The full extent and brutality of imperial japans actions before and during the second world war has not had the same cultural and political resonances as those of nazi germany, nor are they as well remembered. Japanese war crimes by peter li editor paperback sugamo prison, tokyo. The battle that doomed japan, a good view from japans side into that particular conflict. See more ideas about books, world war ii and history books.
With more than 30,000 copies sold to date, this edition features an updated cover designed to appeal to a new generation of readers. In response to the experiences of world war ii, a new convention covering military occupation was signed in geneva in 1949. If war with japan seems impossible, the authors nevertheless deliver on their books title with an alarming and usually plausible scenario that takes japan and the united states on a downward spiral from trade friction to protectionism to armed showdown over markets and raw materials. After the defeat of japan in world war ii, the united states led the allies in the occupation and rehabilitation of the japanese state. Wwii from the japanese perspective book talk librarything. Feb 4, 2016 explore bogusboggss board books on ww2.
A joint britishjapanese attack on tsingtao followed in september, leading to the german capitulation in november. China rewrites history books to extend sinojapanese war by. After reading a few books about the war, i became interested in the effects of the war on japan. The americans liberally interpreted this principle, permitting an offensive war against japan as well. Historical war narratives using new documentary evidence and drawing on the insights of various. Dower adroitly leads the reader through the arc of this history as japan literally rises from ashes at wars end on august 15, 1945, and then guides us through the us occupation period and beyond. Odonnell warns, oral histories are perhaps the best means available to reveal the horrors and. Japan interned and mistreated thousands of allied civilians in. Fortunately, there is no shortage of worthwhile books about the.
This is a study of japanese affairs, highlighting the resemblences between wartime, postwar and contemporary japan. This is the first fulllength study to examine the war from the perspective of its impact on japanese society, and sheds new light on its implications for modern japan. This section will deal with aspects of world war ii as it relates to japan. In world war ii, for the first time, the united states had to fight a war on two fronts. In 1467 the onin war ushered in a period of unrivalled conflict and rivalry in japan that came to be called the age of warring states or sengoku jidai. A modern history of japan from tokugawa times to the present, andrew gordon. Ten good books about japan at war all these books are currently available on in the u. After this, japan was no longer involved in ground combat, although the army did seize german holdings in the mariana, caroline and marshall islands unopposed. These world war i campaigns helped catapult japan from regional to world power and briefly stemmed the rise of civilian authority in the era of peace following the russojapanese war.
A severe shortage of food continued for several years. World war ii in the pacific was caused by a number of issues stemming from japanese expansionism to problems relating to the end of world war i. All roads led to the attack on december 7, 1941 at pearl harbor, which thrust the united states into war with japan. Japans decision to attack the united states in 1941 is widely regarded as irrational to the point of suicidal. When he found himself out of a job, he wrote this book and got even deeper into trouble. Dower, is an excellent history of postwar japan from 1946 to the end of the us occupation in 1952, and slightly onward. List of books and articles about allied occupation of japan. Historical war narratives using new documentary evidence and drawing on the insights of various disciplines continue to appear.
A must for anyone interested in the pacific war 194145. Jan, 2017 chinas government has ordered that all chinese history textbooks be rewritten to extend the second sinojapanese war by six years, a move likely to inflame relations with japan the conflict. The occupation of japan by the allied powers started in august 1945 and ended in april 1952. Apr 08, 2020 a modern history of japan from tokugawa times to the present, andrew gordon. Jul 27, 20 first, the war marked the heroic culmination of japans westernization. Especially after tiananmen sq incident as a scapegoat,japan has appeared in their text books.
In an effort to discourage japanese militarism, western powers including australia, the united states, britain, and the dutch government in exile, which controlled the petroleumrich netherlands east indies, stopped selling iron ore, steel and oil to japan, denying it the raw materials needed to continue its aggressive activities in china and french indochina. Werner gruhls objective is to present a fresh overview of the asianpacific war and its victims, drawing particular attention to the neglected history of japans invasion of china and. Looks at the civil war between the taira and minamoto clans that saw the samurai replace the imperial court as the main source of power in japan, and ended with the establishment of the shogunate, the system of military rule that lasted for nearly seven hundred years. Chinas government has ordered that all chinese history textbooks be rewritten to extend the second sinojapanese war by six years, a move likely to inflame relations with japan the conflict. In the late 1950s, however, the nation reemerged as a major industrial power. Gruhl takes the view that world war ii started in 1931 when japan, crowded and poor in raw materials but with a sense of military invincibility, saw empire as her salvation and invaded china. The central strategic principle governing allocation of resources to the two fronts provided for concentrating. Every so often, a book is produced that simply wraps up the whole story. Japan in the wake of world war ii, would provide you with a useful and wellwritten survey of the social, political and economic changes that came with the war s end and the occupation, and put the excellent literature of the period in a broader context. Based on scores of interviews with participants in the process, as well as exhaustive research in japanese and american records, the book explores in vivid detail the. Winner of the pulitzer prize, the 1999 national book award for nonfiction, finalist for the lionel gelber prize and the kiriyama pacific rim book prize, embracing defeat is john w. This is the definitive story of how the united states attempted to turn japan into a democratic and peaceloving nation by drafting a new constitution for its former enemyand then pretending that the japanese had written it. World war ii is sometimes thought of as primarily a fight against nazi germany, with the war in the pacific as an after thought.
The authors argue that with the collapse of the cold war and with the soviet union in disarray. Opinion lessons from japan about wars aftermath the. In response to the experiences of world war ii, a new convention covering military occupation was. Some images will be upsetting, but this is all being presented as a historical examination of war and american attitudes towards the japanese during world war ii. I chose a few books about it at random, and takemae eijis the allied occupation of japan was one of them. Aug 29, 2018 heres an english language story by a fairly senior military japanese survivor of the battle of okinawa. What are some good books about the first and second sino.
Opinion lessons from japan about wars aftermath the new. In japan, military government became a solely american responsibility, though subject to suggestions of an 11power allied council. After world war ii had ended, japan was devastated. Tokyo it is war season again in japan, the middle of august, when the anniversaries of the events that ended the war are remembered. But his prison camp was a few miles from the city of nagasaki. John w dower oped article says successful us occupation of japan after world war ii does not provide model for constructive role in postsaddam. Captives of the empire publisher link the japanese internment of allied civilians in china 19411945. China plans 80 books on japan war trials japan today. In their own words, world war ii s pacific veterans reveal the heart of combat by patrick k. For japanese tactics and doctrine, try anything by e.
Odonnell the author of beyond valor offers a new collection of oral histories from veterans of the second world war, this time from the pacific theater. Navy pried it open, the country that had started out. See all 7 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Spector drawing on declassified intelligence files, british and u. Now we can read why this event occurred in stark, truthful facts. This archivalbased history of asias most advanced navy, the japanese maritime selfdefence force jmsdf, looks beyond the traditional perspective of viewing the modern japanese. Japan at war world war ii hardcover june 1, 1980 by timelife books author 5. Macarthur, enacted widespread military, political, economic, and social reforms. It is a detailed examination of japan in the aftermath of the war. Perez examines the people and ideas that led japan into or out of war, analyzes the outcomes of battles, and presents theoretical alternatives to the strategic choices made during the conflicts. The new power of democracy and arms control after 1918, however, posed the most serious challenge to military authority in the history of modern japan.
Ginn hardcover november 1992 asin0899507395 out of print try used books. General patton lost his army and was fired because he governed his section of germany like macarthur governed japan. War in japan 14671615 by stephen turnbull overdrive. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
The pacific half of world war ii, which began with japans attack on the american naval base at pearl harbor, hawaii, on december 7, 1941, ended almost four years later when japan surrendered to americanled allies on september 2, 1945. What are some good books about the reconstruction of japan. The jiang zemin administration enacted the patriotism educational implementation guideline in 1994, and promoted the thorough antijapanese education from 1995 which would be the 50th anniversary of an antijapanese war victory. Chinas world war, 19371945, is probably the most authoritative account at the moment. Japanese pow camp book reccomendations wwii forums. An account of the trial and sentencing of japanese war criminals in 1948, by a u. The role of japan in world war i michael fassbender. A history of the russojapanese war, 190405 by denis ashton warner, the russojapanese war 190. Germany refused, and japan declared war on august 23. Japan in the wake of world war ii, would provide you with a useful and wellwritten survey of the social, political and economic changes that came with the wars end and the occupation, and put the excellent literature of the period in a broader context.
Drawing on a vast range of japanese sources and illustrated with dozens of astonishing documentary photographs. China rewrites history books to extend sinojapanese war. It was ended by the signing of the peace treaty with japan 1951. List of books and articles about allied occupation of. Japans economy collapsed after the defeat in world war ii, and its merchant marine, one of the worlds largest in the 1930s, was almost totally destroyed. All the large cities with the exception of kyoto, the industries and the transportation networks were severely damaged.
Stalingrad on the yangtze by peter harmsen for one of the best books ive read on a very specific and important battle for a broader look at the war, try forgotten ally. Japan interned and mistreated thousands of allied civilians in the conquered areas of china. The allied occupation of japan at the end of world war ii was led by general douglas macarthur, the supreme commander of the allied powers, with support from the british commonwealth. After world war ii erupted 1939 in europe, japan signed a military alliance with germany and italy, sent troops to indochina 1940, and announced the intention of creating a greater east asia coprosperity sphere under japans leadership. In this book stephen turnbull offers a masterly exposition of the sengoku jidai, detailing the. Japanese historyworld war ii wikibooks, open books for an. List of books and articles about japan, postwar period. The book contains contributions from scholars in a wide range of disciplines, including history. Are there any ww2 books in the perspective of a japanese soldier. The keystone for this is thesupreme commander for the allied powers name for the effective.
Though the central strategic principle governing allocation of resources to the two fronts provided for concentrating first on the defeat of the european axis, on the american side this principle was liberally interpreted, permitting conduct of an offensive. This disturbing book offers an original, penetrating analysis of the future of u. Aug 19, 2015 world war ii is sometimes thought of as primarily a fight against nazi germany, with the war in the pacific as an after thought. Embracing defeat by john dower last year i also read and was impressed by midway. This book fills in the gap between the opening of japan and world war ii that many other history books skim over. Are there any ww2 books in the perspective of a japanese. In postwar japan as a sea power, alessio patalano incorporates new, exclusive source material to develop an innovative approach to the study of postwar japan as a military power. The gempei war 118085 the great samurai civil war, stephen turnbull. Some of the material is controversial and some is blatantly racist. Gordon picks up exactly where sansoms leaves offat the end of the tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the meiji era. Japans imperial regime had volatile ambitions but limited resources, thus encouraging them to unleash a particularly brutal offensive against the peoples.
In just half a century after commodore matthew perry of the u. First, the war marked the heroic culmination of japans westernization. A short history of japanese war crimes by lord russell of. Japanese society at war as the first international conflict of the twentieth century, the russojapanese war attracted much contemporary global interest. An excellent read from someone who really knows his subject and can write informatively. Its not super academic and i think it focuses on the chinese point of view a bit too much, but.
He is very opinionated about the use of the atomic bombs and the committee that covered up the results of the bombs effects on the population. Japan at war is a book to which americans and japanese will continue to turn for decades to come. This edition is a revision of an earlier work entitled inside the ghq. Oct 27, 2002 john w dower oped article says successful us occupation of japan after world war ii does not provide model for constructive role in postsaddam hussein iraq because most of elements in successful. Near the end of the war, and japans surrender, and after no beer in fiji other atrocities pacific combat. Embracing defeat begins where the pacific war ends. Bix since the appearance of hirohito and the making of modern japan in 2000, the unearthing in japan of new information on the asiapacific war has proceeded apace. A critical perspective on japans role in world war ii saburo ienaga ienaga was a teacher who got himself into trouble by telling the truth as he saw it about japans conduct of the war. This is the first fulllength study to examine the war from the perspective of its impact on japanese society.
Colonel hiromichi yaharas service included stints as an exchange officer in the usa and as an intelligence operative, and he served on genera. The book looks at many different topics from this period, but conveys the massive paradigm shift that took place in japan following its defeat in war. Heres an english language story by a fairly senior military japanese survivor of the battle of okinawa. The surrender came after the united states had dropped two atomic bombs on japan. Unlike in the occupation of germany, the soviet union was allowed little to no influence over japan. While most of the pieces have been previously published in academic journals, they afford accessible perspectives that go provocatively against the grain of received wisdom on a. Dowers brilliant examination of japan in the immediate, shattering aftermath of world war ii. Aug 19, 2015 9 best books about the pacific war world war ii is sometimes thought of as primarily a fight against nazi germany, with the war in the pacific as an after thought. The events leading up to pearl harbor, and after, covering the years 19414445 are crisply written, with topics as diverse as the dreaded kempitai, the tunariguni, and thought control bureau. Japanese historyworld war ii wikibooks, open books for. Japan after world war i a valuable ally during world war i, the european powers and the u.
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