- From internet book seller : THATCHER, DOROTHY, 1921- Refugee from the Japanese Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Branch Of The Royal Asiatic Society, 1993. Paperback. 14 x 22 cm.; pg. xii, 184; Monographs of the Malaysian Branch, Royal Asiatic Society No. 24. Previously published as: Pai Naa, the story of Nona Baker. London, Constable, 1959. Illustrations. "This book does two things. It tells the story of the survival against fantastic odds of a very brave and remarkable woman (the Pai Naa--'White Nona'--of the title); and it gives a unique picture of the Chinese Communist guerrillas who operated in Malaya during World War II. Nona Baker went out to Malaya from her father's vicarage to keep house for her brother, Vincent, who was general manager of the largest tin mine in the world. In 1941 the Japanese swept down the Malay Peninsula; and the brother and sister took refuge in the jungle..." ISBN 9679948048. Fine with no dust jacket.

In Singapore National Library in Lee Kong Chian ref library I found a copy dewy 940.548141 and in NUS I found both versions 1959, 1993 copies DS596.4 Tha

- Yes it really is an excellent book, as it gives an insight of Malaya before the war and the Communist Guerillas. For me as an English person it provides a very accessible way into understanding the history of Malaysia before independence, though maybe not for ethnic Malays as there are few mentions of them apart from a jolly fat sultan and his beautiful wife. It's clear that everybody speaks Malays, but it's just that almost all the mine workers and guerrillas are Chinese.

- It portrays a Malaya where everyone has so much faith in the British as they have brought peace and prosperity and it's a devastating surprise to everyone that they weren't able to prevent the Japanese invasion nor easily get rid of them. It's a real turning point in peoples thinking and many people are driven into supporting the communists who existed as a very minor movement for the 10 years before the war, but who are thrust to the fore as they are the only only opposition to the Japanese who are brutalising the Chinese in retribution for defeats in China and whose harsh governance takes it's toll on the other races. It seems many Malays have been half bought off with the promise of "Asia for Asians" One surprising thing is most people who end up living in the communist camps don’t support the ideology, but find themselves brought together as the communists are the only force fighting the Japanese. There appear to be 2 editions of the book one in 1959, and one in 1993 which are almost the same except the 1993 one has a couple more photos and the introduction has been changed from the better original one page introduction

- It's written by the professional writer Dorothy Thatcher. I don't know why they don't list it as being authored by Nona Baker as it's clearly her Biography and written in first person.

- Some surprising things we learn - Her brother Vin who had been managing the mine for 30 years was told before the war that
- 1. In event of invasion Malaya would not be defended , but instead there would be a retreat to Singapore.
- 2. British forces were under armed and the navy weak

- However Vin thought Japanese were weak, and they'd only need to wait in Jungle 6 weeks or maybe 6 months.

- What I recently learnt in Singapore was that when the British commander went to negotiate with the invading Japanese, because he was almost out of bullets, that the Japanese were as low on supplies and may well have retreated if the British had not surrendered.

Episodes in the book

• arrival
• organising large parties for the Sultan's visits
• the evacuation
• ordered to flood the mine
• hiding out
• Cheng Kam trusted helper
• old men said British had brought peace and prosperity to Malaya and were certain of Britain's might
• 17 Feb Vin destroyed by news Singapore had fallen
• The Japanese commanders lived in Sungai Lembing like lords
• she says many animals had been wiped out in 1926 floods
• practicing suicide in case discovered
• respected the communists, but knew many that many were not truly communists
• When Russia joined war communists had been released from Singapore prison.
• Vin got malaria for months, eventually got quinine
• Feb 43 a gambler threatened to expose them to the Japanese so they had to hand him all their money and flee to the communists camp.
• The communists all called themselves "Lao" which means old and respected
• One leader Lao Liu was an agitator Vin had once faced down. (She claims since he took care of all his workers they respected him and wouldn't join communist strikes)
• Eating dog meat
• Because of the many Chinese languages the communists used Mandarin as a Lingua Franca
• The Japanese had made some kind of deal with the Indian soldiers so always sent them to search for the communists. They used the paths and made a lot of noise so they were usually unsuccessful
• She references another book "The Jungle is Neutral" denying what it says about her being a heroine
• said Lao Lee was OK, Lau Chuang bad and Lao Fong the very nasty leader
• The communists were holding and protecting them a a kind of hold over the workers who respected them
• Lao Fong regarded them as "capitalist pigs" and ordered camp members to shun them
• he was then sacked when they got really sick
• By Feb 1944 Japanese changed tactics using woodcutters and Orang Asli instead of Indian soldiers so were able to stage some large successful attacks
• She has maggot infested wounds
• The lack of medicine leaves Vin dead
• She begins to work on the communist newspaper
• A shocking scene when a small boy grasses on old men who he saw secretly eating pig and the communists tortured them to death
• sindei riau ?
• June 44 hear Germany has been defeated
• Communists viciousness once again revealed as they capture an Indian and since he refuses to join the communists they have a young boy soldier bayonet him to death publicly.
• Kam now has to come and hide out, because he's wanted by the Japanese for helping too many people, but he dies as soon as he hears Vin is dead.
• September 1945 back she is allowed to go down to Kuantan as the war is over.
• She is surprised that the communists agree to hand her over to the British Force 136
• Meanwhile the communists begin killing collaborators
• She goes back to the UK seemingly trying to forget her Malaysia experiences until asked to write the book in 1958
• she dies in the 1990s