I just read "Iwo Jima." I can't remeber the author, It's about 90 percent Marine, but he did find some Japanese survivors and get their side of it. If you don't think the a-bombs were justified, read this and you might get some idea of what kind of resistance was ahead for the US invasion.
Peace out,
Kordts
What Books do you Think are Essential About WWII Japan?
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Michael Tapner
- Member
- Posts: 82
- Joined: 24 May 2004, 02:06
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Are you all aware of the Senshi Sosho English translation of the volume on New Guinea that is available at the Australian war memorial site?
Go to the following link:
http://ajrp.awm.gov.au/ajrp/ajrp2.nsf/W ... enDocument
Go to the following link:
http://ajrp.awm.gov.au/ajrp/ajrp2.nsf/W ... enDocument
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Daniel Leahy
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- Joined: 30 Oct 2005, 03:51
- Location: Latham, ACT, Australia
- Contact:
Agreed that "Samurai!" is up there as far as Japanese memoirs are concerned.
I enjoy the Osprey series, though they sometimes seem a bit too basic compared to other references:
"Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-45" by Henry Sakaida
"Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937-45" by Henry Sakaida
"The Japanese Army 1931-45 (1) 1931-42" by Philip Jowett
"The Japanese Army 1931-45 (2) 1942-45" by Philip Jowett
Other suggestions:
"Midway" by Fuchida & Okumiya
"Touched With Fire - The Land War in the South Pacific" by Eric Bergerud
"A Bastard Of A Place" by Peter Brune
"200 Shots" by Neil McDonald & Peter Brune
The Official History of Australia in the War of 1939-45 also includes numerous volumes on the war in the Pacific. Though not concerned with Japanese tactics etc, these are ALL now available as PDFs on the web for free:
http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/volume.asp?conflict=2
I enjoy the Osprey series, though they sometimes seem a bit too basic compared to other references:
"Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-45" by Henry Sakaida
"Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937-45" by Henry Sakaida
"The Japanese Army 1931-45 (1) 1931-42" by Philip Jowett
"The Japanese Army 1931-45 (2) 1942-45" by Philip Jowett
Other suggestions:
"Midway" by Fuchida & Okumiya
"Touched With Fire - The Land War in the South Pacific" by Eric Bergerud
"A Bastard Of A Place" by Peter Brune
"200 Shots" by Neil McDonald & Peter Brune
The Official History of Australia in the War of 1939-45 also includes numerous volumes on the war in the Pacific. Though not concerned with Japanese tactics etc, these are ALL now available as PDFs on the web for free:
http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/volume.asp?conflict=2
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Apparatchika
- Member
- Posts: 12
- Joined: 07 Dec 2005, 16:48
- Location: USA
Books essential about Pacific War
I would politely suggest the works by Dave Wilmot, "Empires in the Balance". It details the war in its first six months and is the only detailed acct. I know of describing the conquest of the Dutch East Indies or the Burma Campaign. The Japanese, Americans, British, Dutch, Australians all get equal attention. He also has very good maps and some good photos, esp of Japanese hardware like the Yamato, or various aircraft.
Thanks
Thanks
By far the most significant recent release about Japan in WW II is Jon Parshall and Tony Tully's superb Shattered Sword, which will become the essential Midway text. "SS" places the battle and IJN in cultural context, which is extremely important.
MG "Bucky" Sheftall's Blossoms in the Wind is a breakthrough volume about kamikazes.
As for other books that've been noted, heartily concur ref. Rich Frank's Guadalcanal and both John Lundstrom's "Team" volumes. Also, Rich did his own Downfall which often augments rather than competes with Polmar and Allen's book. I referred to both in writing my LeMay bio.
IMO Prange is way over-rated. He died before he finished "Miracle at Midway" (and see Parshall for the popular perceptions of Incredible & Miraculous aspects of Midway) with something like 1000 pgs of manuscript. His acolytes simply do not understand their subject--naval aviation--and the book contains an enormous number of avoidably embarrassing errors (confusion between SBDs/TBDs, poor understanding of squadrons and air groups, and navy ensigns or marine 2nd lts, etc, etc.) The best treatment of the American side at Midway remains Bob Cressman's A Glorious Day in Our History.
Flags of our Fathers, mainly written by Ron Powers, is excellent, though its micro scale doesn't really enhance our understanding of Japan at war, nor is it meant to. As for Flyboys...
About 10 years ago I asked John Lundstrom if we were likely to see anything "new" about the Pacific War. He said yes, if only diaries and personal accounts. At that time the CW held that WW II history would peak with the 50th anniversary. I knew that wasn't true--my books were still selling!--and certainly the interest has not only held but accelerated. After all, we're still seeing original scholarship on the War of Northern Aggression!
MG "Bucky" Sheftall's Blossoms in the Wind is a breakthrough volume about kamikazes.
As for other books that've been noted, heartily concur ref. Rich Frank's Guadalcanal and both John Lundstrom's "Team" volumes. Also, Rich did his own Downfall which often augments rather than competes with Polmar and Allen's book. I referred to both in writing my LeMay bio.
IMO Prange is way over-rated. He died before he finished "Miracle at Midway" (and see Parshall for the popular perceptions of Incredible & Miraculous aspects of Midway) with something like 1000 pgs of manuscript. His acolytes simply do not understand their subject--naval aviation--and the book contains an enormous number of avoidably embarrassing errors (confusion between SBDs/TBDs, poor understanding of squadrons and air groups, and navy ensigns or marine 2nd lts, etc, etc.) The best treatment of the American side at Midway remains Bob Cressman's A Glorious Day in Our History.
Flags of our Fathers, mainly written by Ron Powers, is excellent, though its micro scale doesn't really enhance our understanding of Japan at war, nor is it meant to. As for Flyboys...
About 10 years ago I asked John Lundstrom if we were likely to see anything "new" about the Pacific War. He said yes, if only diaries and personal accounts. At that time the CW held that WW II history would peak with the 50th anniversary. I knew that wasn't true--my books were still selling!--and certainly the interest has not only held but accelerated. After all, we're still seeing original scholarship on the War of Northern Aggression!
I have completed Shattered Sword and it is mandatory reading.
I have Eric Hammels "Carrier Clash" and "Carrier Strike". There is a lot of overlap- I believe they were combined into "Guadalcanal- Carrier Battles"-- or split off from that work. They are both excellent (save for the overlapping content in the first section).
Hell Is Upon Us- by Victor Brooks is critically lauded but perhaps not detailed enough for readers of this forum. It covers the battle of Saipan.
Clash of Carriers by Barrett Tillman on the other hand is both critically acclaimed and excellent. My father served on the JFK in the 1960s and really enjoyed its depiction of carrier life.
There was a book titled 'Okinawa' by Feifer. I really enjoyed it---until I read With the Old Breed and some other primary accounts-- and realized that the other willingly shifted every adventure and observation of these marines to the Okinawa-- to make more interesting reading...or just to spare himself some work.
There are a whole host of small paperback memoirs from United States and occasionally Japanese combatants (ie Sakai). I can provide a list of these if anyone is interested. Most can be found at any borders for less than $10.
Brotherhood of Heroes by Sloan is a fine book on Pelieu. It draws heavily from the memoirs of US Marines.
Strong Men Armed-United States Marines vs. Japan is a must read.
And since this is an Axis forum I will recommend "The Battle of Okinawa" by Colonel Hiromichi Yahara.
[/u]
I have Eric Hammels "Carrier Clash" and "Carrier Strike". There is a lot of overlap- I believe they were combined into "Guadalcanal- Carrier Battles"-- or split off from that work. They are both excellent (save for the overlapping content in the first section).
Hell Is Upon Us- by Victor Brooks is critically lauded but perhaps not detailed enough for readers of this forum. It covers the battle of Saipan.
Clash of Carriers by Barrett Tillman on the other hand is both critically acclaimed and excellent. My father served on the JFK in the 1960s and really enjoyed its depiction of carrier life.
There was a book titled 'Okinawa' by Feifer. I really enjoyed it---until I read With the Old Breed and some other primary accounts-- and realized that the other willingly shifted every adventure and observation of these marines to the Okinawa-- to make more interesting reading...or just to spare himself some work.
There are a whole host of small paperback memoirs from United States and occasionally Japanese combatants (ie Sakai). I can provide a list of these if anyone is interested. Most can be found at any borders for less than $10.
Brotherhood of Heroes by Sloan is a fine book on Pelieu. It draws heavily from the memoirs of US Marines.
Strong Men Armed-United States Marines vs. Japan is a must read.
And since this is an Axis forum I will recommend "The Battle of Okinawa" by Colonel Hiromichi Yahara.
[/u]
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Old Cremona
- New member
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 11 May 2006, 02:08
- Location: Shawnee Mission, Kansas
I was going to recomend "Flyboys," but I see it has gotten mixed reviews here. The part that fascinated me was where the author described how the WW2 Japanese leaders had perverted the Samuri code. Japanese soldiers surrendered with honor in the Russo-Japanese war! And Russian prisioners were treated humanely!
Also important was the tales of American atrocities in the Phillippine's 1900-1910. Kill everyone was basically our policy, and our rate of killing compares rather shockingly to later Japanese atrocities.
Also important was the tales of American atrocities in the Phillippine's 1900-1910. Kill everyone was basically our policy, and our rate of killing compares rather shockingly to later Japanese atrocities.
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Purple fang
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- Joined: 05 Nov 2005, 01:22
- Location: utah
- Contact:
The Stragglers is one I just read about the many Japanese troops that got left behind in pacific. How they survived, where they were & what they did after going home back to Japan.
On the flipside is a book titled 70.000 to one. About a P-38 pilot who spent near 9 months in the jungle on an island with 70.000 Japanese on it. Good stuff.
On the flipside is a book titled 70.000 to one. About a P-38 pilot who spent near 9 months in the jungle on an island with 70.000 Japanese on it. Good stuff.
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FormerNavalPerson
- Member
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- Joined: 11 Aug 2006, 00:29
- Location: Cary NC, USA
Shattered Sword gets another vote from me. Not only it brings forth new understanding of Midway, it also serves as a good introduction to the world of Japanese naval doctrine. You'd be surprised how many glaring mistakes we've had with the battle in the past, even in prominent textbooks and such. The biggest credit for it is probably the fact that the US Naval War College selected it as a required reading for the Strategy and Policy curriculum.
The book's official website is here: http://www.shatteredswordbook.com/
The book in recent news: http://ww2db.com/news.php?news_id=47
A review of this book by Harold Hutchison: http://ww2db.com/read.php?read_id=34
The book's official website is here: http://www.shatteredswordbook.com/
The book in recent news: http://ww2db.com/news.php?news_id=47
A review of this book by Harold Hutchison: http://ww2db.com/read.php?read_id=34
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Gary Childress
- Member
- Posts: 17
- Joined: 17 Sep 2006, 23:06
- Location: United States
Hello
This is my first post to this forum. I'll give a brief introduction of why I am here.
I am currently an avid PC war gamer. Just about the only game I seriously play at the moment is War in the Pacific: The Struggle Against Japan put out by Matrix games and 2by3 games. I've been fooling around trying to create an alternative history mod for this game. I'm extremely interested in OOBs for the Japanese (as well as the Allies) in the Pacific Theatre. I recently purchased the following books in hopes of learning more about the Japanese OOB in the Pacific.
Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 by Jentshura, Jung, Mickel
RAYS OF THE RISING SUN: Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45 Vols 1 & 2 by Jowett
Japanese Army in World War II: "The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43 by Rottman
Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941-42 by Rottman
I'm hoping these books will give me enough information to complete the game mod I'm working on and am wondering if anyone out there could comment upon these books I've listed and/or recommend a few other books regarding OOBs on the Japanese and their Allies in WW2.
Thanks for any info.
Gary
I am currently an avid PC war gamer. Just about the only game I seriously play at the moment is War in the Pacific: The Struggle Against Japan put out by Matrix games and 2by3 games. I've been fooling around trying to create an alternative history mod for this game. I'm extremely interested in OOBs for the Japanese (as well as the Allies) in the Pacific Theatre. I recently purchased the following books in hopes of learning more about the Japanese OOB in the Pacific.
Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 by Jentshura, Jung, Mickel
RAYS OF THE RISING SUN: Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45 Vols 1 & 2 by Jowett
Japanese Army in World War II: "The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43 by Rottman
Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941-42 by Rottman
I'm hoping these books will give me enough information to complete the game mod I'm working on and am wondering if anyone out there could comment upon these books I've listed and/or recommend a few other books regarding OOBs on the Japanese and their Allies in WW2.
Thanks for any info.
Gary