Scan barcode
tohko's review against another edition
2.0
Originally bought this book to gain insight into the personal life of the Showa Emperor, but instead it read more like a Japanese military account of World War II.
Bix mainly focuses on building the strong yet controversial argument for the extent of the Emperors involvement in the war, and his failure to be made accountable for war crimes during the Tokyo Trials of 1946.
However he fails to give the reader any insight into the radical social transition between imperial to modern Japan, the effect of the atomic bombings, and the American occupation.
Overall left with a better understanding of the fervent nationalism that gave rise to the Asia-Pacific War, the religious and secular roles of the monarchy, and the militaristic nation-state,
but still left wanting for a more profound reflection of Hirohito's life how it shaped post-war Japan.
Basically a pretty dry and convoluted listing of dates and events, no wonder it took me 3 years to finish this.
Bix mainly focuses on building the strong yet controversial argument for the extent of the Emperors involvement in the war, and his failure to be made accountable for war crimes during the Tokyo Trials of 1946.
However he fails to give the reader any insight into the radical social transition between imperial to modern Japan, the effect of the atomic bombings, and the American occupation.
Overall left with a better understanding of the fervent nationalism that gave rise to the Asia-Pacific War, the religious and secular roles of the monarchy, and the militaristic nation-state,
but still left wanting for a more profound reflection of Hirohito's life how it shaped post-war Japan.
Basically a pretty dry and convoluted listing of dates and events, no wonder it took me 3 years to finish this.
paddlefootbookwolf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
5.0
adikulk93's review against another edition
2.0
When Clint Eastwood made a film on the Battle of Iwo Jima, he made it from both the Japanese and American perspectives. He ensured that the balance was maintained and handled a sensitive topic with excellent maturity and I really loved that! Actually, it was the movie Letters from Iwo Jima which prompted me to try and read more about Japan in WWII and how the nation emerged from the ashes of the war to become the world's third-largest economy.
That's why I picked this book but I found it to be a disappointment. The author lacked the balance that made Clint Eastwood stand out from the crowd. Overall book is pretty much biased to the American POV and there's very little about "The Making of Modern Japan" in the book. I'm not surprised that this book won a Pulitzer. It is written by an American and caters to the American view point. Not worth reading if you are trying to learn about Japan.
That's why I picked this book but I found it to be a disappointment. The author lacked the balance that made Clint Eastwood stand out from the crowd. Overall book is pretty much biased to the American POV and there's very little about "The Making of Modern Japan" in the book. I'm not surprised that this book won a Pulitzer. It is written by an American and caters to the American view point. Not worth reading if you are trying to learn about Japan.
tkanzaki's review
2.0
Originally bought this book to gain insight into the personal life of the Showa Emperor, but instead it read more like a Japanese military account of World War II.
Bix mainly focuses on building the strong yet controversial argument for the extent of the Emperors involvement in the war, and his failure to be made accountable for war crimes during the Tokyo Trials of 1946.
However he fails to give the reader any insight into the radical social transition between imperial to modern Japan, the effect of the atomic bombings, and the American occupation.
Overall left with a better understanding of the fervent nationalism that gave rise to the Asia-Pacific War, the religious and secular roles of the monarchy, and the militaristic nation-state,
but still left wanting for a more profound reflection of Hirohito's life how it shaped post-war Japan.
Basically a pretty dry and convoluted listing of dates and events, no wonder it took me 3 years to finish this.
Bix mainly focuses on building the strong yet controversial argument for the extent of the Emperors involvement in the war, and his failure to be made accountable for war crimes during the Tokyo Trials of 1946.
However he fails to give the reader any insight into the radical social transition between imperial to modern Japan, the effect of the atomic bombings, and the American occupation.
Overall left with a better understanding of the fervent nationalism that gave rise to the Asia-Pacific War, the religious and secular roles of the monarchy, and the militaristic nation-state,
but still left wanting for a more profound reflection of Hirohito's life how it shaped post-war Japan.
Basically a pretty dry and convoluted listing of dates and events, no wonder it took me 3 years to finish this.
caidyn's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Admittedly, I don't know much about the Japanese monarchy. I've read up on Japanese history some, but not a lot. This book was an impulse buy from a used bookstore. I found it very interesting. I never knew the belief that Hirohito was a passive participant in WWII, so this book maybe wasn't as groundbreaking. But it definitely showed a different angle to WWII than I've read previously.
lauraellis's review
4.0
The author's thesis is that Emperor Hirohito was not a traditional "constitutional monarch" in the European sense of the meaning, that he did not sit powerlessly and passively by while his ministers made all the decisions, until after Nagasaki he stepped forward and suddenly, somehow, exercised his will to bring peace. Instead, the author persuasively makes the case that Hirohito exercised power from the time he assumed the throne, while careful never to publicly be seen to do so. According to Bix, the emperor was particularly supportive of the move to expand the Japanese empire. While he argues that Hirohito was not always in control of his military, and sometimes accepted as fait accompli events that he had not ordered -- if they were successful, he was capable of imposing his will if the results were not successful.
I learned a great deal from this book, although some times the details could be difficult to follow (and I wish that Bix had included more about what the Japanese people did and felt). I did not always agree with Bix's conclusions. For example, he characterized Roosevelt as Hitler's "most implacable enemy." I think history awards that title to Churchill -- certainly I do. Also, Bix posits that the stereotype of the heartless and cruel Japanese has never been entirely forgotten because of the atrocities and mistreatment of prisoners of war. As a member of the post-baby boomer generation, I have never viewed the present-day Japanese (or the Germans) in that way. Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the bombing of the Japanese cities, with the deaths of thousands and thousands of non-combatants, however much they contributed to the ending of the war and however necessary they might have been, also caused widespread suffering and death. As a country and as a people, the United States still has not yet fully come to grips with its own actions in enslaving African Americans and killing and displacing Native Americans, and although we have paid reparations and formally apologized, we also say little about our internment of Japanese Americans, so it is difficult to fault Japan for failing to fully come to grips with its actions in World War II (though it is very easy to understand why the Asian nations that were occupied by Japan might have difficulty letting that go). I believe people change, and the Japanese of today bear as much -- or as little -- responsibility for the actions of prior generations as Americans do for theirs.
Bix has convinced me, however, that Hirohito does bear great responsibility for World War II and for the occupation of China, Korea, and other Asian countries that preceded it.
I learned a great deal from this book, although some times the details could be difficult to follow (and I wish that Bix had included more about what the Japanese people did and felt). I did not always agree with Bix's conclusions. For example, he characterized Roosevelt as Hitler's "most implacable enemy." I think history awards that title to Churchill -- certainly I do. Also, Bix posits that the stereotype of the heartless and cruel Japanese has never been entirely forgotten because of the atrocities and mistreatment of prisoners of war. As a member of the post-baby boomer generation, I have never viewed the present-day Japanese (or the Germans) in that way. Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the bombing of the Japanese cities, with the deaths of thousands and thousands of non-combatants, however much they contributed to the ending of the war and however necessary they might have been, also caused widespread suffering and death. As a country and as a people, the United States still has not yet fully come to grips with its own actions in enslaving African Americans and killing and displacing Native Americans, and although we have paid reparations and formally apologized, we also say little about our internment of Japanese Americans, so it is difficult to fault Japan for failing to fully come to grips with its actions in World War II (though it is very easy to understand why the Asian nations that were occupied by Japan might have difficulty letting that go). I believe people change, and the Japanese of today bear as much -- or as little -- responsibility for the actions of prior generations as Americans do for theirs.
Bix has convinced me, however, that Hirohito does bear great responsibility for World War II and for the occupation of China, Korea, and other Asian countries that preceded it.
rbkegley's review
5.0
It may look to be too long, but trust me, it's fascinating. As good an inside picture of the political decisions and personalities that drove Japan's conduct in World War II as you're going to find.