II. WWII, Thailand, near the Burmese border. British soldiers build railways and bridges as Japanese prisoners of war. Even under inhuman conditions, Colonel Nicolson makes every sacrifice to preserve the military spirit. He wants to prove the superiority of Western culture and organization over the "barbaric" system of the East. He reaps success. The soldiers do not lose their hold on the captive and the bridge is rebuilt. The task of the bridge is, of course, to serve the Japanese expansion in the region. The local head of the British Secret Service, Colonel Green, sends a detachment to the site to destroy the bridge when the first train passes through. They also make every sacrifice in order to demolish the building. An exciting, twisty and deeply thought-provoking novel. The French author does not fail to hold up a crooked mirror to the British, which often relaxes the tragic story with humor. Tibor Szilágyi's performance nuances the characters, heightening the dramatic tension to the end.