word and deed, to jesus christ, finally giving up his life to be crucified so that ian can live. To end all wars is based on the book by ernest gordon, the reallife soldier who inspired mcmenamins character. Gordons book was first published in great britain under the title through the valley of the kwai 1963 and subsequently in the u.
Now a major motion picture starring robert carlyle and kiefer sutherlandwaking from a dream, i suddenly realized where i was. The story is told through ernest gordons ciaran mcmenamin eyes but there are many character arcs to be told in this docudrama. A true story about four allied pows who endure harsh treatment at the hands of their japanese captors during world war ii while being forced to build a railroad. In conclusion, the description on the back cover of the book states that to end all wars is an example of the triumph of the human spirit against all odds.
To end all wars is ernest gordons gripping true story behind both the academy awardwinning film the bridge on the river kwai starring alec guinness and the new film to end all wars directed by david cunningham. Undoubtedly it is a great film, but it is also historically inaccurate according to ernest gordon, the author to end all wars. Through the valley of the kwai book by ernest gordon. Now a major motion picture starring robert carlyle and kiefer sutherlandwaking from a dream, i. Ciaran mcmenamin as ernest gordon mark strong ii as dusty. Theological seminary and the university of glasgow. It is a pow story after all, and gordon doesnt pull any punches in describing the horrors endured by the inmates of the prison camps. Gordons memorial service, we were presented with an unbelievable and sobering gift. To end all wars is a book that demonstrates the power of god to touch individuals that are confined in the most horrid conditions humanity can devise and transform them into people that willingly love. A true story about four allied pows who endure harsh treatment from their japanese captors during world war ii while being forced to build a railroad through the burmese jungle. Book will be written, printed, or illustrated for everything. To end all wars by ernest gordon overdrive rakuten. To end all wars a true story about the will to survive and the courage to forgive book.
A true story about the will to survive and the courage to forgive by gordon ernest isbn. I originally became interested in ernest gordon after viewing the movie by the same name. Ultimately they find true freedom by forgiving their enemies. Selfishness, hatred, envy, jealousy, greed, selfindulgence, laziness and pride were all antilife. I was a prisoner of war, lying among the dead, waiting for the bodies to be carried away so that i. To end all wars a true story about the will to survive. Sign up for librarything to find out whether youll like this book. This is the gripping story of triumph and heroism which has inspired countless readers since its first british publication in 1963. Gordon who later became a college chaplain in the u. I recently read ernest gordons book miracle on the river kwai and was aware of this film having watched it many years ago.
Based on a true story of captain ernest gordon, a young scottish soldier taken prisoner by the japanese at the height of world war ii. The film is different in many ways from the book, but is so powerful that the addition. The latter is shown at the end of the film when, similar to the scene in schindlers list, the real capt. Ernest gordon and japanese interpreter nagase, now old men, meet and shake hands in. The film opened in 2001, and the films dvd release, which came out after his passing, dedicated the film to his memory. A true story about the will to survive and the courage to forgive kindle edition by gordon, ernest. To end all wars is a 2001 film about four allied pows who endure harsh treatment from their japanese captors during world war ii while being forced to build a railroad through the burmese jungle directed by david l. Read to end all wars a true story about the will to survive and the courage to forgive by ernest gordon available from rakuten kobo.