AustLit

'Stoker Munro was just a young, inexperienced 18-year-old Aussie knockabout sailor - a bit cheeky, a bit keen - when he went to war, but he turned out to be an extraordinary survivor. Young Stoker managed to survive not only three ship sinkings, but he also suffered through years of harsh imprisonment in Java, the infamous Changi prison camp and the horrific conditions of the Thai Burma Railway. Stoker Munro, Survivor is a simple but moving account of his war years, as told to his close friend, David Spiteri (author of The Prez). Stoker's voice - clear, distinctive, laidback and larrikin, with an ability to find the humour in just about any situation - epitomises everything that is great about the ANZAC spirit: courage, resilience, and the sheer refusal to lie down and be beaten. As Spiteri writes, Stoker was 'an unexpected hero, a son of Australia and a true survivor.'' (Publication summary)