Its one of those books that you think about for days after you are done. Is there a better reason to get any book?


Fascinating collection of anecdotes   October 5, 2001
 4 out of 8 found this review helpful

Living in Japan, I didn't get to see the TV series but I picked this up in the UK over the summer as I devour anything on the Pacific War.

It's well-written and unputdownable, with fascinating and horrific descriptions of events by individuals that were there on the ground. As such, it provides a very personal insight into the conflict and achieves balance by including comments from participants on both sides.

However, as a history of the Pacific War it's disappointingly shallow, and simply rehashes the tired view that the destruction of Japan through fire-bombing and atomic weapons was unavoidable as the only feasible means to force an unconditional surrender. The authors give the impression that they have not even asked themselves whether unconditional surrender was such an important goal. It was clear for some time before the end of the war that Japan was favourable towards a peace deal that would have stripped her of all her colonial possessions. This could have prevented the deaths of thousands on both sides, for Japan was no Nazi state engaged in genocide within its own borders. That the Allies refused to contemplate anything other than complete capitulation is something that I wish this book had had the courage to address... It's a shame that the book failed to address these crucial undercurrents that formed the background to Western policy toward Japan both before and during the Pacific War.


Excellent view of the second world war and the horrors of it   July 17, 2001
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Ive only read a little so far but I think it is excellent Im only 14 and I dont really read many books but after I watched the series on channel 4 I asked if I could get the book.Theres many factual accounts and captions to go with the pictures I would recomend it to all of my freinds who would be interested in this sort of thing if you are interested in WW2 buy this book now it really is superb.