Bombs and Barbed Wire: Stories of Acadian Airmen and Prisoners of War, 1939-1945/The Captain Was a Doctor: The Long War and Uneasy Peace of POW John Reid.

This article reviews two books that explore the experiences of Canadian prisoners of war (POWs) during the Second World War, focusing on Acadian airmen and the unique story of John Reid, a physician and officer held captive in Hong Kong and Japan. Ronald Cormier’s *Bombs and Barbed Wire* presents eleven testimonies of Acadian veterans, highlighting harsh conditions such as forced labor, deprivation, and violence, while Jonathon Reid’s *The Captain Was a Doctor* offers a detailed account of his father’s role as both commanding and medical officer in Japanese camps, emphasizing the long-term psychological and familial impacts of captivity. Both works contribute to understanding the complex realities of POW life, including the limitations of the 1929 Geneva Convention and the varied treatment of prisoners based on nationality and location. These narratives illuminate broader issues of war captivity and its enduring effects, making the books valuable resources for those researching Canadian military history and POW experiences.