The Sumatra Railroad – Final destination Pakan Baroe, 1943-1945 (book review)

Title : The Sumatra Railroad – Final destination Pakan Baroe, 1943-1945.
Author ; Henk Hovinga
Published ; KITLV press, Leiden 2010
Size; Hard cover, 380+ pages, large format.
Comment.
The compilation of first hand account of the Japanese war death work camps in Sumatra where some 80,000 Indonesian “volunteers” and about 700 Europeans (Dutch, English & Australians) died building a 220 km coal rail line to link the coal fields of West Sumatra with the east coast. The rail line was completed on the last day of the war. The story includes the sinking of two transport ships.
Well researched and presented. Reminds us of the terrible price paid by so many Indonesians and Europeans when the world looses its harmony.