Escape From Java

Escape from Java, first published in 1943, recounts the Japanese invasion and occupation of Java (a Dutch colony at the time and now part of Indonesia) during World War Two. The authors describe their experiences under Japanese rule, then decide to escape the island in a small fishing boat. They take to the sea and travel across west across the vast Indian Ocean until they eventually reach a British outpost on the island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean. Escape from Java provides an in-depth look at life under Japanese rule and the factors that drove the men to risk everything to escape to freedom.