No Better Friend: One Man, One Dog, and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage and Survival in WWII
May 2015 · Hachette+ORM
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This New York Times–bestseller "combines a gritty war story with a warm dog story—readers who like both will think they have gone to heaven" ( Boston Globe).
Flight technician Frank Williams and Judy, a purebred pointer, met in the most unlikely of places: an internment camp in the Pacific. Judy was a fiercely loyal dog, with a keen sense for who was friend and who was foe, and the pair's relationship deepened throughout their captivity. When the prisoners suffered beatings, Judy would repeatedly risk her life to intervene. She survived bombings and other near-death experiences and became a beacon not only for Frank but for all the men, who saw in her survival a flicker of hope for their own.
Judy's devotion to those she was interned with was matched by their love for her, which helped keep the men and their dog alive despite the ever-present threat of death by disease or the rifles of the guards. At one point, deep in despair and starvation, Frank contemplated killing himself and the dog to prevent either from watching the other die. But both were rescued, and Judy spent the rest of her life with Frank.
Frank and Judy's story—of an unbreakable bond forged in the worst circumstances—is one of the great undiscovered sagas of World War II.
"The most inspiring true life account I've ever read of a human-animal bond." ―Maureen Corrigan, NPR
"By turns harrowing and heartwarming." — Chicago Tribune
"With bite and substance, Slate columnist Weintraub chronicles Judy's incredible life. . . . Weintraub's research on the prisoners' experiences in the camps is remarkable as he narrates Judy and Frank's heroic tale." — Kirkus Reviews
Flight technician Frank Williams and Judy, a purebred pointer, met in the most unlikely of places: an internment camp in the Pacific. Judy was a fiercely loyal dog, with a keen sense for who was friend and who was foe, and the pair's relationship deepened throughout their captivity. When the prisoners suffered beatings, Judy would repeatedly risk her life to intervene. She survived bombings and other near-death experiences and became a beacon not only for Frank but for all the men, who saw in her survival a flicker of hope for their own.
Judy's devotion to those she was interned with was matched by their love for her, which helped keep the men and their dog alive despite the ever-present threat of death by disease or the rifles of the guards. At one point, deep in despair and starvation, Frank contemplated killing himself and the dog to prevent either from watching the other die. But both were rescued, and Judy spent the rest of her life with Frank.
Frank and Judy's story—of an unbreakable bond forged in the worst circumstances—is one of the great undiscovered sagas of World War II.
"The most inspiring true life account I've ever read of a human-animal bond." ―Maureen Corrigan, NPR
"By turns harrowing and heartwarming." — Chicago Tribune
"With bite and substance, Slate columnist Weintraub chronicles Judy's incredible life. . . . Weintraub's research on the prisoners' experiences in the camps is remarkable as he narrates Judy and Frank's heroic tale." — Kirkus Reviews
This New York Times–bestseller "combines a gritty war story with a warm dog story—readers who like both will think they have gone to heaven" ( Boston Globe).
Flight technician Frank Williams and Judy, a purebred pointer, met in the most unlikely of places: an internment camp in the Pacific. Judy...
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Ratings and reviews
4 reviews
Mary W
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November 15, 2025
Incredible History: Judy of Sussex, the English Pointer of the Royal Navy and Air Force, the only canine prisoner of war. I learned a lot about WWII in the Pacific. Recommended reading for everyone.
About the author
Robert Weintraub is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and Slate and the author of the acclaimed books The House That Ruth Built, The Victory Season, and No Better Friend.
Robert Weintraub is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and Slate and the author of the acclaimed books The House That Ruth Built, The Victory Season, and No Better Friend.
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