NEMESIS: THE BATTLE FOR JAPAN, 1944--45 PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Sir Max Hastings | 704 pages | 18 Jan 2012 | HarperCollins Publishers | 9780007219810 | English | London, United Kingdom Nemesis The Battle for Japan | Scott Brown's Cerebral Caffeine

No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces, No pills, no planes, no artillery pieces. And nobody gives a damn. Nobody gives a damn. The brutal demonstrations, in which hundreds of thousands died from exhaustion, disease or beatings from their captors in Nazi Germany or the Japanese Imperial Army, took place to stop prisoners being liberated. One of the most high-profile marches saw an estimated 80, Allied POWs forced to march across Poland, Czechoslovakia and Germany in harsh winter conditions in early During the marches, Allied POWs were divided into groups of up to men and marched off under guard. But lack of supplies meant they had to scavenge for food and shelter and the weak were left behind to die. Others were murdered by some of their guards. Official figures said 3, US and British and Commonwealth men lost their lives but others estimate around 8, died. Those too weak were killed outright and the rest were mercilessly driven on to other camps suffering beatings and mass murder. For example, nine days before the liberation of Auschwitz 60, inmates were taken on a 35 mile death march to waiting trains. In the Far East the Japanese Imperial Army was also responsible for carrying out numerous death marches. They were forced on a km What were your last Thoughts as you stared into the gun Pointed at your head? Was it fear? Or resignation? Did you pray? One foot in front of the Other on the road to Hell. You were one of the lucky ones. Will never Know what you endured. You kept it deep Inside, in a secret place, that none should Touch, all the way to your grave. How many More paid a terrible price and the words. Remain silent? Additionally, the Yakasuni Shrine museum blames the U. Since the U. A good clean copy. The battle for Japan that ended many months after the battle for Europe involved enormous naval, military and air operations from the borders of India to the most distant regions of China. There is no finer chronicler of these events than the great military historian Max Hastings, whose gripping account explores not just the global strategic objectives of the USA, Japan and Britain but also the first-hand experiences of the airmen, sailors and soldiers of all the countries who participated in the Far East and the war in the Pacific. The big moments in the story are chosen to reflect a wide variety of human experience: the great naval battle of Leyte Gulf; the under-reported war in China; the re-conquest of Burma by the British Army under General Slim; MacArthur's follies in the Philippines; the Marines on Iwo Jima and Okinawa; LeMay's fire-raising Super-fortress assaults on Japan; the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the kamikaze pilots of Japan; the almost unknown Soviet blitzkrieg in Manchuria in the last days of the war, as Stalin hastened to gather the spoils; and the terrible final acts across Japanese-occupied Asia. This is classic, epic history - both in the content and the manner of telling. More information about this seller Contact this seller 5. Published by Lond. Harper Collins Publishers. About this Item: Lond. Very good copy. Military historian Max Hastings chronicles this gripping end. More information about this seller Contact this seller 6. Published by HarperCollins Publishers About this Item: HarperCollins Publishers, Signed by Author s. More information about this seller Contact this seller 7. Published by Harper Collins London About this Item: Harper Collins London , More information about this seller Contact this seller 8. More information about this seller Contact this seller 9. More information about this seller Contact this seller From: vladimir belskiy Alexandria, VA, U. Condition: New. Seller Inventory ABE Published by Harper Press, London About this Item: Harper Press, London, Large 8vo. Original publisher's blue cloth, lettered gilt at the spine. Signed by the author on the title page. Review copy with publishers printed review slip loosely inserted, addressed to Anthony Quinton Baron Quinton - a British political and moral philosopher. ISBN: Fine in fine dust jacket. Excellent detail with some interesting perspectives of events, including the explosions of the bomb. This was a fantastic book outlining the last years of the war against Japan at the close of World War II. Hastings is an outstanding military historian and I learned a great deal from this book. Max Hastings is the author of twenty-six books, most about conflict, and between and served as editor-in-chief of the Daily Telegraph, then editor of the Evening Standard. He has won many prizes both for journalism and his books, of which the most recent are All Hell Let Loose, Catastrophe and The Secret War, best-sellers translated around the world. Nemesis: The Battle for Japan – The Tank Museum

Its economy was dependent upon fuel and raw materials shipped from China, Malaya, Burma and the Netherlands East Indies. This reader was convinced. It was a revelation to me. But when I say "confines," I don't wish to be misleading -- this history is enormous in scope, because Hastings doesn't limit himself to the history most Americans know. He explores the entirety of the final year of the war in the Pacific, from mid to the war's end I believe this is the first World War II history I've read that was written by a non-American author. He explores the entirety of the final year of the war in the Pacific, from mid to the war's end in from the actions of the Japanese in the countries they had invaded and occupied; to the American re-invasion of the Philippines and the Navy's island-by-island advance including details of diplomatic, espionage and intelligence, ground, sea, and air operations ; to the British campaigns in Burma and Malaya; the actions of the nationalist and communist armies in China; the Australians' reluctant participation; the Russian invasion of Manchuria, North Korea, and Sakalin Island; and as always, the relentless jockeying for supremacy between military services and rival allied military leaders. Hasting's history is peppered with quotes and statements from people who were there -- interviews, memoirs, diary entries, letters home -- from participants of all nations, enemy and allied, from refugees to enslaved Chinese peasants to women abducted to serve as "comfort girls," from battlefield grunts and sailors to generals and admirals, from diplomats to heads of state. Hastings' work is scholarly and thorough, yet anything but dry. This was one of the most engaging war histories I have ever read, and probably due to my own American myopia, full of things I didn't know. I swear, I learned something new on almost every page. Here's a taste to whet your appetite: when US Army soldiers went ashore on Okinawa, during the brief lull before the Japanese began firing back, enterprising troops sewed up fake Japanese flags from parachute silk, shot them to create bullet holes, and sold them as war souvenirs to the sailors of the invasion fleet. You have to love learning things like that, right? I sure did. Beyond these fascinating details, Hastings puts you into the mindset of the decision- makers of the time, helping you to understand why they took the actions they did by explaining what they knew at the time, minus the benefit of hindsight. One understands, after reading this history, why allied military forces showed little mercy to the Japanese, why the people of Japanese- occupied countries hate and fear the Japanese to this day, and why American military and political leaders undertook the firebombing of Japanese cities, and later, the employment of atomic bombs. It is titled Armageddon. I will certainly read it, and soon. Feb 20, Nick Black rated it liked it Shelves: oppenheimania , airstrip-one. View all 4 comments. This is a remarkable book, worth reading even for those who consider themselves knowledgeable about World War II in the Pacific. It is part strategic overview, part biography of key leaders, part oral history by the soldiers and civilians who lived through it, and part discussion of the decision making processes that led, ultimately, to the use of the atomic bombs. The different parts fit together well, each reinforcing the other in complicated cause and effect sequences. The suffering was This is a remarkable book, worth reading even for those who consider themselves knowledgeable about World War II in the Pacific. The suffering was appalling. Those who have read other histories of the war might have become inured to the huge numbers of deaths, but Max Hastings retells them in a way that gives shocking immediacy. What makes them even worse is that now, in hindsight, we can tell that so many of them were unnecessary. As Hastings points out, all the suffering and bloodshed in India and Burma were a sideshow to the main campaigns, and did not bring the war one day closer to ending. The fighting there was as much a fight against historical forces as against the Japanese, a last ditch effort to try to ensure the continuation of colonialism after the war. The situation in China would have been comical if it had not been so tragic. The Nationalist warlords seemed to vie with one another to see who could be the most corrupt and incompetent, even to the point of selling food and equipment to the Japanese. As the Allied forces hammered away at Japan island by island, only in China did their empire continue to expand, because the Nationalists could not, and would not fight. It was a disgraceful performance, but it happened for a reason. Chiang Kai-Shek know that his real battle would come after the Japanese where defeated, when he would face the Communists, so he was happy to take the Americans' money and equipment, promise results and not deliver, and wait for the fighting to end. Aside from a few inconsequential harassing attacks they left the Japanese alone, who in turn ignored them. Mao too knew that his real fight would come after the Japanese had left. In trying to understand the decisions that led to massive Japanese civilian casualties, Hastings says, considering the later U. The killing of innocents clearly represented not the chance of war, nor unauthorised actions by wanton enemy soldiers, but an ethic of massacre at one with events in Nanjing in , and with similar deeds across Asia. The fighting on Iwo Jima was nightmarish in its brutality. The Japanese position was hopeless, but they were dug in and well prepared, and the U. Marines had to advance step by step across open ground covered by pre-registered mortar and artillery positions, with overlapping fields of machine gun fire. After 28 days, and having received 19 replacements, only 10 men were left; his platoon had taken 50 casualties, 20 of them dead. The standard histories of World War II take it for granted that the conquest of Iwo Jima was essential, but Hastings takes another look at it: Some historians highlight a simple statistic: more American aircrew landed safely on its airstrips in damaged or fuelless Bs than Marines died in seizing it. This calculation of profit and loss, first offered after the battle to assuage public anger about the cost of taking Iwo Jima, ignores the obvious fact that, if the strips had not been there, fuel margins would have been increased, some aircraft would have reached the Marianas, some crews could have been rescued from the sea. The Americans made no important use of its bases for offensive operations. The campaign to retake the Philippines comes across as one long disaster for everyone, the Americans, the Japanese, and especially the civilians caught in the fighting. No general of the Second World War has seen his reputation fall as far as MacArthur, and Hastings considers him unfit for his position, saying he displayed a taste for fantasy quite unsuited to a field commander, together with ambition close to megalomania and consistently poor judgement as a picker of subordinates. His management of the fighting on Leyte was preposterous, and might seem farcical except for the enormous suffering that ensued. He was incapable of admitting a mistake, and over time his mental state started to be called into question. He claimed to perceive a 'crooked streak' in both Marshall and Eisenhower, two of the most honourable men in American public service. Japanese leadership believed they had one last trump card to play. They believed that their ability to extract a huge blood price from their enemy before succumbing represented a formidable bargaining chip. Instead, of course, this helped to undo them. What was not in doubt was that invading Japan would involve a large loss of American lives, which nobody wished to accept. Blockade and firebombing had already created conditions in which invasion would probably be unnecessary. Japan was tottering and would soon have starved. Richard Frank, author of an outstanding modern study of the fall of the Japanese empire, goes further. He finds it unthinkable that the United States would have accepted the blood-cost of invading Kyushu, in light of radio intelligence about Japanese strength. After performing magnificently in North Africa their troops were recalled home, where they spent the rest of the war contributing little other than occasionally being sent off on pointless expeditions, such as rooting out bypassed Japanese garrisons which were incapable of doing any significant damage, and were starving to death anyway. It was a sorry case of poor generals, pusillanimous politicians, and labor troubles that were positively harmful to the war effort dock workers would not, for instance, work when it rained. The question of whether the atomic bombs should have been dropped has been debated endlessly. It is easy for us, decades later, so sit around and moralize about whether it was right or wrong, but given the constraints that Truman and his advisers were under, it is had to believe that they could have come to any other decision. Japan had been behaving barbarously since the invasion of Manchuria in , and its atrocities had become widely know. Its treatment of Allied prisoners, its brutality in Manila, and its insistence on fighting to the death at all times meant there was little support for treating them as worthy of dignified surrender terms. Few of those Asians who experienced Japanese conquest, however, and knew of the millions of deaths which it encompassed, believed that Japan possessed any superior claim on Allied forbearance to that of Germany. The Japanese government still believed that they could get generous peace terms that would allow them to keep Manchuria and Korea, and that could protect their leaders from war crimes trials conducted by the Allies. As for the military, "in those days the conduct of its leaders was extraordinary. Even senior leaders who were willing to discuss peace had to publicly declare for continued war, to avoid being murdered by their own fanatical subordinates. Dropping the atomic bombs was brutal, but was it justified? Even without an invasion of Japan, it is likely that many more lives would have been lost in the end by bringing the war to a conventional end. Considering the plight of civilians and captives, dying in thousands daily under Japanese occupation, together with the casualties that would have been incurred had the Soviets been provoked into maintaining their advance across mainland China, almost any scenario suggests that far more people of many nationalities would have died in the course of even a few further weeks of war than were killed by the atomic bombs. Stalin would almost certainly have seized Hokkaido, with his usual indifference to losses. Robert Newman suggests that , deaths would have occurred in every further month the war continued. Even if this is excessive, it addresses a plausible range of numbers. Such an assertion does not immediately render the detonations of the atomic bombs acceptable acts. It merely emphasises the fact that the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by no means represented the worst outcome of the war for the Japanese people, far less for the world. And finally, there is the question of the Soviets and their invasion in August Interestingly, they were there because the Americans had repeatedly asked for them. By the time the Russians were ready to attack the Americans were close to winning the war, and wanted to draw things to a close before the Soviets could intervene, but that was not to be. In fact, had the war not ended when it did, post war Asia would probably have seen Japan divided just as Korea and Vietnam were, and we know how well that turned out. Some say that it was the Soviet intervention that brought about the surrender, and the bombs were unnecessary. As Hastings points out, even with both the bombs and the Soviets, the Japanese would still have fought to the death without the intervention of their emperor, a feckless weakling who performed the one noble feat of his life. This seems a sterile exercise, since it is plain that both played their parts. For the Japanese army, it was the Russian invasion of Manchuria. Mar 29, Chris rated it really liked it Shelves: wwii. He balances the narrative by explaining the higher-level view and then quoting from soldiers on what they were experiencing during the battles. My favorite part of the book was his analysis towards the end in which he This is a very good analysis of the last year of WWII in the Pacific. My favorite part of the book was his analysis towards the end in which he laid out how Japan finally capitulated. Highly recommended for those interested in a thorough analysis of the end of the War in the Pacific. Jan 27, Joseph rated it liked it Shelves: military-biography. How much bad news will pampered European and American voters take? Not that much, I suspect, in the absence of bombs raining down around their heads, figuratively or literally. We get the political leaders we deserve. Recent evidence suggests that in America, especially, charlatans prosper on the hustings, while good people flinch from exposing themselves to the humiliations and deceits essential to secure public office. Unless or until electorates become more rational, I doubt we shall see leaders much better — though, please God and the Tea Party, no worse — than today. Max Hastings is an iconoclast. This book has real strengths and, in the main, is well put together. Some of it deserved, some gratuitous. There are several things that make this book worth reading. One is the honest and detailed description of Japanese brutality. Those who fought the Japanese were considered by the Japanese to be almost subhuman and were treated accordingly. The recounting of the infamous unit including vivisection of prisoners is one instance. Use of PWs and Chinese and others for live bayonet practices is another. These atrocities were not confined to unit They were able to spend a good two to three weeks — and probably much longer — getting rid of what had to have been incriminating evidence. The Soviet advance into Manchuria and into the Kurile Islands is also well told. British and American war efforts in the China-Burma-India Theater are also well detailed and fascinating. Death and destruction from B napalm drops greatly exceeded that of the two atomic weapons. Finally, the use of atomic weapons is well explained and Hastings is masterful in providing the reasons for it and why it was a choice that had to be made then and most likely the only real choice. Since there is no bibliography it is a bit difficult to determine and check sources. These MIS soldiers were where the fighting was starting with Guadalcanal. Hastings loves to retell stories he had translators gain during interviews. Finally, there is a bit of a problem with General Douglas MacArthur. Now, I will readily admit that Douglas MacArthur was arrogant, headstrong and that he was sometimes a lousy judge of character especially in the selection of his senior staff. Hastings misses no opportunity to bash MacArthur and certainly there are things he can be bashed for. Hastings also says that MacArthur harbored Presidential ambitions. What Hastings omits is that MacArthur had just gotten off a 26 hour flight to get to that meeting. If you read the James account you come away from Hastings shaking your head. Read the account by James for yourself and make up your own mind. On the other hand, it is clear that there were too many big egos involved and that these egos sometimes cost the war effort. Admiral Ernest King comes in for a beating which I suspect was well deserved. FDR would be dead eight months later. Other accounts -- the Yalta Conference, for example, indicate that by Feb , FDR was so sick as to be virtually unable to function at that conference. Basically, I have to wonder how effectively FDR was able to function as Commander in Chief, especially since he Roosevelt was fixated on the election. As much as I enjoyed this book and as much as I agree with most of the conclusions Hastings draws, I am just a little bit skeptical about his research and how much his theme was driven by agenda as opposed to research. Postscript, next day, after doing a little more checking. That account provides probably the best summary of what went on and it credits both FDR and Roosevelt for their roles. It starts on p. The General told his wife, "He is just a shell of the man I knew. In six months he'll be in his grave. This is another source Hastings omitted because it clearly ran counter to Hastings' attempt to denigrate MacArthur. Hastings pretty much totally missed the mark on the Pearl Harbor Conference. Add Bill Slim to my very short list of officers I admire. The blurb on the jacket of my edition of Nemesis says that the Pacific theatre had the most extraordinary cast of characters and having just finished the book I would have to say I agree. Hastings uses the by-now familiar device of interweaving the stories of ordinary people into the broader context of strategic and political decisions by generals and statesmen. And it works a treat, shining the light on the human consequences of warfare. The book greatly improved my limited knowledge of many of the key figures of the war in the Far East , particularly Macarthur, Chiang Kai Shek and one of the great forgotten British heroes, Bill Slim. It also convincingly showed how the psyche of an entire nation can be shaped and perverted by a small, influential, determined and ruthless group. The Japanese military, which effectively ruled Japan and directed its expansionist policies, were truly the ayatollahs of 20th century Asia and the grotesque brutality inflicted on captured enemy combatants and occupied civilians defies any attempt at rational explanation. Hastings is unflinching in his condemnation of Japanese atrocities while still managing to find enough individual acts of decency and kindness to prevent his criticism becoming a demonisation. Hastings also put paid to, in my mind at least, any lingering doubts about the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As with most histories of war containing personal accounts I finished the book both shocked and awed by what human beings are capable of doing to one another. Feb 24, Tripp rated it really liked it. He has followed up that book with Retribution, a book about the last years of the Pacific Theater. Just as in the first volume, Hastings emphasizes the utter brutality and waste of war as well as providing frank criticism of the failures of leadership. His biggest target is MacArthur who he blames for many mistakes, perhaps most of all the invasion of the Philippines. This invasion led to thousands of deaths of Americans and Japanese and an orgy of Japanese violence in Manila that conjures images of Nanjing. Hastings very clearly identifies Japanese barbarism, in fact it is a key focus of his book, but argues that the atrocities would not have occurred if the US had not launched the strategically unnecessary invasion of the archipelago. I quite liked how Hastings was willing to say some policies were simply wrong. As an example, he identifies the use of P Mustangs as escorts for Bs as a mistake. While they had served a purpose over Germany, they did not over Japan. The Bs could largely protect themselves against Japanese fighters. The Ps added little and their patrols cost the lives of many pilots through accidents. So many military historians would water down the criticism with a few "on the other hands," Hastings is pleasingly unequivocal. He also provides a much more expansive view of the Pacific War than you get from many historians. Yes, there is Leyte and yes there is the bombing campaigns, but there is also coverage of China, Burma, the submarine campaign, and even the story of the Australians. The Australians, who figured heavily in the Solomons disappear from most histories in the later years. Hastings explains why. His strong point of view has raised the hackles of many reviewers. He does come down, mostly on the positive side regarding the use of nuclear weapons. I think Bird overstates the case that Hastings's central theme is that the atomic bombings were "justified and necessary. The vast majority of the book makes no mention of the bomb, so if you must avoid the topic, you can. Simply skip Chapter 19 out of 21 , helpfully titled "The Bombs. Nov 21, Joe rated it it was amazing Shelves: history. Therefore while I can follow the timeline and personalities of the Allied war against Hitler's Germany, the history from Pearl Harbor to Nagasaki and Hiroshima is somewhat of a blur. Retribution chronicles the final twelve months - give or take - of the war against Japan. And just like the author's previous book, Armageddon, which tracks the final year of the European war, Retribution is an excellent book and history writing at its finest. Where this author excels is in his ability to tie together multiple threads, melding perspectives from military leaders to the men doing the fighting; piecing together the multiple geographic theaters - be it on land, sea or in the air; which all culminates in the Allied victory. When necessary, the author historically backfills decisions made and battles fought as well as providing brief biographical sketches when new personalities are introduced to the story. All of this is chronicled in a very coherent and engaging narrative. Hastings is also not shy about jumping into the fray offering editorial comments about decisions made, war strategies and the men at the top, without being too heavy handed. His comments and observations on MacArthur are priceless but Hastings also highlights the brutality of the Japanese military machine and their inability to strategically adapt to the changing military picture; the phenomenon of the Kamikazes; the Allies' frustration with China; the overwhelming war production of the US; Japan's cultural inability to face their defeat; Stalin's late entry into the Pacific War and the ambivalence of the U. This is a great history book and if you're looking to "fill in the gaps" you may have regarding World War II history, it's a perfect read. Jan 17, Don rated it really liked it Shelves: history. Hastings covers even the less familiar Asia zones in his focus on the last year of the war with Japan. Hastings is English so he gives more attention to English and Commonwealth efforts than you most histories. This is a quite comprehensive treatment of the major historic figures and a sampling of ordinary people so the reader gets familiar with the impact of the war. Many passages of Japanese atrocities are brutal in their descriptions. Not for the faint of heart. Reads smooth like sunshine. Broad strokes narrative. Adds the touching anecdote. A bit of biography a dint of analysis. History for the lazy chair. Mar 06, Michael Gerald rated it really liked it. The first time I made a review of this book years ago, I didn't like it. But upon rereading it and cross-checking with other references, this turns out to be a decent book. Retribution is an interesting concept; an overall look at the final twelve months of the entire Eastern War. How to tackle such an immense task is the first question, which Hastings has answered by looking at topics in turn. He begins with the summit held at Hawaii in July between Nimitz, MacArthur and Roosevelt, where the future of US strategy for the war was confirmed. Hastings sets the scene in this chapter, briefly covering the flow of the War to this stage, and laying out for the reader the tensions that existed between the Allies, and within the US itself. While he writes well and at times eloquently about specific incidents, he also develops some themes throughout the book that are worth discussing. The first theme is that of logistics, supply and technology. Early in the book, Hastings repeats the astonishing statistic that for every four tons of supplies shipped by the US to its armed forces, Japan shipped two pounds to theirs. How many More paid a terrible price and the words. Remain silent? Additionally, the Yakasuni Shrine museum blames the U. Since the U. The museum goes so far as to allege that the United States had a plan in the works to attack Japan and which would have been executed if Japan had not pre-empted the American attack by conducting the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The museum declares that President Franklin Roosevelt was committed to an attack on Japan as a way for the U. Apparently the theme is that, or per the museum, every attack the Japanese conducted was only executed because of foreign colonizers threatening Japan and its neighbors. Japan never wanted to colonize any country, they just wanted to liberate Asians from foreigners. All this is, of course, utter nonsense. The Imperial Japanese government at the time felt the modernization of Japan and the colonization of nearby countries were the best way to expand Japanese power and to compete against western rivals that were busy colonizing large parts of Asia to add to their respective empires. The Japanese had no altruistic reasons of freeing oppressed Asians from European colonizers; it was simply about building Japanese power and influence. The attack on Pearl Harbor was where they overreached in spreading their power and influence that led to disastrous consequences for the country. At least 97, civilian dead were listed in Tokyo and a further 86, in other cities. Many more bombing casualties were unrecorded. For those brave men lost at both Pearl Harbor and Bataan and indeed elsewhere and for the thousands of men who served with them, Godspeed to their Eternal Souls. Sgt Graunke, who was a member of a Marine ordnance-disposal team, lost a hand, leg, and eye while defusing a bomb in Iraq in July of If this fails to play, my apologies. During the attack, 18 ships were sunk or seriously damaged, including eight battleships. More than 1, balloons hit their targets. They reached as far east as Michigan. It was the single greatest atrocity against Australian troops. But the most notorious death marches were the SS-led evacuation of concentration camps. How many More paid a terrible price and the words Remain silent? No mention is made of the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese troops. We shall remember them. He is highly critical of Chiang Kai Shek and the nationalists, but he also reminds us that the Chinese Communists were more interested in winning power in China than in fighting the Japanese. His account of the Soviet part in the final defeat of Japan sheds light not only on the American attitude towards Soviet involvement but also on the fighting in Manchuria and the loot which the Soviets garnered. Many readers will inevitably be engrossed by what Hastings has to say about the rationale for the dropping of the atomic bombs and their impact on the thinking of Japanese leaders. The lack of realism and appreciation of intelligence among Japanese military, naval and civilian leaders about what was possible for Japan in mid seems incredible to us today. It was not, of course, unknown in allied circles to doubt intelligence; MacArthur was often prone to believe only what he wanted to believe. But the Japanese leaders were far more inclined to wishful thinking and ignoring facts. The allied insistence on unconditional surrender was understandable but probably unwise. In fact the Potsdam declaration did contain words which clarified if they did not modify the meaning of unconditional surrender. This book should be read by anyone who wants to understand the tragedies of the war against Japan. Contact Us. Join our Mailing List Become a Member. All Events. Special Events. External Events. Japan Society Webinar Series. Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, by Max Hastings | LibraryThing

He notes that while these did cause serious casualties in the American fleet they made no difference to the outcome of the war. Hastings gives graphic and absorbing accounts of battles such as those for Leyte, Iwojima and Okinawa. He tells us of the suicidal mission of the mammoth Japanese battleship Yamato. His account of the campaign in Burma brings out the horrors and the loneliness of the struggle. Hastings is illuminating in his account of the failures and inadequacies of Chinese resistance to the Japanese occupiers. He is highly critical of Chiang Kai Shek and the nationalists, but he also reminds us that the Chinese Communists were more interested in winning power in China than in fighting the Japanese. His account of the Soviet part in the final defeat of Japan sheds light not only on the American attitude towards Soviet involvement but also on the fighting in Manchuria and the loot which the Soviets garnered. Many readers will inevitably be engrossed by what Hastings has to say about the rationale for the dropping of the atomic bombs and their impact on the thinking of Japanese leaders. The lack of realism and appreciation of intelligence among Japanese military, naval and civilian leaders about what was possible for Japan in mid seems incredible to us today. It was not, of course, unknown in allied circles to doubt intelligence; MacArthur was often prone to believe only what he wanted to believe. But the Japanese leaders were far more inclined to wishful thinking and ignoring facts. The allied insistence on unconditional surrender was understandable but probably unwise. In fact the Potsdam declaration did contain words which clarified if they did not modify the meaning of unconditional surrender. This book should be read by anyone who wants to understand the tragedies of the war against Japan. Contact Us. Join our Mailing List Become a Member. All Events. Special Events. External Events. Japan Society Webinar Series. Upcoming Events. Latest Publications. Recently Funded. Brick Model Kits. Event Merchandise. Wall Art. Novelty Homeware. Add to basket. Error Quantity must be 1 or more. Add to Wishlist Your wishlist has been temporarily saved. By Max Hastings A companion volume to his bestselling Armageddon, Max Hastings account of the battle for Japan is a masterful military history. Every purchase supports us By purchasing directly from us, you are supporting our efforts to conserve and preserve our unique collections. Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to The Tank Museum's e-newsletter to receive updates on Museum news, events and special offers. Information regarding the use of data can be found in our privacy policy. We use cookies to improve your website experience, analyse how the site is being used, and tailor our advertising. Accept Cookies.

Nemesis Battle Japan 45 by Max Hastings, First Edition - AbeBooks

The killing of innocents clearly represented not the chance of war, nor unauthorized action by wanton enemy soldiers, but an ethic of massacre at one with events in Nanjing in , and with similar deeds across Asia. In the face of evidence from so many different times, places, units and circumstances, it became imossible for Japan's leaders credibly to deny systematic inhumanity as gross as that of the Nazis. A trauma overtook the nation which divided its people, demoralizaed its forces and cast a lasting shadow over its memory of the Second World War. Much Japanese behavior reflected the bitterness of former victors about finding their own military fortunes in eclipse, becoming the bombed instead of the bombers. More than sixty years later, there still seems no acceptable excuse. The Japanese, having started the war, waged it with such savagery towards the innocent and impotent that it is easy to understand the rage which filled Allied hearts in , when it was all revealed War is inherently inhumane, but the Japanese practiced extraordinary refinements of inhumanity in the treatment of those thrown upon their mercy. A fifth of all kamikazes were estimated to have hit a ship--almost ten times the success rate of conventional attacks. If suicide operations reflected Japanese desperation, it could not be claimed that they were ineffectual. For the sacrifie of a few hundred half-trained pilots, vastly more damage was inflicted upon the U. Navy than the Japanese surface fleet had accomplished since Pearl Harbor. After the war, his mother wrote a surviving comrade: "Nothing gives me greater joy than to know that Kunio fought to the very end An account from Biak Island described 'many corpses lying round There were many occasions when [he] encountered Jap troops offering meat in exchange for potatoes. The Japanese army's newly issued Field Manual for the Decisive Battle in the Homeland called for absolute ruthlessness in slaughtering any Japanese There would be no retreats. Casualties were to be abandoned. Those whose weapons and ammunition were spent should fight with bare hands. Here was a commitment to create not merely an army of suicidalists, but an entire nation. More information about this seller Contact this seller 1. Published by Collins, London About this Item: Collins, London, Hard Cover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. Dustwrapper, stout 8vo, pp. Illustrated, including maps. Small rubbed hole near top of wrapper spine, front corner. Very slight ripple to text, only noticeable when book closed. Overall near fine in similar dustwrapper. More information about this seller Contact this seller 2. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. Fine in dustwrapper. More information about this seller Contact this seller 3. Published by Harper Perennial, London About this Item: Harper Perennial, London, Reprint; First Printing. Some reading creases and shelf wear, some foxing to edges of reading block. Nice tight copy, no names inside. Heavy book and priced accordingly. Hastings skillfully weaves together the complex strands of an epic war exploring some of the most horrific human experiences of the twentieth century. More information about this seller Contact this seller 4. Published by HarperPress, Australia About this Item: HarperPress, Australia, Soft cover. A good clean copy. The battle for Japan that ended many months after the battle for Europe involved enormous naval, military and air operations from the borders of India to the most distant regions of China. There is no finer chronicler of these events than the great military historian Max Hastings, whose gripping account explores not just the global strategic objectives of the USA, Japan and Britain but also the first-hand experiences of the airmen, sailors and soldiers of all the countries who participated in the Far East and the war in the Pacific. The big moments in the story are chosen to reflect a wide variety of human experience: the great naval battle of Leyte Gulf; the under-reported war in China; the re-conquest of Burma by the British Army under General Slim; MacArthur's follies in the Philippines; the Marines on Iwo Jima and Okinawa; LeMay's fire-raising Super-fortress assaults on Japan; the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the kamikaze pilots of Japan; the almost unknown Soviet blitzkrieg in Manchuria in the last days of the war, as Stalin hastened to gather the spoils; and the terrible final acts across Japanese-occupied Asia. This is classic, epic history - both in the content and the manner of telling. More information about this seller Contact this seller 5. Published by Lond. Harper Collins Publishers. About this Item: Lond. Very good copy. Military historian Max Hastings chronicles this gripping end. More information about this seller Contact this seller 6. Published by HarperCollins Publishers About this Item: HarperCollins Publishers, Signed by Author s. More information about this seller Contact this seller 7. Published by Harper Collins London About this Item: Harper Collins London , More information about this seller Contact this seller 8.

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