Under the Shadow of the Rising Sun: Invasion Occupation Liberation

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Tolland does not ignore the Cold War altogether--and towards the end of the book, he explains how World War 2 shaped and affected the bipolar world that followed.

The Rising Sun: The Decline & Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-45

But he does not let this lens overwhelm the true subject matter--Japan--and the key relationship to this book: Having written this book in the s, this is an impressive feat. The Great Man theory is the idea that a single man or woman changed the course of history. By this logic, if another man or woman was in power at a certain moment in history, events would've played out differently. This is a pretty appealing theory; if Hitler had never existed, Germany would not have tried to take over Europe. If not for Truman, the US would not have dropped the atomic bomb. But it can be used too liberally.

It's a lot more fun to read about big personalities, and it's much easier to explain events through the Great Men than through multiple, smaller causes.

As a result I think history writers sometimes hyperbolize their characters and simplify their narratives. I personally think that most events in history are a result of greater, bigger forces I'm not trying to make this too dense, but see Graham Allison for more info.

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Put anyone in the president's shoes and in the same political context, and they'd make the same decision that the "Great Man" made. And if they are the kind of person that would make a different decision, then the context they lived in would not have allowed them to become president in the first place.

This means that there would've been World War without Hitler, and the bomb would've dropped without Truman. In short, context determines history more than a single person and context itself is determined by a web of people and forces greater than just one man. Tolland does an admirable job of capturing these greater forces, and in so doing he not only creates a fascinating, readable tome on modern Japanese history, but he also sets a standard for the care and seriousness to which all history writing should aim. I originally picked up this book because I wanted to read about the Japanese in Indonesia.

I've been living in Indonesia for the past year and people here sometimes say that the 3 years the Japanese were in power in Indonesia were worse than the years of Dutch colonialism. This book doesn't give much information about the Japanese in Indonesia, or for that matter the Japanese in East Asia as a whole. This book was mostly about American-Japanese relations and was heavy on battle details and political details.

But it was nonetheless fascinating. But somehow even the maneuvers the charges and retreats and naval squirmishes all kept my interest and were imbued with both thoughtful analysis and emotion. Still, man is it long. You don't need me to tell you this. This is a long book. But it's about as readable as any history book can be. It's a smart and emotional tome. A long cast of characters most of whom Tolland personally interviewed string Tolland's writing together, and the result is a wide reaching history book that still manages to carry an intimacy to it.

Letters and personal journals pick up the narrative of history and then are lightly put down. They make this dense book personal while still being full of information. They are unique mini-theses that Tolland presents. Feel free to skip this. In Japan, an aggressive military clique rose to power and these vital national needs land, energy became an attempt to establish hegemony in Asia. Many thought, if the US is allowed to establish hegemony in America and mine other nations for needed resources, why can't we? Many people besides Tolland have argued this, but it's still an interesting point.

Especially the details that Tolland gives about Japan's too-powerful military. This is an incredibly interesting point. Many outside the military saw the war in the pacific as a war where Japan would liberate Asia from Western colonialism. And although this point was pumped up with propaganda, there was a lot of truth to it.

Japan gave independence to many nations that it conquered and it recognized the rebel governments fighting for independence in Western-colonized nations like India. They were doing some remarkably forward thinking, democratic stuff. While the US and Britain were writing the Atlantic Charter but not following through with it still holding colonies, still selling Polish sovereignty to Russia , Japan was gathering Asian leaders, declaring their sovereignty and pledging a mission to Asian freedom from the Western colonial yoke.

There was a lot of propaganda to this--especially since Indonesia was considered an exception, and Japan deemed not-ready for independence while it mined it for resources--but it's still powerful, inspiring stuff. Truman did not need to drop the bomb. There were plenty in Japan that were ready for peace and actively wanted it. The Emperor was close to publicly espousing peace, and Japanese diplomats were already contacting Russian and European nations to help mediate a peace. The US could've detonated a bomb on a deserted island or in the air, to push these leaders to faster action.

At the same time, Japan's military elite was pretty nuts. Many of the top most leaders believed that this had to be a fight to the death, a fight to the last man. They wanted to arm men, women, and children on the mainland to at least make the US suffer. They believed million were prepared to die, and should die to defend Japan. Surrendering was out of the question.

Jan 17, Mikey B. An epic account of the Japanese war. Toland tells the story from many different perspectives — from the Emperor and his aides to the lowly soldier trapped in Guadalcanal. It is all here — the prelude to Pearl Harbour to the finale of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many aspects are of interest — the Japanese were continually obsessed with striking the fatal knock-out blow. At Pearl Harbour they believed they had accomplished that. They tried again at Midway, Tarawa to be held for one th An epic account of the Japanese war.

They tried again at Midway, Tarawa to be held for one thousand years , Saipan and on and on They even believed they could destroy the enemy on the Japanese mainland. Another aspect is the ferociousness of the combatants who refused to surrender — and viewed suicide as the honourable way to leave life. There were always substantially more Japanese deaths than American ones in most of the conflicts. The build-up to the attack on Pearl Harbour, and the frustration and miscues on both sides is very well told.

I feel at times that Mr. This was somewhat overlooked by Mr. Oct 04, Ahmed Chowdhry rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is one of the best books on Pacific War especially from a Japanese point of view that I have read. A detailed description of the Japanese aggression in short form and collapse in long form in World War Ii, told from the perspective of "inside the Japanese governmental and military command structures.

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I will not forget the build up to the Pearl Harbor attack and the strategy that was employed. The Japanese high command, both the Army as well as the Navy knew that they were waking up a sl This is one of the best books on Pacific War especially from a Japanese point of view that I have read. The Japanese high command, both the Army as well as the Navy knew that they were waking up a sleeping giant.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the second world war. I love John Toland. He may be one of the most prolific historians during my lifetime. Possibly a precursor to the popular historians such as McCullough or Ambrose. I read his well received, but not academically praised biography of Hitler, and the controversial Day of Infamy and I thought that those books were both well done and convincing; however, I have shied away from The Rising Sun, more from its intimidating length than its content. It is immense - running nearly a thousand pages with ampl I love John Toland.

It is immense - running nearly a thousand pages with ample footnotes. The book is well worth the time and effort. Toland begins with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and he does not sugar coat the barbarity of that conflict. He describes in detail the atrocity in Nanjing and the mindset of the troops that led up to the war crimes. He follows chronologically the border conflicts with the Soviets, joining the Axis powers, the desperation and fear of isolation after the US declared an oil embargo.

Tojo's decision to attack Pear Harbor and the victorious march down the Malaysian Peninsular. I found it fascinating the Japanese warlords thought that it might even be possible to conquer India and meet up with the Nazis in the Caucuses. The defeat of Shanghai and the conquest of the Philippines is described in detail and the Death March of Bataan and Corrigidor is absolutely heartbreaking.

At this point, Japan lost the war. True, there would be further victories as vastly distant as the Aleutians and New Guinea; but from this point, the might of US production was going to crush the territory of the Empire. It is hard not to feel for the ordinary Japanese soldiers and the civilians who were driven by a Bushido code to suffer unimaginable hardships. It was that determination and fanaticism that would ultimately sway the decision to drop the atomic bombs. The military, moral and political decision to drop the bombs is outlined and well done. The suffering of the civilians are balanced by the what exactly President Truman was trying to accomplish and the information he had in front of him predicting an unbelievably bloody invasion of the home islands.

It is also telling that a palace coup nearly imprisoned the Emperor and forced a continuation of the war. This is a sad and violent history that is a difficult read. The book on the whole is an amazing accomplishment and well deserving of the Pulitzer it won. If there is a problem with the book, and it is a small one, the book seemed heavily weighted to tell the story of the fighting between the Americans and the Japanese.

I would have loved to learned more about the campaigns in Burma and India that seemed a bit short-shifted. Still this is an excellent read. Aug 30, Christopher Saunders rated it really liked it Shelves: Mammoth history of Japan's involvement in the Second World War. Toland seeks to emulate the sweep, if not the editorial tone of Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, mixing high-level cabinet deliberations and diplomacy with military strategy and the on-the-ground experience of Japanese soldiers and sailors.

Toland's portrait shows a Japanese leadership eager to exploit China but agonizing over their decision to attack America and Britain, the division among Japan's military and political l Mammoth history of Japan's involvement in the Second World War. Toland's portrait shows a Japanese leadership eager to exploit China but agonizing over their decision to attack America and Britain, the division among Japan's military and political leadership, and their wholehearted commitment once war's actually declared. Toland relishes details, from the importance of mistranslation in deteriorating diplomatic relations, to the slang and attitudes of Japanese troops.

Because of its scope, the book's somewhat spotty on certain subjects: There's a long section on the founding of the East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, and its popularity among pan-Asians, but no follow up on the movement's dissolving as Japan's brutality became evident. For that matter, Japanese atrocities are heavily downplayed, reduced to a sentence or two amidst detailed, multipage battle accounts. If Toland seems overly sympathetic to Japanese aspirations, he deserves credit at least for his comprehensive, multilayered approach.

Jun 11, Grumpus rated it it was amazing Recommended to Grumpus by: An amazing amount of insight and information. Cannot recommend highly enough for those interested in WWII. Feb 21, David Eppenstein rated it it was amazing Shelves: I generally avoid histories of WWII. I enjoy history immensely but between Hollywood, the History Channel, and the vast array of fictions and histories this war has been done to death.

I would guess the reason for this is that it is still in our living memories, it was the last war with a clear line between good and evil, and because it was readily captured by contemporary visual media and preserved for us to see everyday. Having said that I still occasionally pick-up a WWII history if it has something that piques my interest. I found this book, a Pulitzer Prize winner of some time ago, thanks to reading a review by another GR friend thanks Matt. The POV of the book is what caught my interest. It is written primarily from the Japanese side of the war.

After reading Bradley's book I became aware for the first time that there was another side to WWII that I had never heard or read about and it was a legitimate point of view. This book promised to increase my knowledge of that aspect of the war so I ordered a copy thanks Amazon.

Unfortunately, I was not aware of the size of this tome and I do mean tome.

It is just short of 1, pages, pages of text and then about another pages of notes, bibliography, sources, and index. To put it mildly this is not a book that is easy to get physically comfortable with. I wish the author and publisher had considered publishing it in more than one volume just for the sake of old bones.

It also obviously will take a commitment to finish a book of this length but I can't imagine anybody seriously interested in the history of WWII not reading this book. It expands my understanding of the Japanese culture of that time and the psychology of their people and their military. The book also explains the Japanese motivations for beginning the war. This was something that had been hinted at in Bradley's book but was really explored in detail in this book. What really struck me was the aspect of WWII as it affected the native populations in the countries where the war was fought.

I was never aware of the undercurrent of hostility of the native populations for the white colonial governments and military. That the Japanese entered this war carrying the banner of unity and freedom for Asians and the overthrow of the European overlords was very surprising. As a boy growing up in the 50's I remember the dismantling of the British Empire and how our world maps seemed to change every year when another country had gained independence.

I also recall reading about the European double cross of the people of the Middle East after WWI and now was reading that the Asians weren't going to let this happen to them. The Asians were really caught in the middle with a choice between the Europeans that treated them with disdain or going with the Japanese who probably weren't going to be much better and maybe worse. Fortunately, they, for the most part, opted to back the Allies but they expected to be paid back after the war and that is the subject of another book that I may have to look for.

It would appear, however, that what took place in the world during the 50's and early 60's was the result of an antiquated colonial system and outright racism in which the U. Another thing that strikes me about what I have read is how avoidable this war was. Of course that isn't really a fair judgment since I am using hindsight. But like almost all wars, including those we are fighting today, they are usually the result of cultural ignorance and an inability to view things from the other side.

The Japanese under estimated the people of the U. This book is a must read for any student of history or any reader that enjoys reading about WWII. What I would love to now discover is that this author has written a book following the aftermath of this war in the Pacific and what transpired in Asia. Some us old enough know what happened as we lived through it but knowing why things happened as they did would be enlightening.

I guess I'll have to explore GR and Amazon to see if this book or one like it exists. Jun 11, Tim rated it liked it Shelves: I found this to be two books in one. The first half covers the diplomatic, military, and economic reasons that led to World War II. It does so by weaving accounts of Japanese officers and government officials with the historical record all while appearing to avoid the narrative fallacy.

The second half of this book covers the war in the Pacific. Unfortunately, it does so at a more tactical level filled with anecdotes and human interest stories as opposed to the macro level approach that made the I found this to be two books in one. Unfortunately, it does so at a more tactical level filled with anecdotes and human interest stories as opposed to the macro level approach that made the first half of the book so enjoyable. Overall, an interesting book for someone who slept through multiple history classes.

This moral denunciation only hardened the resolve of the average Japanese. Moreover, how could a vast country like the United States even begin to understand the problems that had beset Japan since World War I? Why should America, which had grabbed its lands from Indians by trickery, liquor and massacre, be so outraged when Japan did the same in China? Western logic was precise, with axioms, definitions, and proofs leading to a logical conclusion. Born dialecticians, the Japanese held that any existence was a contradiction. In everyday life they instinctively practiced the concept of the contradiction of opposites, and the means of harmonizing them.

Right and wrong, spirit and matter, God and man—all these opposing elements were harmoniously united. That was why a thing could be good and bad at the same time. Western logic was like a suitcase, defined and limited. Eastern logic was like the furoshiki, the cloth Japanese carry for wrapping objects. It could be large or small according to circumstances and could be folded and put in the pocket when not needed. The more numerous the contradictions in a man, the deeper he was.

His existence was richer the more acutely he struggled with himself. Empires could rise or fall, the greatest heroes and philosophers crumble to dust, planets come and go, but Change never changed, including Change itself. This is an old trick of theirs. To shape our foreign policy on the unsound theory that other nations are guided and bound by our present standards of international ethics would be to court sure disaster. China was a helpless, deserving nation whose virtues America alone understood. In the next war it will try to get rid of another eyesore, this one in the Orient, Japan. But if you lose your temper and start a war you will surely be defeated, because America has great strength.

So you must bear anything and not play into her hands. In the Army, an order must be obeyed. Now the Emperor and the Prime Minister want to bring about the negotiations. As war minister, you should either follow their line of policy or resign. Manchuria had been won at the cost of considerable sweat and blood. Its loss would mean economic disaster. What right did the wealthy Americans have to make such a demand? What nation with any honor would submit? The latter was almost solely responsible for bringing herself to the road of war with America through the seizure of Manchuria, the invasion of China, the atrocities committed against the Chinese people, and the drive to the south.

Added to all this were the unique and undefined position of the Emperor, the explosive role of gekokujo, and the threat of Communism from both Russia and Mao Tse-tung which had developed into paranoiac fear.

In the Shadow of the Rising Sun: Shanghai Under Japanese Occupation

America should also have perceived and admitted the hypocrisy of taking such a moral stand on the four principles. She could easily have attained both these objectives but instead made an issue out of no issue at all, the Tripartite Pact, and insisted on the liberation of China. America could not throw the weight of her strength against Japan to liberate China, nor had she ever intended to do so.

Her major enemy was Hitler. Instead of frankly informing Chiang Kai-shek of this, she had yielded to his urgings and pressed the policy that led to war in the Far East—and the virtual abandonment of China. Roosevelt, for all his shortcomings, was a man of broad vision and humanity; the Emperor was a man of honor and peace. Both were limited—one by the bulky machinery of a great democracy and the other by training, custom and the restrictions of his rule. Caught up in a medieval system, the Japanese militarists were driven primarily by dedication to their country.

They wanted power for it, not war profits for themselves; Tojo himself lived on a modest scale. Even Matsuoka was no villain. Despite his vanity and eccentricities this man of ability sincerely thought he was working for the peace of the world when he saddled Japan with the Tripartite Pact; and he wrecked the negotiations in Washington out of egotism, not malice.

Japan and America would never have come to the brink of war except for the social and economic eruption of Europe after World War I and the rise of two great revolutionary ideologies—Communism and Fascism. These two sweeping forces, working sometimes in tandem and sometimes at odds, ultimately brought about the tragedy of November America certainly would never have risked going to war solely for the sake of China. It was the fear that Japan in partnership with Hitler and Mussolini would conquer the world that drove America to risk all.

And the ultimate tragedy was that Japan had joined up with Hitler mainly because she feared the Anglo-Saxon nations were isolating her; hers was a marriage in name only. If Hull had sent a conciliatory answer to Proposal B, the Japanese according to surviving Cabinet members would have either come to some agreement with America or, at the least, been forced to spend several weeks in debate.

And this hiatus would in turn have compelled postponement of their deadline for attack until the spring of because of weather conditions. By this time it would have been obvious that Moscow would stand, and the Japanese would have been eager to make almost any concessions to avoid going into a desperate war with an ally which now faced inevitable defeat.

If no agreement had been reached, America would have gained precious time to strengthen the Philippines with more bombers and reinforcements. Nor would there have been such a debacle at Pearl Harbor. There is little likelihood that the implausible series of chances and coincidences that brought about the December 7 disaster could have been repeated. The same America that took a no-compromise stand on behalf of the sanctity of agreements, maintenance of the status quo in the Orient, and the territorial integrity of China, reversed herself a few years later at Yalta by promising Russia territory in the Far East as an inducement to join the war in the Pacific.

The Russians never recovered from this loss—two battleships and a number of cruisers—and the following year almost their entire fleet was destroyed in the Battle of Tsushima during which, incidentally, young Ensign Yamamoto lost two fingers on his left hand. Their favorite literary form was the haiku, a poem combining sensual imagery and intuitive evocation in a brief seventeen syllables; a rapier thrust that expressed, with discipline, the illumination sought in the Japanese form of Buddhism.

Similarly, the outcome in judo, sumo [wrestling] and kendo [fencing with bamboo staves], after long preliminaries, was settled by a sudden stroke. The numbers refer to the location in the Kindle version and not to page numbers. Jan 09, Dave Hoff rated it really liked it. Old, reread after O'Reily's book, Toland has more from the Japanese side. Can see O'Reily used it as a reference. Especially the Russian-Manchuria part at end of WW2.

Good history book, required reading for this generation. Jun 05, Alex rated it liked it Shelves: This book is huge, and I'm thankful to have found a manageable, one volume paperback, looking something like a very thick novel, but very easy to carry around. No one will deny that there's an enormous amount of information here detailing every major battle of the Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to the end and then some, but its also important to note how that information is organized. The book finds its beginning with the coup attempt in Japan and then moves quickly into the lead up to Pearl This book is huge, and I'm thankful to have found a manageable, one volume paperback, looking something like a very thick novel, but very easy to carry around.

The book finds its beginning with the coup attempt in Japan and then moves quickly into the lead up to Pearl Harbor. It all gets straight to the point, it's almost all directly related to the war. Japan's rise to Pacific domination, and the conflicts with China and Russia, as far as I can remember were all mentioned almost in passing, and I found that it helped to already have some background knowledge going into this. The information is presented chronologically, to the point where chapters seem redundant. I can't remember the title of a single one, or ever feeling that I was in a certain, separate section of the book.

It all goes neatly in order year by year. What really changes is the perspective which is all over the place from the highest levels of government, to spies, diplomats, soldiers, and civilians. You do feel the suffering of war here, from the civilian and the military perspective, you even get a sense of how distressed and apprehensive the Japanese command was, both in the lead up to the war, and obviously towards the end.

It was a very point by point exposition though from a wide variety of people who experienced the war. The perspective was from the individual, through and through, and only collectively you began to see the course of the whole war. Before some of the island battles, Toland pauses to describe the history of the islands, and that was an occasional break from the usual style.

There's also no literary character here, almost at all. I can't remember any memorable passage, though there's vivid imagery perhaps simply due to the nature of war. Toland simply explains what happens, but even that sometimes is enough to leave an impact. I was surprised how quickly the war turned around for Japan, and it does get less engaging towards the end, as the course of the war ends up leaving very little surprises left, even if you didn't know anything about it before, but I learned an enormous amount about a war which I had mostly up until now neglected to learn about, despite living on the Pacific Coast.

Nov 18, Antonio Nunez rated it it was amazing. This exceptional, Pulitzer prize-winning book tells the story of the Japanese empire from the takeover by militarists among assassinations in early to the unprecedented visit by emperor Hirohito to Supreme Commander MacArthur in September In between it is a story of hubris in which a strong and vibrant people allow faulty leaders to guide them from a dominant role in the far East in which they held Manchuria, Korea and other territories like the Caroline, the Marshall, the Palau or t This exceptional, Pulitzer prize-winning book tells the story of the Japanese empire from the takeover by militarists among assassinations in early to the unprecedented visit by emperor Hirohito to Supreme Commander MacArthur in September In between it is a story of hubris in which a strong and vibrant people allow faulty leaders to guide them from a dominant role in the far East in which they held Manchuria, Korea and other territories like the Caroline, the Marshall, the Palau or the Mariana Islands to life in a militarily emasculated occupied territory, with about three million less people than would otherwise have been the case, and near-universal hatred in many neighboring countries, notably China.

Toland tells the story exceptionally well. He does a very good job at the set pieces Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, the Bataan Death March, Midway, Saipan, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Hiroshima and Nagasaki , but he also brings to life a time in which a group of military fanatics, samurais displaced in the mid-twentieth century, held sway over hundreds of millions of people.

Especially interesting is how the Japanese decided to bring war undeclared to the US, the UK, France and The Netherlands with a very flimsy rationale, and as matters evolved even this vanished leaving them without any strategic options. Like in Germany, the fanatics thought sacrificing tens of millions of their fellow countrymen was an affordable price for the preservation of the national honor. In the case of Japan, even more than in Germany, it clearly wasn't.

Japan was not defeated in WWI it was on the winning side at a very low cost, after having thrashed China in and Russia in It had its empire on the mainland and in the mandate islands. Yet the military leadership saw no way forward from various short-sighted American decisions, other than invasion and war. The fate of Japan in this period should make us wary of people recommending military actions without clear rationale, for reasons of national prestige or national honor. I think every country has mentally unhinged people who would not hesitate to sacrifice the entire people to some metaphysical goal.

In democracies we all have a mandate to keep such people from power. Japan flourished in the post-war when it put this madness behind and dedicated itself to hard work and prosperity. Jul 21, D. Wayne rated it it was amazing. Wow, Japan had logical reasons for attacking us. Japan viewed its expansion in Asia as equivalent to the U. Why would the U. Japan adopted All-American values like crushing "lesser" people, gobbling resources for exploitation, and providing economic opportunity for a burgeoning population at home. All this was conducted under a parliamentary democracy determin Wow, Japan had logical reasons for attacking us.

All this was conducted under a parliamentary democracy determined to bring a "better way" to less fortunate souls abroad. Sounds like good people. Really, there were many millions of acres of untapped land, minerals, and ocean views begging for good management in southeast Asia. It was Japan's drive for oil to fuel this ambition that gave the U.

America, however, did not show flexibility toward Japanese expansion. Yes, America could certainly use another slice of this or that, but Japan should get back to its own islands. With days of fuel remaining, the Japanese military brass gained the upper hand in government planning.

At great risk, the attack on Pearl Harbor was launched and a nation's destiny was carved in stark terms. Feb 10, Adam Nelson rated it it was amazing. Excellent narrative history of Japan's experience in World War II, examining the issues and circumstances leading to Japan's involvement, strategic battles and encounters throughout, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I must confess that I tapped out at various points in my reading of this book, but that doesn't mean that it didn't have tremendous value. Toland offers writing here that ought to please all readers of history, whether it be to gain factual or strategic knowledge or to get Excellent narrative history of Japan's experience in World War II, examining the issues and circumstances leading to Japan's involvement, strategic battles and encounters throughout, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I personally was more interested in the latter. I found the portions of Volume II detailing first-person accounts of the bombings to be very chilling and haunting. Black and white pictures we have seen of the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima do not do the horror justice, and I must admit that I am conflicted regarding Truman's cavalier attitude toward the decision to drop the bombs.

I had been led to believe it was a much weightier decision for him, but Toland portrays him as rather ruthless and absolutist about it. Sep 30, Paul rated it liked it Shelves: It goes into quite a bit of minute detail about the "war is hell" parts of things, and a lot of the politics - which was quite interesting - but in general I still feel it does not paint the full picture.

I think very little mention was made of the numerous war crimes committed by the Japanese - the book touches on it in the description of the Bataan Death March , but that seemed like just another incid This is quite a long book, and covers an overview of the Japanese involvement in World War II. I think very little mention was made of the numerous war crimes committed by the Japanese - the book touches on it in the description of the Bataan Death March , but that seemed like just another incident in the war.

As far as I recall, the Rape of Nanking is not mentioned nor most of the other war crimes committed against occupied civilians or western POWs. This makes me find it a bit hard to trust Toland's characterization of Emperor Hirohito, who as far as I can tell was the subject of a positive propaganda machine after the war, to ease the transition into American occupation. Still, there were numerous interesting stories about the war some of which are insanely disgusting , so if you like these sorts of personal anecdotes, it's an interesting enough book.

The inspiration to read this book came from reading Eri Hotta's Japan The confused, leaderless Japanese government that led the nation from one blunder to the next almost tripped and fell into conflict with the largest industrial power in the world; I wanted a broader view of how something like this could be possible. This book does not disappoint: The decision to ultimately take war to the United States, UK and Netherlands is seen as less exclusively a question of resource acquisition and also one of the triumph of radical, warlike elements in a government, sanctioned by an Emperor with little tradition of using his immense power.

The human cost of foolish decisions is put on full display: Written from the viewpoint of the Japanese, the book explains the Japanese thought process leading to war with the US, Britain, and the Netherlands and finishes at the US victory at Guadalcanal.

John Toland uses historical interviews of Japanese Generals and politicians for this story, those that survived the war that is. I learned quite a bit from this book. I did not realize how divided the Japanese were about going to war, nor did I fully understand the Japanese political undercurrents of the Written from the viewpoint of the Japanese, the book explains the Japanese thought process leading to war with the US, Britain, and the Netherlands and finishes at the US victory at Guadalcanal. I did not realize how divided the Japanese were about going to war, nor did I fully understand the Japanese political undercurrents of the day.

Most of the book is dedicated to the period from leading up to Pearl Harbor. I find that much dedication to laying the groundwork for war very intriquing since most books I read cover only a small portion of the pregame festivities. The rest of the book covers Japanese decision making that led to Midway and Guadalcanal. I encourage all WWII readers to pick this one up. Oct 24, David rated it really liked it.

It was nice to see things from the Japanese perspective. If you can follow the logic, you can see one of the huge problems of nationalism. You can also see repeated thinking, where the Japanese Navy kept thinking in terms of the Russo-Japanese War, and kept looking for THE decisive battle, rather than trying to create a defensible perimeter.

There isn't too much focus on Japanese atrocities, that is well covered in a great deal of the literature, neither is it glossed over It was enjoyable. There isn't too much focus on Japanese atrocities, that is well covered in a great deal of the literature, neither is it glossed over. It is the challenge of the study of history to see these conundrums, and know how badly they will come out, yet not seeing a way out, given the conditions of the time.

I wished he had spent more time talking about the Japanese preparations to defend the homeland. Nov 03, Paul Kelly rated it it was amazing. A brilliant, excellently written book. If I'd read this, I probably wouldn't have bothered going back to have a look at many of the others that I read while in search of a book like this Though I'm glad I did. The book reads like a novel, and is just as enthralling.

However, it doesn't have much to say about the darker aspects of the Japanese War Effort, and definitely takes a more pro - Japanese position on many of the events leading up to the war. Still, despite this an excellent read, thoug A brilliant, excellently written book. Still, despite this an excellent read, though I wish it had found more to say about Yamashita and Homma.

Oct 13, David B rated it it was amazing. His copious research and numerous interviews with individuals ranging from the lowly foot soldier to the highest levels of military and civilian authority results in a narrative history with true epic sweep. Toland has a novelist's eye that recreates events in riveting fashion and an analytical mind that explains strategy and motivation with great clarity. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Sep 01, Witek rated it really liked it Shelves: I'm really torn judging this book. On one hand it is extremely well sourced and I was amazed by the variety of information and dialogues here.

It was especially worthwhile to read about the road to war between Japan and USA and the last days before Japan's surrender. On the other hand, some of the personal stories were boring for me and kept me from following the big picture, in which I was interested. Still- a fantastic read. Jul 04, Tom rated it really liked it. While perhaps too detailed for some and too American-oriented for others, Toland's study has stood the test of time.

It - in my view anyway - is truly balanced and incredibly detailed. It's insights are valid, it's judgements insightful. Not a quick, nor simple, read but certainly a worthy use of your time. May 19, Lee Scoresby rated it it was amazing. Toland tells a story from the point of view of officers, generals, and common soldiers on both sides. Jul 28, John Abele rated it liked it. Much information, Toland tends to white wash Japanese war crimes. Jul 23, Matt rated it liked it Shelves: Pearl Harbor was the ballsiest attack of all time.

He is best known for his biography of Adolf Hitler. This method may have stemmed from his original goal of becoming a playwright. In the summers between his college years, he travelled with hobos and wrote several plays with hobos as central characters, none of which achieved the stage. One exception to his general approach is his Infamy: Pearl Harbor and Its Aftermath about the Pearl Harbor attack and the investigations of it, in which he wrote about evidence that President Franklin Roosevelt knew in advance of plans to attack the naval base but remained silent.

Develop - Grow - Succeed! Continuing on from Vol. There is also a section devoted to starting your business in a foreign country. There is a wealth of invaluable information in both volumes; the author's aim is to help new entrepreneurs succeed in the long term. As a believer in hands-on experience, readers are invited and encouraged to attend a Workshop limited to 8 persons each , held twice a year on the Mediterranean.

For complete information on what is offered and for applications, visit: Invasion - Occupation - Liberation. This is a documental narrative originally written in but never published until and relates the events that preceded and surrounded the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Philippines. So much has already been written about World War II on the European front but few have focused on the simultaneous events in the Pacific. Hernandez was a scholar, an educator, an author and a believer in the democratic freedom of man.

His perspective of the war is unique because this book reveals what daily life was like at that time not another intimate look at life in the war trenches. This is a recounting of the truth of war as he and his fellow countrymen experienced it. As more and more people travel the world, more decorative elements are brought back home to grace their own environments. We are truly a global community and what used to be a rarity to find from some far-off land can now tastefully become part of our day-to-day interior spaces.

Timberframe homes have a special appeal unmatched by concrete blocks or steel structures. These buildings are universal, graceful, light in feeling and have the ability to span long distances, giving the resident a "loft"-like feeling. Although timber tends to evoke a rustic, country feeling, the finished product need not be restricted; the ideas presented in this book show the reader how a fully integrated look can be established. How space is defined, how light is best utilized and so much more advice is available within the pages of this dramatically photographed book.

Wheatman has spent decades as a successful and renowned designer. His design principles are based on living spaces being comfortable, functional and satifying. In this book he shares his "21 simple principles of making spaces work for the people who live in them.

Wheatman's projects have spanned the globe as have his clients. There are many practical yet interesting ideas that can be gleaned both from his comments as well as from the superb photography. From the building blocks of man's most ancient of temples to today's avant-garde architecture, stone in its varied forms have always been part of man's environment.

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