Sir Ernest Edward Dunlop was the type of rare individual who inspires others to impossible feats by example. Born and raised in Victoria, Australia, he qualified as a pharmacist and surgeon. When World War II broke out, he was appointed a surgeon to the Emergency Medical Unit, spending time in Greece and Africa before he was transferred to Java. As commanding officer and surgeon in the POW camps of the Japanese, he became a legend to thousands of Allied prisoners whose lives were saved with meagre medical supplies. In those camps, at great personal risk, he recorded the deprivation and despair of the men under his command. This biography traces the military and medical career of one of Australia's most celebrated war heroes.