The Forgotten Highlander

About the book

An extraordinary and moving tale by an ex-POW and last surviving member of the Gordon Highlanders regiment that was captured by the Japanese in Singapore. Urquhart was taken prisoner and sent to work on the Death Railway and the notorious bridge over the River Kwai. He survived starvation, cholera and the brutality of the Japanese Imperial Army, only to be packed in the rusting hold of a ‘hellship’ bound for Japan. Torpedoed by an American submarine, he drifted for days, close to death. When eventually recaptured, Urquhart was transported to a prison camp only eleven miles from a city called Nagasaki, where he bore witness to one of the most monentous and terrible actions of human history.

Where it comes up

Modern Wisdom

Forgotten War Heroes Who Changed The World - The Fat Electrician - #1165 · 2026-10-19
“idea of ever since watching a lot of your stuff and getting more interested in these kinds of stories. Carton Dewat was the first one that got me into it. Alistair, a cart, the forgotten highlander. Yeah, so that was one of the first stories that got me into this. And then I guess a similar one”
▶ Listen from 36:56
10 Books That Really Changed My Life - Chris Williamson · 2025-01-01
“book. Next up, we've got The Forgotten Highlander by Alistair Urkart. This is probably the most extreme story that I've ever read.”
▶ Listen from 1:14
10 Books That Changed My Life! · 2024-12-06
“In this video, I'm going to take you through the 10 books which have most impacted my life. We've got eight, which are personal development books and two, which are real life stories. Let's get into it. First up is Essentialism by Greg McEwan. This is a book which probably changed my fundamental big picture approach…”