Andy Coogan was born in Glasgow in 1917, the oldest child of poor Irish immigrants. He was tipped for Olympic glory, but a promising running career was interrupted by war service. His capture during the fall of Singapore marked the beginning of a three-and-a-half-year nightmare of starvation, torture and disease.
Andy was imprisoned in the notorious Changi camp before being transported to Taiwan, where he worked as a slave in a copper mine and was twice ordered to dig his own grave. He was later taken to Japan on a hellship voyage that nearly killed him, but Andy’s athleticism and spirit enable him to survive an ordeal in which many died.
From his poverty-stricken boyhood in the slums of the Gorbals to the atomic wasteland of Nagasaki, Andy’s life story is vividly recounted in Tomorrow You Die, an epic, compassionate tale that will shock, enthral and inspire.
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The PoW memoir to top them all - Scotland on Sunday
This outstanding memoir is more than a story of barbaric cruelty and the devastating futility of war. It's a humbling salute to the bravery of a generation and to the courage of a boy from Glasgow who encountered the worst of humanity and emerged a hero - Daily Record
If, as Solzhenitsyn wrote of another prison camp, the battle line between good and evil runs through the heart of every man, there is no doubt which side won over Andy Coogan - The Herald
Sir Chris Hoy's stamina and determination are legendary, but he would be the first to admit he could take lessons in both from his Great Uncle Andy (Book of the Month) - Scots Magazine
Thoroughly inspiring . . . if you have read and enjoyed The Forgotten Highlander or The Railway Man by Eric Lomax, then you will love this book. A tale of an extraordinary man in extraordinary circumstances - ARRSE
An inspiration to us all - Scottish Field
Remember Birdsong, where you felt war’s horrors all the more because the first third of the book was all about the sweetness of life? That was what it felt like, listening to Mr Coogan - The Scotsman
About the Author
Andy Coogan was born in Glasgow in 1917. He served in the Second World War, during which he was a prisoner of war for three and a half years. He carried the Olympic torch in 2012 in recognition of a lifetime’s service to athletics.