What do you think?
Rate this book
The Issue of War: States, Societies, and the Far Eastern Conflict, 1941-1945
The Second World War's Pacific conflict was one of the most complex in history. It embrioled peoples from opposite sides of the globe; it was fought in China, across the expanses of the Pacific, and in the jungles of Southeast Asia; and it was devastating in its consequences for civilians and
servicemen alike. It saw the first use of atomic weapons, hastened the end of the Western empires in Asia, and marked America's rise to the position of the most powerful nation in the world.
Christopher Thorne, whose previous studies of the war in the Pacific have become landmarks in the field, here weaves together both the entire network of international relations surrounding the war and the impact the war had on all the societies involved--Indian as well as American; Australian
and New Zealand as well as Japanese; Korean, Chinese, and Southeast Asian as well as British, French, and Dutch. The Issue of War draws on material gathered over many years in the Far East, Western Europe, and the U.S.--material including wartime films, broadcasts, and newspapers,as well as
countless private and offical papers. Representing a synthesis of military, diplomatic, economic, intellectual, and social history, it not only places the war in the context of developments before 1941, but illuminates various patterns that cut across the familiar distinctions between Asia and the
West or between Japan and the Allies.
About the Author :
Christopher Thorne, a Fellow of the British Academy, is the author of Allies of a The United States, Britain, and the War Against Japan, 1941-1945. In 1979 he became the first non-American to win the Bancroft Prize for American history.
servicemen alike. It saw the first use of atomic weapons, hastened the end of the Western empires in Asia, and marked America's rise to the position of the most powerful nation in the world.
Christopher Thorne, whose previous studies of the war in the Pacific have become landmarks in the field, here weaves together both the entire network of international relations surrounding the war and the impact the war had on all the societies involved--Indian as well as American; Australian
and New Zealand as well as Japanese; Korean, Chinese, and Southeast Asian as well as British, French, and Dutch. The Issue of War draws on material gathered over many years in the Far East, Western Europe, and the U.S.--material including wartime films, broadcasts, and newspapers,as well as
countless private and offical papers. Representing a synthesis of military, diplomatic, economic, intellectual, and social history, it not only places the war in the context of developments before 1941, but illuminates various patterns that cut across the familiar distinctions between Asia and the
West or between Japan and the Allies.
About the Author :
Christopher Thorne, a Fellow of the British Academy, is the author of Allies of a The United States, Britain, and the War Against Japan, 1941-1945. In 1979 he became the first non-American to win the Bancroft Prize for American history.
- GenresWorld War II
383 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Christopher G. Thorne
14 books1 followerA specialist in the Pacific War, Christopher Guy Thorne, DLitt, MA, FBA, was Professor of International Relations at the University of Sussex.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 17, 2007
one of the first books to really tackle the "pacific" war - it's great history. there are so many things that americans don't realize about what happened during the war, what happened right after - how we occupied tokyo, how we wrote the japanese constitution, how we rewrote their history to suit us (they were "victims" of a militaristic government - ironic, because hirohito was then both the villian and the hero of the story - because he surrendered to save his country, because of course america would have kicked its ass. (that part is pretty true.)) and how the war actually started much much earlier in the pacific than it did in europe. japan claimed manchuria years before hitler went after austria and czechoslovakia. the japanese were also very, very similar in their approach to war to the germans - they treated the chinese, koreans, pacific islanders, much the same way hitler treated the jews. they just weren't as organized about it.
the book also shows you that most of these countries involved were either just released from colonization, or promised national freedom in return for fighting on a particular side. interestingly, he talks about the case of singapore, which basically declared in the 80s, i think, that history did not exist for singapore and should not be taught in school - as their first history was one of british colonialism, and then came the japanese with their promise of "oriental imperialism" that would be radically different - except it wasn't.
man, i could keep going - just. thorne is a god, go read his stuff.
the book also shows you that most of these countries involved were either just released from colonization, or promised national freedom in return for fighting on a particular side. interestingly, he talks about the case of singapore, which basically declared in the 80s, i think, that history did not exist for singapore and should not be taught in school - as their first history was one of british colonialism, and then came the japanese with their promise of "oriental imperialism" that would be radically different - except it wasn't.
man, i could keep going - just. thorne is a god, go read his stuff.
Displaying 1 of 1 review