American Shogun: A Tale of Two Cultures

ISBN: 1585676829

Год издания: 2006

Язык: Английский

Refracted through the lives of General Douglas MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito, Harvey's history of the defeat and occupation of Japan has antecedents. Biographies abound about the two men, and the definitive word on the occupation is Embracing Defeat, by John Dower (1999). Harvey's efforts result in a wide-ranging but accessible synthesis for popular-history readers. Chronologically, he tracks Japan's politics between the Meiji restoration and the end of the Allied occupation in 1952, and becomes increasingly biographical as MacArthur and Hirohito come onto the scene in the 1920s, wield degrees of national influence in the 1930s, and lead militaries in World War II. Harvey directly addresses the controversy surrounding Hirohito's responsibility for sanctioning Japanese aggression, speculating that while he is recorded as having opposed war, he hesitated to act for fear of assassination. Informative about Hirohito's retiring personality and MacArthur's aloof hauteur, Harvey strings their activities through the occupation years and scores wins and losses in the Allied administration, with an accent on the lives that personalizes the clash of their countries.

Gilbert Taylor

Теги:  Humiliation, Brain-washing, Occupation, Nation-building, Power struggle, Political history, Second world war, Asia, War, JapanВсе теги