his installment of A&E's "Time Machine" series tells the true story Lt. Col. Philip Toosey, the British officer portrayed in the Oscar-winning film The Bridge on the River Kwai who, according to his soldiers, was a hero, not a traitor. Talking to the men who fought alongside him and containing excerpts from the 50-plus hours of tapes Toosey left behind to document his wartime memories, the program tells his side of the story for the first time.

Made famous by Hollywood movie, the bridges of the River Kwai emblematize one of the most misunderstood events in history. Contrary to the romanticized film version, the structures represent a period of terror, desperation, and death for over 16,000 POWs.

The Thailand - Burma Railway was the vision of the Japanese Imperial Army: a 250-mile track cut through dense jungle that would connect Bangkok and Rangoon. To accomplish this nearly impossible feat, the fanatical and ruthless Japanese engineers used POWs and local slaves as manpower. Candid interviews with men who lived through the atrocity - including Dutch, Australian, British, and American POWs - illuminate the violence and horror of their three-and-a-half-year internment.

From Britain's surrender of Singapore the enduring force of friendship, The True Story Of The Bridge On The River Kwai narrates a moving and unforgettable account of a period in history that must be remembered.