What Books do you Think are Essential About WWII Japan?

David C. Clarke · #31

Kordts my friend, I'd love to see photos of the house. It is odd when you're in a neighborhood and one house differs radically from all of the others!

It is a disticnt pleasure to have you and all of the others in this section. Things are friendly here and I have deep hope that we can avoid the quarrels on the other Boards. We have a great crew of folks here, so I am very optimistic.

Very Best Regards,
~Akira

waldorf · #32

Akira,

I did read The Tsar's Last Armada and found it very interesting. I thought the author seemed a little bit too caught up in the various Russian admirals sex lives though. Once you got past that the book was a great read. I never knew about the Russian fleet opening fire on British fishing vessels. Also I was unaware the future Tsar Nicholas was attacked while touring Japan by a renegade Samurai setting up his strong dislike of the nation.

Chris

Andy H · #33

The brilliant 'Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units & their Aces 1931-1945' by Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa and Christopher Shores.
This book is of the usually excellent standard associated with the works of C.Shores etc. Full of OoB's, Pictures and gripping narrative. Numerous bio's and various CO listings.

Also Jon Latimer's 'Burma-The Forgotten War'.

Regards

Andy H

David C. Clarke · #34

Hi Andy! Another book on Burma:

"Tank Tracks to Rangoon" by Bryan Perret (superior to many of his books!)

Best Regards,
David

Andy H · #35

'The Thousand -Mile War, World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians' by Brian Garfield

Hey David, I think you need to get a Book Title Index going quickly, saves having to check 3pages to see if your book suggestion has been posted before

Andy H

David C. Clarke · #36

Hi Andy, the problem is that we have barely scratched the surface!!! Making an index is a lot of work and we're just beginning to make some progress. You should see the number of articles I need to post, much less books! No my friend, I'm afraid folks just have to wade through it, besides, what harm does a duplication make? It just means that more than one person likes the same book!

Best Regards,
~Akira

John W · #37

I read through the thread but I couldn't find a listing for Sledge's "With the Old Breed".

That book, along with "Guadalcanal" is a must on every shelf. Few books explain the Pacific War from such a deep, personal perspective as those two.

regards,

kordts · #38

I just bought it on e-Bay and haven't received it yet. I can't wait:) Did anyone read "Flyboys," by the guy who wrote "Flags of our Fathers?"

Peace out,
Kordts

waldorf · #39

I just picked up Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear: Russia's war with Japan by: Richard Connaughton

So far it is a great read and very interesting. For it's length it seems to be a nice overview of the entire war on both land and sea. Here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

Another book I enjoyed was Dianne Preston's, The Boxer Rebellion

Although the book does not focus solely on Japan's military contribution to the relief of Peking and the Rebellion, it does have interesting information about Japanese forces involved.

Chris

Imad · #40

Hello Akira san
I'm glad Waldorf mentioned "The Pacific War" by John Costello. I really have not read a more comprehensive book on the subject. John Toland's books are good but are rather American centric. He totally ignores Britain's contribution to the ultimate defeat of the Japanese Empire. By the way I just got a hold of "Miracle at Midway" by Prange. Anyone with insights into that particular book just post something on thread.
Sayonara, Imad

David C. Clarke · #41

Hi Imad, my edition of "Miracle at Midway" was published in 1982 and it is a good, solid, well-written, exciting account of the battle. But, I have always wondered if it would have been written differently had the author had access to "Combined Fleet Decoded", published in 1995 or some of the other later research on Midway.

Be that as it may, I think "Miracle at Midway" is a basic text for the War in the Pacific and it won't disappoint you.

Best,
~Akira

red devil · #42

David C. Clarke wrote:Another good book whose impact on the study of the Sino-Japanese War can't be under-estimated:

"The Rape of Nanking", by Iris Chang

Coupled with Knights of The Bushido by Lord Russell of Liverpool[/b]

major grubert · #43

The Bloody Shambles series by Christopher Shores, Brian Cull, and Yasuho Izawa is the definitive (true!) account of the air war in Southeast Asia during the initial Japanese onslaughts. Extensively researched, the books coveres in detail the state and actions of the Japanese, Commonwealth, Dutch, US, and Thai air forces from Dec. 1941 to April 1942.

Burma 1942: The Japanese Invasion by Ian Lyall Grant and Kazuo Tamayama is the best book on the subject (which only covers the Japanese conquest). The book includes 20 full-colour maps, many more in black and white, and covers practically everything that has to do with the subject. Commonwealth, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai preparations and actions are more than aptly covered.

Tales by Japanese Soldiers by Kazuo Tamayama and John Nunneley is a very fine book on the war in the Far East, viewed from the Japanese footslogger level.

Finally, Tsuji's book on Malaya is also well worth the read.

warburton · #44

If I can stick my two cents in I'd like to recommend:

"Human Bullets: A Soldiers Story of Port Arthur", by Tadayoshi Sakurai. A little bit dated, but still a good read. And;

"War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War", by John W. Dower.

Thanks
Robert

Keltixx · #45

I just finished rereading "Quartered Safe Out Here" by George M. Fraser (yes, he of the "Flashman" books). This is his memoir of fighting in Burma. I think if you want to understand Japan at war, you have to understand how their enemies saw them. Fraser is not kind to the Japanese, but he is brutally honest about his feelings both then and now...something too often rare these days. You can call him racist, and he has been so called, but he is honest.

Of course, if for no other reason, this is the finest war memoir I have ever read. One of those books that gives me "flashback" nightmares from my own, not yet settled, past.

Ciao - Jeffrey

P.S. - lots of great book ideas, making my Xmas list to pass out to the kids.