What do you think?
Rate this book
Supreme Commander: MacArthur's Triumph in Japan
Seymour Morris Jr. combines political history, military biography, and business management to tell the story of General Douglas MacArthur's tremendous success in rebuilding Japan after World War II in Supreme Commander , a lively, in-depth work of biographical history complementary to The Generals, The Storm of War , and Truman. He is the most decorated general in American history—and the only five five-star general to receive the Medal of Honor. Yet Douglas MacArthur's greatest victory was not in war but in peace. As the uniquely titled Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, he was charged with transforming a defeated, militarist empire into a beacon of peace and democracy—“the greatest gamble ever attempted,” he called it. A career military man, MacArthur had no experience in politics, diplomacy, or economics. A vain, reclusive, and self-centered man, his many enemies in Washington thought he was a flaming peacock, and few, including President Harry Truman's closest advisors, gave him a chance of succeeding. Yet MacArthur did so brilliantly, defying timetables and expectations. Supreme Commander tells for the first time, the story of how MacArthur's leadership achieved a nation-building success that had never been attempted before—and never replicated since. Seymour Morris Jr. reveals this flawed man at his best who treated a defeated enemy with respect; who made informed and thoughtful decisions yet could be brash and stubborn when necessary, and who lead the Occupation with intelligence, class, and compassion. Morris analyzes MacArthur's key tactical choices, explaining how each contributed to his accomplishment, and paints a detailed picture of a true patriot—a man of conviction who proved to be an outstanding and effective leader in the most extraordinary circumstances.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2014
67 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 9, 2015
Seymour Morris, Jr. was an entrepreneur and a management consultant before he was an author. This background informs his look at General Douglas MacArthur’s leadership in the occupancy of Japan. He is clearly a fan.
Management consultants look for results, and MacArthur’s are extraordinary. In 5 years he changed Japan from a foe to friend. Its economy is now one of the largest in the world and the de-militarization has lasted to today. Morris sees the MacArthur’s focus on the occupation’s goals and his clear articulation of what was expected to personnel as key in its success.
MacArthur was no stranger to occupation. His father had led the occupation of the Philippines and he, himself, was a student of war and peace. He instinctively knew how to set the tone (the unarmed landing at Atsuji and the staging of the surrender) and knew that the emperor had to be spared so that he could be used. The empowerment of women was, from the beginning, key to the demilitarization.
There are chapters covering the different aspects of occupation. One chapter on a side but important issue told of the logistics of repatriating people in Japan at the war’s end to their home countries. Another chapter “Where is Ishii?” had new (to me) information on Japan’s biological weapons project. I was not aware of Pingfang and was amazed at its scope.
Throughout the book there is reference to Russia who joined the war against Japan at the eleventh hour and tried to get its spoils. Morris writes that Russia held its POWs from Japan and elsewhere after the war and released them as they were re-educated; with many not released. Morris credit’s MacArthur’s support for building labor unions as one of the reasons communism was not able to get a foot hold in Japan. At the book’s end, Japan is assisting the US in fighting the Korean War, a proxy war with Russia.
MacArthur, with a few exceptions for key people, seemed to keep a distance from the war crimes trials. I was not aware of their extent.
At the end there are some comments on modern Japan. The most interesting for me being that the history of WW2 has been reduced to 6 pages in school texts in Japan and that in the discussion of MacArthur and his legacy Morris notes that he warned JFK not to go into Vietnam and considered the domino theory ridiculous.
I’ve been waiting for a good book on the Occupation of Japan and Morris has delivered the best one yet.
August 5, 2018
After the US used atomic weapons on Japan to end WW2 in the Pacific, how did the two countries become such close allies? This is a question I’ve pondered as I’ve read numerous books about the war.
The task fell to General Douglas MacArthur, and he accomplished it with unparalleled success. Although the emperor could have been put on trial for war crimes (and probably should have according to many Allied countries), his continuing presence was necessary to stabilize a potentially explosive situation. (Others got off the hook, as well.) MacArthur showed up without guns and trusted the people to respect his authority. He also directed (behind the scenes, of course) the rewriting of the Japanese constitution, giving women the vote and an equal voice in government. MacArthur encouraged labor unions in spite of giving a platform for communist agitators. He staved off a potential disaster of starvation, protected the artistic treasures of the country, and kept war reparations to a minimum. In the end, he was revered by the people for respecting them.
This could have been an amazing book, but I nearly quit before reaching page 100. Although the author boasts of his business credentials and the fact that he read 250 books for research (and still finished it in a year), even I caught several mistakes and misstatements. Which doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. He claims he was the perfect one to write the book because “I was not in love with my subject,” but I wonder. But I persevered, and it got a little better. Still, I can’t give it more than just 2 stars (“it’s okay”). It should be a fascinating and inspiring story, but it just feel short for me.
The task fell to General Douglas MacArthur, and he accomplished it with unparalleled success. Although the emperor could have been put on trial for war crimes (and probably should have according to many Allied countries), his continuing presence was necessary to stabilize a potentially explosive situation. (Others got off the hook, as well.) MacArthur showed up without guns and trusted the people to respect his authority. He also directed (behind the scenes, of course) the rewriting of the Japanese constitution, giving women the vote and an equal voice in government. MacArthur encouraged labor unions in spite of giving a platform for communist agitators. He staved off a potential disaster of starvation, protected the artistic treasures of the country, and kept war reparations to a minimum. In the end, he was revered by the people for respecting them.
This could have been an amazing book, but I nearly quit before reaching page 100. Although the author boasts of his business credentials and the fact that he read 250 books for research (and still finished it in a year), even I caught several mistakes and misstatements. Which doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. He claims he was the perfect one to write the book because “I was not in love with my subject,” but I wonder. But I persevered, and it got a little better. Still, I can’t give it more than just 2 stars (“it’s okay”). It should be a fascinating and inspiring story, but it just feel short for me.
May 11, 2014
Well, I thought I knew a lot about MacArthur. Boy, was I wrong. A brilliant soldier, first in his class at West Point, he was essentially in charge of the war in the Pacific. But as big of a deal as that was, it is what he did in winning the peace in Japan that he should truly be recognized for in history. Sadly what he did is all but forgotten. When he died, only one head of state even went to his funeral. And he was from Japan! I can't say enough good things about this book. Just terrific.
June 6, 2016
In his Acknowledgments, Seymour Morris Jr. tells the reader that he is not a professional historian by training, but that he worked very hard. We are invited to appreciate what he writes as coming from someone with substantial management experience—the project that he proposes is to examine the techniques Gen. MacArthur used to achieve success in the occupation of Japan. I started the work no fan of the general’s, but wanted to see what case could be made.
The first significant historical error of the work occurs as early as p. xv, when the 1942 Doolittle raid is conflated with the massive bombing campaign in the later stages of the war. Not material, perhaps, for a discussion of MacArthur the manager, but nonetheless troubling.
Morris claims that he started out neutral, but also describes his project as conceived, from the outset, as a study of success. But his admiration of MacArthur leads him to gloss over many of the less savory incidents of the general’s career, and for the unavoidable ones, present as minimal or positive an interpretation as possible. And this does undercut his core project. A prime instance is that he attributes the nickname “Dugout Doug” to MacArthur’s presidentially ordered flight from the Philippines (p. 12-13). In fact, the sobriquet arose during (not after) the siege, when MacArthur entirely avoided forward positions. Given that Morris regularly claims MacArthur led from the front (and he did on other occasions), getting this wrong undercuts the picture of the general’s management style.
Similarly, Morris adopts the MacArthur party line that the Philippines fell because the government in Washington let him down, when it is well documented that there never were plans or resources for the sort of relief that MacArthur sought. MacArthur showed himself unable to see the larger picture, unable to distinguish his personal priorities from the country’s. Moreover, he was fundamentally dishonest with the troops under his command, telling them relief was coming when he knew it was not. Neither of these seem traits of an outstanding manager.
Morris emphasizes the amount of reading that he did, but does not seem to have read critically. He cites memoirs and other materials by MacArthur’s circle without engaging the point that they are often at variance with outside sources, particularly contemporary archival evidence. In this, he falls prey to one of the great challenges with MacArthur, namely that advocates of the general (starting with the man himself) so over-praised him that, in discounting the hyperbole one risks losing the solid (if flawed and mortal) actual achievements. His speech at the surrender ceremony was dignified and appropriate, but the Senator Vandenberg who compared it to Lincoln at Gettysburg was a Republican looking to cultivate a potential presidential candidate. Morris simply takes Vandenberg’s judgment at face value, missing the not-so-minor point that Lincoln’s words have shaped the political thought of this country ever since, and MacArthur’s have had no lasting influence.
The uncritical use of sources is manifest in Morris’s inconsistent presentation of his subject. A prime example is that MacArthur’s political views are variously described as liberal (and indeed, he was sometimes accused of socialism as Morris reports), and then on p. 237, he is suddenly a “conservative Republican.” A controversial figure necessarily will inspire conflicting testimony; to inspire confidence, the historian must engage with this conflict, not mirror it. This inconsistency undercuts the basic project of the book when MacArthur is first presented as a good manager because he tells a junior subordinate to “come straight to me” (p. 16-17), and later is praised for insulating himself by being available only to senior staff (p. 96).
Ultimately, Morris fails to distinguish the marketing from the actual product. He declares the occupation "the greatest achievement of the greatest general." But the occupation was not perfect, and Morris never addresses the weaknesses, most especially the long-term failure of Japan, as a society, to recognize the magnitude of atrocities committed by her armed forces. Instead, he simply denigrates the achievements of other generals (as when the peace-time movement of Japanese demobilization is declared superior to the wartime movement of D-Day).
The supposed managerial insight ultimately doesn't amount to very much, and the failure to get basic historic narrative correct undercuts the credibility of that.
The first significant historical error of the work occurs as early as p. xv, when the 1942 Doolittle raid is conflated with the massive bombing campaign in the later stages of the war. Not material, perhaps, for a discussion of MacArthur the manager, but nonetheless troubling.
Morris claims that he started out neutral, but also describes his project as conceived, from the outset, as a study of success. But his admiration of MacArthur leads him to gloss over many of the less savory incidents of the general’s career, and for the unavoidable ones, present as minimal or positive an interpretation as possible. And this does undercut his core project. A prime instance is that he attributes the nickname “Dugout Doug” to MacArthur’s presidentially ordered flight from the Philippines (p. 12-13). In fact, the sobriquet arose during (not after) the siege, when MacArthur entirely avoided forward positions. Given that Morris regularly claims MacArthur led from the front (and he did on other occasions), getting this wrong undercuts the picture of the general’s management style.
Similarly, Morris adopts the MacArthur party line that the Philippines fell because the government in Washington let him down, when it is well documented that there never were plans or resources for the sort of relief that MacArthur sought. MacArthur showed himself unable to see the larger picture, unable to distinguish his personal priorities from the country’s. Moreover, he was fundamentally dishonest with the troops under his command, telling them relief was coming when he knew it was not. Neither of these seem traits of an outstanding manager.
Morris emphasizes the amount of reading that he did, but does not seem to have read critically. He cites memoirs and other materials by MacArthur’s circle without engaging the point that they are often at variance with outside sources, particularly contemporary archival evidence. In this, he falls prey to one of the great challenges with MacArthur, namely that advocates of the general (starting with the man himself) so over-praised him that, in discounting the hyperbole one risks losing the solid (if flawed and mortal) actual achievements. His speech at the surrender ceremony was dignified and appropriate, but the Senator Vandenberg who compared it to Lincoln at Gettysburg was a Republican looking to cultivate a potential presidential candidate. Morris simply takes Vandenberg’s judgment at face value, missing the not-so-minor point that Lincoln’s words have shaped the political thought of this country ever since, and MacArthur’s have had no lasting influence.
The uncritical use of sources is manifest in Morris’s inconsistent presentation of his subject. A prime example is that MacArthur’s political views are variously described as liberal (and indeed, he was sometimes accused of socialism as Morris reports), and then on p. 237, he is suddenly a “conservative Republican.” A controversial figure necessarily will inspire conflicting testimony; to inspire confidence, the historian must engage with this conflict, not mirror it. This inconsistency undercuts the basic project of the book when MacArthur is first presented as a good manager because he tells a junior subordinate to “come straight to me” (p. 16-17), and later is praised for insulating himself by being available only to senior staff (p. 96).
Ultimately, Morris fails to distinguish the marketing from the actual product. He declares the occupation "the greatest achievement of the greatest general." But the occupation was not perfect, and Morris never addresses the weaknesses, most especially the long-term failure of Japan, as a society, to recognize the magnitude of atrocities committed by her armed forces. Instead, he simply denigrates the achievements of other generals (as when the peace-time movement of Japanese demobilization is declared superior to the wartime movement of D-Day).
The supposed managerial insight ultimately doesn't amount to very much, and the failure to get basic historic narrative correct undercuts the credibility of that.
August 17, 2020
No change to my previous review! Fascinating details about maybe the most talented American military leader in our history. And then he pulls off a complete transformation of Japan from aggressive to peaceful in the only truly successful occupation of a conquered enemy!
I have put off reading this book for too long. I've learned about MacArthur in other books and documentaries and considered him an able military leader who was very full of himself. Supreme Commander: MacArthur's Triumph in Japan by Seymour Morris Jr. does little to dispel that image from his being taken by surprise by the Japanese in Manila after the bombing of Pearl Harbor as well as again surprised by the Chinese troops pouring south across the border during the Korean War. But he is also recognized as a master of military strategy and was a major contributor to America's victory in WWII. The focus of this book, however, is the actions he took Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) from accepting the formal surrender of Japan to establishing recovery plans and getting Japan and its people back on their feet as a functioning democracy; all in just five years! The author includes plenty of detailed information about how MacArthur took complete control and worked his will on how he thought things should be done. You will find another side to MacArthur in these pages that even surprised me. After spending three years in Japan in the late 1960's, results of his policies are still visible. During the occupation after the surrender, he ordered that all US military personnel were not allowed to eat food other than that prepared for them on board ships or on bases in Japan to alleviate food shortages to the local population. He was about to step into an elevator in his headquarters building and a Japanese maintenance man quickly got out but MacArthur invited him back in. A Japanese woman on the street got down and bowed deeply to him in appreciation but he helped her to her feet and said we don't do that anymore. These unsolicited stories and more throughout the book were told by individuals about how he was to ordinary people that show he really cared about them and was not looking for publicity, at least not when dealing with individuals. I've always had a respect for MacArthur's ability as a military commander, but this book makes me respect him as a person as well. Highly recommended.
I have put off reading this book for too long. I've learned about MacArthur in other books and documentaries and considered him an able military leader who was very full of himself. Supreme Commander: MacArthur's Triumph in Japan by Seymour Morris Jr. does little to dispel that image from his being taken by surprise by the Japanese in Manila after the bombing of Pearl Harbor as well as again surprised by the Chinese troops pouring south across the border during the Korean War. But he is also recognized as a master of military strategy and was a major contributor to America's victory in WWII. The focus of this book, however, is the actions he took Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) from accepting the formal surrender of Japan to establishing recovery plans and getting Japan and its people back on their feet as a functioning democracy; all in just five years! The author includes plenty of detailed information about how MacArthur took complete control and worked his will on how he thought things should be done. You will find another side to MacArthur in these pages that even surprised me. After spending three years in Japan in the late 1960's, results of his policies are still visible. During the occupation after the surrender, he ordered that all US military personnel were not allowed to eat food other than that prepared for them on board ships or on bases in Japan to alleviate food shortages to the local population. He was about to step into an elevator in his headquarters building and a Japanese maintenance man quickly got out but MacArthur invited him back in. A Japanese woman on the street got down and bowed deeply to him in appreciation but he helped her to her feet and said we don't do that anymore. These unsolicited stories and more throughout the book were told by individuals about how he was to ordinary people that show he really cared about them and was not looking for publicity, at least not when dealing with individuals. I've always had a respect for MacArthur's ability as a military commander, but this book makes me respect him as a person as well. Highly recommended.
September 17, 2014
This is a fascinating story told in a questionable way. The author is certainly aware of Douglas Macarthur’s personal flaws, not only noting him as a “peacock” but even citing a particularly embarrassing issue in MacArthur’s personal life. That said; Morris comes across as almost worshipping the General’s handling of most of the occupation issues. Morris examines the emotional and political dexterity MacArthur displayed in handling critical issues of occupation such as:
-The role of the emperor
-The new constitution
-Managing the growth of Japan’s labor movement
-Enfranchising women voters
However Morris also seems to enjoy focusing on how much power MacArthur actually had, frequently noting his authority as “Supreme” Commander.
As noted before, Morris’s evaluations of MacArthur’s decisions are mostly positive and much of the praise for Macarthur seems well deserved. The only main subject where Morris really takes Macarthur to task is over handling of Japan’s war crimes trials. Harris supports the premise that the trial of General Yamashita constituted “legal lynching” (as one Supreme Court justice called it). MacArthur set up a completely unsuitable military trial that routinely ignored basic facts of Yamashita’s true ability to prevent the “Rape of Manila”. Morris also points out that many of those convicted of war crimes in the Tokyo trials suffered unduly harsh sentences that did not take into account mitigating behavior by those convicted.
Morris's narrative goes “off the rails” at certain points by projecting several scenarios that seem to be stretches of the imagination including:
-How Macarthur might have handled the occupation of Iraq
-Possible germ warfare scenarios involving Japan’s biological weapons research
-A “counter-factual” argument describing how communists could have swept into power in Korea and Japan with the help of sympathizers in the US State department.
These scenarios seem like “fluff” that was added to the book to increase its length.
With this book one will need to sift through the fluff and the worship to see its many good points.
-The role of the emperor
-The new constitution
-Managing the growth of Japan’s labor movement
-Enfranchising women voters
However Morris also seems to enjoy focusing on how much power MacArthur actually had, frequently noting his authority as “Supreme” Commander.
As noted before, Morris’s evaluations of MacArthur’s decisions are mostly positive and much of the praise for Macarthur seems well deserved. The only main subject where Morris really takes Macarthur to task is over handling of Japan’s war crimes trials. Harris supports the premise that the trial of General Yamashita constituted “legal lynching” (as one Supreme Court justice called it). MacArthur set up a completely unsuitable military trial that routinely ignored basic facts of Yamashita’s true ability to prevent the “Rape of Manila”. Morris also points out that many of those convicted of war crimes in the Tokyo trials suffered unduly harsh sentences that did not take into account mitigating behavior by those convicted.
Morris's narrative goes “off the rails” at certain points by projecting several scenarios that seem to be stretches of the imagination including:
-How Macarthur might have handled the occupation of Iraq
-Possible germ warfare scenarios involving Japan’s biological weapons research
-A “counter-factual” argument describing how communists could have swept into power in Korea and Japan with the help of sympathizers in the US State department.
These scenarios seem like “fluff” that was added to the book to increase its length.
With this book one will need to sift through the fluff and the worship to see its many good points.
November 12, 2022
His History Story
This was a good book on the history of Japan and the USA.
Yes, I am not a big fan of war, history, or war history books.
The only reason I picked this book up was because it was about Japan.
It was interesting enough.
3.6/5
This was a good book on the history of Japan and the USA.
Yes, I am not a big fan of war, history, or war history books.
The only reason I picked this book up was because it was about Japan.
It was interesting enough.
3.6/5
September 6, 2014
This book becomes a hack job by the end.
If Morris had stayed with the title, I could have tolerated his puffery of MacArthur, and say that I had learned a few things about the recreation and overhaul of Japan, and give the book three stars.
But, such was not the case.
Instead, Morris had to venture into the Korean War, and MacArthur's canning by Truman. Here, he eventually writes what could be charitably described as alternative history and uncharitably as fiction.
First, Omar Bradley's "wrong war" quote was NOT directed at fighting North Korea, but about expanding the war to include China. Morris is a buffoon, a liar, or both, to so twist Bradley's words.
Second, he tries to make it look like nobody in Congress had strong cross-examination for MacArthur during his post-firing testimony. (He also ignores that the GOP pushed for this for political reasons. And, he ignores that MacArthur's testimony did not go nearly as smoothly as he tries to make it look.
Third, Morris ignores that the Joint Chiefs said Truman was within his constitutional prerogative to sack MacArthur, that Mac was being insubordinate, even if that did not include a refusal to carry out direct orders. He ignores how Mac wanted to widen the conflict across the border into China, how public indications of this were insubordinate to stated grand strategy and foreign affairs of Truman, and how Mac's statements undermined US relations with UN allies.
Beyond that, the book is full of factual errors (besides the ones related to Mac in Korea), like putting Buna in the Philippines instead of New Guinea.
But, the main point is that this is a whitewash of mac's performance in Korea, and that a so-so at best book jumped the rails with this.
Finally, the blurbs on the back should remind us that most blurbers don't read through the books they're blurbing.
If Morris had stayed with the title, I could have tolerated his puffery of MacArthur, and say that I had learned a few things about the recreation and overhaul of Japan, and give the book three stars.
But, such was not the case.
Instead, Morris had to venture into the Korean War, and MacArthur's canning by Truman. Here, he eventually writes what could be charitably described as alternative history and uncharitably as fiction.
First, Omar Bradley's "wrong war" quote was NOT directed at fighting North Korea, but about expanding the war to include China. Morris is a buffoon, a liar, or both, to so twist Bradley's words.
Second, he tries to make it look like nobody in Congress had strong cross-examination for MacArthur during his post-firing testimony. (He also ignores that the GOP pushed for this for political reasons. And, he ignores that MacArthur's testimony did not go nearly as smoothly as he tries to make it look.
Third, Morris ignores that the Joint Chiefs said Truman was within his constitutional prerogative to sack MacArthur, that Mac was being insubordinate, even if that did not include a refusal to carry out direct orders. He ignores how Mac wanted to widen the conflict across the border into China, how public indications of this were insubordinate to stated grand strategy and foreign affairs of Truman, and how Mac's statements undermined US relations with UN allies.
Beyond that, the book is full of factual errors (besides the ones related to Mac in Korea), like putting Buna in the Philippines instead of New Guinea.
But, the main point is that this is a whitewash of mac's performance in Korea, and that a so-so at best book jumped the rails with this.
Finally, the blurbs on the back should remind us that most blurbers don't read through the books they're blurbing.
August 20, 2014
I thought this was a very good book. So little has been written about Post World War II in Japan that it was quite entertaining. MacArthur was as gifted a leader off the battlefield as he was on the battlefield.
The book was a little bit dry in some places but overall it was a good read. I think the only area the author went off track was when he editorialized and compared the post war occupations of Japan with Iraq. They were a totally different ball game.
One thumb up.
The book was a little bit dry in some places but overall it was a good read. I think the only area the author went off track was when he editorialized and compared the post war occupations of Japan with Iraq. They were a totally different ball game.
One thumb up.
May 28, 2014
Excellent telling of the job that MacArthur did as Supreme Allied Commander of post-World War II Japan and the rebuilding of Japan into a modern 20th century country.
December 8, 2022
I don't think I can finish this one. It's so obviously biased, I can't take it seriously. MacArthur is presented in such a positive light, it's almost hilarious at times. Even without knowing the truth of the claims made in this book, it's so easy to tell they're not presented accurately. Other reviewers here have pointed out several objective historical errors in the book, and I'm strongly inclined to believe them over this author.
Here's one story the author relates about MacArthur. After taking charge in Japan, he wanted to meet the emperor; but he didn't want to order him, because that would be rude. At the same time, he didn't want to be invited by the emperor, since he wanted to make it clear he was the conqueror. But he "knew" the emperor would eventually come to him, so he waited -- and the emperor never came. So he "sent quiet overtones" that he wanted the emperor to come, and finally he came. The author somehow makes MacArthur to be a shrewd diplomat here, even though he clearly misread the situation completely (the thing he "knew" turned out to be wrong!), and ended up having to do the thing he didn't want to do (order the emperor to come), but in an unnecessarily complicated manner that put him in the exact position of power he didn't want to be in (he was forced by the emperor's inaction to invite him -- he was the weak party!). This section was so amazingly incoherent it might as well have been parody. The whole book isn't as bad as this, but a lot of it is close.
Here's one story the author relates about MacArthur. After taking charge in Japan, he wanted to meet the emperor; but he didn't want to order him, because that would be rude. At the same time, he didn't want to be invited by the emperor, since he wanted to make it clear he was the conqueror. But he "knew" the emperor would eventually come to him, so he waited -- and the emperor never came. So he "sent quiet overtones" that he wanted the emperor to come, and finally he came. The author somehow makes MacArthur to be a shrewd diplomat here, even though he clearly misread the situation completely (the thing he "knew" turned out to be wrong!), and ended up having to do the thing he didn't want to do (order the emperor to come), but in an unnecessarily complicated manner that put him in the exact position of power he didn't want to be in (he was forced by the emperor's inaction to invite him -- he was the weak party!). This section was so amazingly incoherent it might as well have been parody. The whole book isn't as bad as this, but a lot of it is close.
January 11, 2019
Following the defeat of the Japanese Empire there seemed to be only one choice to head up the occupation of the Home Islands: General MacArthur. And not only did he take charge he succeeded where many thought the occupation would wind up with die-hard militarists fighting from the mountains or the Communists coming above ground to claim Japan for their own... with a little help from the Russians. Instead, MacArthur not only took control of Japan but reformed it and rapidly put its economy back on its feet. The things MacArthur thought were important, such as women's rights, land reform and labor unions, were important to the transformation of Japan from a defeated enemy to a vigorous friend.
Mr. Morris's writing does a good job of telling this story, although it is a little redundant in a couple of places. One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was that the book acknowledged that MacArthur was a bit of a megalomaniac but it also points out that he was a very CAPABLE megalomaniac. Also, Morris discusses the organization of the SCAP and took note of how important MacArthur's staff was, both those at the highest levels of the the organization and those junior officers who occasionally had brilliant flashes of insight or accepted positions far above their pay grade because they were at the right time at the right place doing a job that had to be done. An excellent book.
Mr. Morris's writing does a good job of telling this story, although it is a little redundant in a couple of places. One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was that the book acknowledged that MacArthur was a bit of a megalomaniac but it also points out that he was a very CAPABLE megalomaniac. Also, Morris discusses the organization of the SCAP and took note of how important MacArthur's staff was, both those at the highest levels of the the organization and those junior officers who occasionally had brilliant flashes of insight or accepted positions far above their pay grade because they were at the right time at the right place doing a job that had to be done. An excellent book.
January 9, 2020
How did MacArthur turn Japan into a dynamic economic powerhouse from a warring nation? This is the story of how a man with words rather than weapons did it. His process is simple: study the problem, contemplate solutions worthy of action, enlist the subjects into acceptance of the proposals, then spend hours at work taking care of problems as they arise. His genius of handling problems amazed not only his associates but naysayers as well.
The question of why did China enter the Korean War and tarnish MacArthur's reputation for brilliance is not sufficiently reasoned and should someday be correctly analyzed by future historians because Mao Tse Tung had a famine going on even after the Chinese veterans returned from Korea and received no reward for enduring horrendous conditions during the Korean winter. The Chinese officers had tactics that surprised the American troops and the waste of manpower on the battlefield is reminiscent of the Japanese banzai but there was no emperor to fight for so the only motivation seems to be an escape from the harsh conditions back home.
The question of why did China enter the Korean War and tarnish MacArthur's reputation for brilliance is not sufficiently reasoned and should someday be correctly analyzed by future historians because Mao Tse Tung had a famine going on even after the Chinese veterans returned from Korea and received no reward for enduring horrendous conditions during the Korean winter. The Chinese officers had tactics that surprised the American troops and the waste of manpower on the battlefield is reminiscent of the Japanese banzai but there was no emperor to fight for so the only motivation seems to be an escape from the harsh conditions back home.
June 25, 2018
Got very tired of reading what a genius the author thought MacArthur was and how everyone else just didn’t get it or were fools or incompetent or a combination of all of these.
The constant comments along the lines of how MacArthur would “dazzle the President”, “MacArthur was no lawyer, but he had the brains of a good one”, and “he had to be pleased with himself” got very tiresome.
Meanwhile, what Admiral Halsey thought was just “a whim” and Truman would “totally miss the point” on things that the brilliant MacArthur intuitively understood.
It all got very tiresome very quickly.
In addition, the book is filled with basic factual errors. For example:
MacArthur’s grandfather was not a Supreme Court Justice, he was a Federal Court Judge.
The US was not in World War 2 for 4-1/2 years, it was 3-1/2 years.
General Doolittle did not lead a massive air raid on Tokyo in March 1945, that would have been General Curtis LeMay. In March 1945, Doolittle was still in Europe.
The constant comments along the lines of how MacArthur would “dazzle the President”, “MacArthur was no lawyer, but he had the brains of a good one”, and “he had to be pleased with himself” got very tiresome.
Meanwhile, what Admiral Halsey thought was just “a whim” and Truman would “totally miss the point” on things that the brilliant MacArthur intuitively understood.
It all got very tiresome very quickly.
In addition, the book is filled with basic factual errors. For example:
MacArthur’s grandfather was not a Supreme Court Justice, he was a Federal Court Judge.
The US was not in World War 2 for 4-1/2 years, it was 3-1/2 years.
General Doolittle did not lead a massive air raid on Tokyo in March 1945, that would have been General Curtis LeMay. In March 1945, Doolittle was still in Europe.
March 20, 2020
Phoenix orientation
Lots of information presented in somewhat of a textbook style with dates, incidents, numbers and people. Essential historical facts and figures are brought to light. Well worth reading but not as captivating as some other books on McArthur such as American Caesar. I’ve visited Japan several times, both Navy and business and also visited the general’s museum and final resting place in Norfolk and the book brought memories back to the surface. Japan is today an amazing country and the war loss to the allies and McArthurs brilliant occupation leadership helped make it so. This book covers most of the decisions and outcomes well and provides extensive footnotes and resource notes.
Lots of information presented in somewhat of a textbook style with dates, incidents, numbers and people. Essential historical facts and figures are brought to light. Well worth reading but not as captivating as some other books on McArthur such as American Caesar. I’ve visited Japan several times, both Navy and business and also visited the general’s museum and final resting place in Norfolk and the book brought memories back to the surface. Japan is today an amazing country and the war loss to the allies and McArthurs brilliant occupation leadership helped make it so. This book covers most of the decisions and outcomes well and provides extensive footnotes and resource notes.
December 11, 2018
This book, like William Manchester's excellent biography American Caesar, presents the unique character of 5-star General MacArthur with all his strengths and weaknesses. In this phase of his long career MacArthur is in charge of the post-war occupation of Japan. The author tracks MacArthur as he successfully manages relations with the Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese citizens, as well as Japanese and U.S government officials. This is a well researched, well organized book. Published in 2014, this book may present MacArthur in a more favorable light today than did Manchester's almost 40-year old biography. Has there been another occupation as successful as this one?
September 21, 2014
Years ago, I read Manchester's biography of MacArthur titled American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964 and found it fascinating. Supreme Commander focuses principally on the years of American occupation of Japan after the surrender and is equally engrossing. For all his flaws (and there were many), MacA performed a remarkable feat in lifing Japan out of its domination by militarists and the Japanese industrialists who had so profited from the war. It was clear that MacA's approach to a defeated enemy was what Lincoln advocated for the south following the Civil War and one can only wonder how the US would be different today, had Lincoln lived to carry out his post-war vision.
He approached Japan with a nuanced understanding of the nation and the people and though he well knew the horrors perpertrated by that nation, bore them no ill will. He fought against heavy reparations payments demanded by the many nations that had suffered from Japanese aggressions; he liberated Japanese women far beyond the liberties that American women at the time enjoyed (indeed beyond the liberties they have in some states of the union even today); he allowed and even supported trade unions as a bulwark (remarkably successful) against the encroachment of communism. When he saw the imminent starvation of the Japanese people, he issued orders that American occupying forces were only to eat food provided to the military and leave the local food supplies for the people,then arranged for massive food imports to help them. He ordered that a Japanese constitution be put together in the space of a few weeks and that document continues to guide that country today without amendments. It was nation-building at its best. It leaves you wondering why none of the lessons from MacA's approach to post-war Japan were not used in Iraq. Part of the answer may lie in his difficult personality. He had many enemies in the military (he declined burial at Arlington, not wanting to be 'among my enemies') and politics. His funeral was attended by only one head of state (Japan). Even Truman and Eisenhower declined attending.
From his reforms in Japan he was criticized as being too socialistic, but he as 'essentially a nineteenth century liberal: he believed in free markets, in breaking up entrenched economic trusts (the zaibatsu), and in providing more equitable opportunities for laborers and small farmers'. 'Though he was a total dictator whose whims and utterances carried more force that the law, he was opposed to absolute rule and wanted to give the country back to the Japanese as quickly as possible.'
As a result of his remarkable achievements in lifting Japan out of the war, America's defence perimeter in that part of the world runs through that country.
The author summarizes the MacArthur tenets which were put together by two authors (Devers and Ganoe) writing about his leadership. They consist of the following questions that leaders should put to themselves:
Do I act in such a way that my subordinates want to follow me?
Do I delegate tasks that should be mine?
Do I arrogate everything to myself and delegate nothing?
Do I understand my subordinates by placing on each one as much responsibility as he can stand?
Is my door open to subordinates?
Amy I a constant example to my suordinates in character, dress, deportment, and courtesy?
Do I correct a subordinate in the presence of others?
Am I interested in the personal welfare of each of my subordinates, as if he were a member of my family?
Do I heckle my subordinates or strengthen and encourage them?
Do I use moral courage in getting rid of subordinates who have proven themselves beyond doubt to be unfit?
Have I done all in my power by encouragement, incentive, and spur to salvage the weak and caring?
Do I know by NAME and CHARACTER a maximum number of subordinates for whom I am responsible? Do I know them intimately?
Am I thoroughly familiar with the technique, necessities, objectives, nd administration of my job?
Do I lose my temper at individuals?
Have I the calmness of voice and manner to inspire confidence, or ami inclined to irascibility and excitability?
Am I inclined to be nice to my superiors and mean to my subordinates?
Do I think more of POSITION than JOB?
William Randolph Hearst praised MacA as having the 'gift of command' which is a good template for any leadership development program. The components are: mastery of sound policy (by this he means being able to enunciate purpose and rationale. The 'vision thing' as George HW Bush called it. Perhaps the element that many leaders of industry and nations most frequently lack); sensivity to the local culture; flexibility; persuasion; idealism.
MacA was a fierce opponent of attempts to build up 'offensive' military operations intended solely to intimidate.
When consulted by JFK about the VIetnam, he implored him to..." stay out of it and any other part of the Asian mainland; the so called domino theory was a ridiculous concept in a nuclear age; to maintain military security, America's domestic problems merited far more priority than Vietnam, Kennedy came out of the meeting 'stunned' and 'enormously impressed'". Apparently, though not so impressed that he paid attention.
He approached Japan with a nuanced understanding of the nation and the people and though he well knew the horrors perpertrated by that nation, bore them no ill will. He fought against heavy reparations payments demanded by the many nations that had suffered from Japanese aggressions; he liberated Japanese women far beyond the liberties that American women at the time enjoyed (indeed beyond the liberties they have in some states of the union even today); he allowed and even supported trade unions as a bulwark (remarkably successful) against the encroachment of communism. When he saw the imminent starvation of the Japanese people, he issued orders that American occupying forces were only to eat food provided to the military and leave the local food supplies for the people,then arranged for massive food imports to help them. He ordered that a Japanese constitution be put together in the space of a few weeks and that document continues to guide that country today without amendments. It was nation-building at its best. It leaves you wondering why none of the lessons from MacA's approach to post-war Japan were not used in Iraq. Part of the answer may lie in his difficult personality. He had many enemies in the military (he declined burial at Arlington, not wanting to be 'among my enemies') and politics. His funeral was attended by only one head of state (Japan). Even Truman and Eisenhower declined attending.
From his reforms in Japan he was criticized as being too socialistic, but he as 'essentially a nineteenth century liberal: he believed in free markets, in breaking up entrenched economic trusts (the zaibatsu), and in providing more equitable opportunities for laborers and small farmers'. 'Though he was a total dictator whose whims and utterances carried more force that the law, he was opposed to absolute rule and wanted to give the country back to the Japanese as quickly as possible.'
As a result of his remarkable achievements in lifting Japan out of the war, America's defence perimeter in that part of the world runs through that country.
The author summarizes the MacArthur tenets which were put together by two authors (Devers and Ganoe) writing about his leadership. They consist of the following questions that leaders should put to themselves:
Do I act in such a way that my subordinates want to follow me?
Do I delegate tasks that should be mine?
Do I arrogate everything to myself and delegate nothing?
Do I understand my subordinates by placing on each one as much responsibility as he can stand?
Is my door open to subordinates?
Amy I a constant example to my suordinates in character, dress, deportment, and courtesy?
Do I correct a subordinate in the presence of others?
Am I interested in the personal welfare of each of my subordinates, as if he were a member of my family?
Do I heckle my subordinates or strengthen and encourage them?
Do I use moral courage in getting rid of subordinates who have proven themselves beyond doubt to be unfit?
Have I done all in my power by encouragement, incentive, and spur to salvage the weak and caring?
Do I know by NAME and CHARACTER a maximum number of subordinates for whom I am responsible? Do I know them intimately?
Am I thoroughly familiar with the technique, necessities, objectives, nd administration of my job?
Do I lose my temper at individuals?
Have I the calmness of voice and manner to inspire confidence, or ami inclined to irascibility and excitability?
Am I inclined to be nice to my superiors and mean to my subordinates?
Do I think more of POSITION than JOB?
William Randolph Hearst praised MacA as having the 'gift of command' which is a good template for any leadership development program. The components are: mastery of sound policy (by this he means being able to enunciate purpose and rationale. The 'vision thing' as George HW Bush called it. Perhaps the element that many leaders of industry and nations most frequently lack); sensivity to the local culture; flexibility; persuasion; idealism.
MacA was a fierce opponent of attempts to build up 'offensive' military operations intended solely to intimidate.
When consulted by JFK about the VIetnam, he implored him to..." stay out of it and any other part of the Asian mainland; the so called domino theory was a ridiculous concept in a nuclear age; to maintain military security, America's domestic problems merited far more priority than Vietnam, Kennedy came out of the meeting 'stunned' and 'enormously impressed'". Apparently, though not so impressed that he paid attention.
September 21, 2020
Great narrative of a part of history I thought I knew a tiny bit about. So much of the truth conflicts with conventional narrative about post-war Japan. The portrait of McArthur during that period is of a much more complex individual with modern sensibilities.
July 12, 2021
Supreme Commander is a nice short history of MacArthur's handling of Japan after WWII. It's not a terribly deep dive, but a good surface level book that anyone with even a mild interest in the topic will enjoy.
June 29, 2025
Excellent book that focuses on MacArthur’s occupation of Japan after WW2, despite all of his failures, this shining peacetime glory is one of the greatest occupations of all time, forcing Japan into a modern democracy, excellent book that goes into detail as well as interning anecdotes.
June 9, 2024
Garbage. Like it was written by a 12 year old for 12 year olds. Factual errors too. Improperly notated or not at all. Not recommended.
Read
September 17, 2025An easy to read introductory book to MacArthur, but one that should probably be read in tandem with a more thoroughly researched book.
November 24, 2014
I borrowed this book from my local library, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Seymour Morris, Jr. does an excellent job of tracing General Douglas MacArthur's tenure as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces Pacific (SCAP), the role in which he oversaw the Occupation of Japan following World War II.
What I really enjoyed about this book was how Morris was able to take into account MacArthur's positive qualities (rather than only his negative qualities, as so many histories and biographies do) in his appraisal of MacArthur's role and achievements as SCAP. After reading this book, I really do feel like Douglas MacArthur was the right man in the right place at the right time doing the right thing; it is very, very doubtful that any other person could possibly have pulled off the successful Occupation and reform of Japan. To paraphrase the aphorism "Only Nixon could have gone to China," I would have to say, "Only MacArthur could have reformed Japan."
I also really appreciate how the author laid out the role that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had on the Occupation. Near the beginning of the book, Morris seems to make the case that the atomic bombs were unnecessary, and that the ideal way to end the war would have been to lay siege to Japan; it would have taken longer, but would have put far fewer American lives at risk than the planned invasion of Japan would have. But as Morris detailed all the consequences the two atomic bombs had, my own belief that America did the right thing in dropping the atomic bombs was, if anything, strengthened further. Here are all the benefits Morris mentions that flowed from the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan:
1. The lives of tens of thousands of Allied POWs were saved, since the Japanese military had already laid plans to execute all Allied POWs then on the Japanese home islands in the event of an Allied invasion.
2. Had the Allies laid siege to Japan rather than invading (like General MacArthur and others urged) estimates are that nearly 10 million Japanese would have starved to death in a matter of months. As it was, the average Japanese citizen was subsisting on 800 calories a day - barely half of what the recommended daily allowance is - at the time MacArthur first arrived in Japan.
3. The Japanese government was still intact at the time MacArthur arrived in Japan, a fortuitous situation that made the Occupation vastly easier than it would otherwise have been. Had the Allies invaded or laid siege to Japan, it is very likely that the Japanese government would have collapsed by the war's end, thereby vastly increasing the complexity and difficulty of the ensuing Occupation.
4. The atomic bombs prevented the Japanese from launching biological weapons against the United States, a mission that was already planned to take place on 22 September 1945.
5. The atomic bombs prevented the Allied invasion of Japan, which would likely have cost at least 500,000 Allied lives, if not a million or more. Japanese casualties would likely have been even higher, based on previous Japanese casualties during earlier battles. (This benefit was not stated in Morris' book, but I include it, since others have pointed this out elsewhere.)
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand what General MacArthur accomplished during the Occupation of Japan, or to anyone who is interested in General Douglas MacArthur himself. This book is very readable, Morris has done a good job of researching his facts, and Morris presents clear judgments on MacArthur, and backs up his judgments with well-reasoned logic. MacArthur, for all of his flaws (and he definitely had his flaws) accomplished the nearly impossible task of transforming Japan from a militaristic, aggressive nation into a nation that was largely pacifist and democratic for more than 70 years. For that we can all surely be thankful.
What I really enjoyed about this book was how Morris was able to take into account MacArthur's positive qualities (rather than only his negative qualities, as so many histories and biographies do) in his appraisal of MacArthur's role and achievements as SCAP. After reading this book, I really do feel like Douglas MacArthur was the right man in the right place at the right time doing the right thing; it is very, very doubtful that any other person could possibly have pulled off the successful Occupation and reform of Japan. To paraphrase the aphorism "Only Nixon could have gone to China," I would have to say, "Only MacArthur could have reformed Japan."
I also really appreciate how the author laid out the role that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had on the Occupation. Near the beginning of the book, Morris seems to make the case that the atomic bombs were unnecessary, and that the ideal way to end the war would have been to lay siege to Japan; it would have taken longer, but would have put far fewer American lives at risk than the planned invasion of Japan would have. But as Morris detailed all the consequences the two atomic bombs had, my own belief that America did the right thing in dropping the atomic bombs was, if anything, strengthened further. Here are all the benefits Morris mentions that flowed from the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan:
1. The lives of tens of thousands of Allied POWs were saved, since the Japanese military had already laid plans to execute all Allied POWs then on the Japanese home islands in the event of an Allied invasion.
2. Had the Allies laid siege to Japan rather than invading (like General MacArthur and others urged) estimates are that nearly 10 million Japanese would have starved to death in a matter of months. As it was, the average Japanese citizen was subsisting on 800 calories a day - barely half of what the recommended daily allowance is - at the time MacArthur first arrived in Japan.
3. The Japanese government was still intact at the time MacArthur arrived in Japan, a fortuitous situation that made the Occupation vastly easier than it would otherwise have been. Had the Allies invaded or laid siege to Japan, it is very likely that the Japanese government would have collapsed by the war's end, thereby vastly increasing the complexity and difficulty of the ensuing Occupation.
4. The atomic bombs prevented the Japanese from launching biological weapons against the United States, a mission that was already planned to take place on 22 September 1945.
5. The atomic bombs prevented the Allied invasion of Japan, which would likely have cost at least 500,000 Allied lives, if not a million or more. Japanese casualties would likely have been even higher, based on previous Japanese casualties during earlier battles. (This benefit was not stated in Morris' book, but I include it, since others have pointed this out elsewhere.)
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand what General MacArthur accomplished during the Occupation of Japan, or to anyone who is interested in General Douglas MacArthur himself. This book is very readable, Morris has done a good job of researching his facts, and Morris presents clear judgments on MacArthur, and backs up his judgments with well-reasoned logic. MacArthur, for all of his flaws (and he definitely had his flaws) accomplished the nearly impossible task of transforming Japan from a militaristic, aggressive nation into a nation that was largely pacifist and democratic for more than 70 years. For that we can all surely be thankful.
December 22, 2015
This was a fascinating chronological account of how MacArthur transformed Japan from a genocidal, militaristic state into a pacifistic ally of the US, full of informative anecdotes and fascinating personalities. It is also one of the few accounts of MacArthur's occupation of Japan that I have seen in such a relatively short, readable history.
The reason for only 3 stars is that Morris delivers little more than a blow by blow history, lacking in any real analysis and in many areas clouded by his admiration of his central character.
For example, Morris accepts at face value MacArthur's denunciation of Truman's decision to drop the Atomic Bomb yet recounts the massive stockpiles of biological agents the Japanese were preparing to deploy to US troops in the Pacific and against the US homeland had an invasion occurred. Similarly, Morris makes no secret of his opposition to Truman's decision to finally relieve MacArthur but makes no effort at all to really address the root of the controversy. Examples like this abound throughout the book, with MacArthur's repeated insubordination and obvious presidential ambitions dismissed as all part of the General's brilliant strategy to achieve a broader objective.
Towards the end, Morris claimed that had MacArthur been in charge during the occupation of Iraq, things would have been much better, but there is no real attempt to synthesize MacArthur's victory in Japan into any broad lessons for future occupying powers. What was the magic formula? The ethnic and religious homogeneity of the Japanese? The existence of a pliant and pacifistic Emperor to whom the population remained loyal? The knowledge that the likely alternative to US occupation was a Soviet invasion or mass starvation? Was it MacArthur's sincere efforts to demonstrate magnanimity and forgiveness at every turn, even to the point of forgiving people whose brutality rivals anything the Nazis did in the camps of Europe? What role did MacArthur's transformation of Japan's economy or woman's rights play?
Morris makes no effort to explain exactly what factors were crucial in MacArthur's success and therefore, no useful guidance for our future troubles.
This is unfortunate since MacArthur himself recognized just how unlikely his success was, writing years later that "history clearly showed that no modern military occupation of a conquered nation had been a success."
"At first hand, I had seen what I thought were basic and fundamental weaknesses in prior forms of military occupations: the substitution of civil by military authority; the loss of self-respect and self-confidence by the people; the constantly growing ascendancy of centralized dictatorial power instead of a localized and representative system; the lowering of the spiritual and moral tone of a population controlled by foreign bayonets; the inevitable deterioration in the occupying forces themselves as the disease of power infiltrated their ranks and bred a sort of race superiority.
If any occupation lasts too long, or is not carefully watched from the start, one party becomes slaves and the other masters. History teaches, too, that almost every military occupation breeds new wars of the future.”
Unfortunately, Morris' account, while fascinating, does little to explain how MacArthur escaped the traps that he recognized had entrapped Alexander, Napoleon, and later, Westmoreland and Bremer. Morris explained what MacArthur did throughout his time in Japan, but offered little in the way of explaining why he triumphed.
The reason for only 3 stars is that Morris delivers little more than a blow by blow history, lacking in any real analysis and in many areas clouded by his admiration of his central character.
For example, Morris accepts at face value MacArthur's denunciation of Truman's decision to drop the Atomic Bomb yet recounts the massive stockpiles of biological agents the Japanese were preparing to deploy to US troops in the Pacific and against the US homeland had an invasion occurred. Similarly, Morris makes no secret of his opposition to Truman's decision to finally relieve MacArthur but makes no effort at all to really address the root of the controversy. Examples like this abound throughout the book, with MacArthur's repeated insubordination and obvious presidential ambitions dismissed as all part of the General's brilliant strategy to achieve a broader objective.
Towards the end, Morris claimed that had MacArthur been in charge during the occupation of Iraq, things would have been much better, but there is no real attempt to synthesize MacArthur's victory in Japan into any broad lessons for future occupying powers. What was the magic formula? The ethnic and religious homogeneity of the Japanese? The existence of a pliant and pacifistic Emperor to whom the population remained loyal? The knowledge that the likely alternative to US occupation was a Soviet invasion or mass starvation? Was it MacArthur's sincere efforts to demonstrate magnanimity and forgiveness at every turn, even to the point of forgiving people whose brutality rivals anything the Nazis did in the camps of Europe? What role did MacArthur's transformation of Japan's economy or woman's rights play?
Morris makes no effort to explain exactly what factors were crucial in MacArthur's success and therefore, no useful guidance for our future troubles.
This is unfortunate since MacArthur himself recognized just how unlikely his success was, writing years later that "history clearly showed that no modern military occupation of a conquered nation had been a success."
"At first hand, I had seen what I thought were basic and fundamental weaknesses in prior forms of military occupations: the substitution of civil by military authority; the loss of self-respect and self-confidence by the people; the constantly growing ascendancy of centralized dictatorial power instead of a localized and representative system; the lowering of the spiritual and moral tone of a population controlled by foreign bayonets; the inevitable deterioration in the occupying forces themselves as the disease of power infiltrated their ranks and bred a sort of race superiority.
If any occupation lasts too long, or is not carefully watched from the start, one party becomes slaves and the other masters. History teaches, too, that almost every military occupation breeds new wars of the future.”
Unfortunately, Morris' account, while fascinating, does little to explain how MacArthur escaped the traps that he recognized had entrapped Alexander, Napoleon, and later, Westmoreland and Bremer. Morris explained what MacArthur did throughout his time in Japan, but offered little in the way of explaining why he triumphed.
November 13, 2015
The character of Douglas MacArthur is still closely debated till this day. For all his flaws, MacArthur had set benchmarks which have yet to be surpassed. His reform of West Point being one and the preparation or modernization of the US Army to face the Second World War remain closely etched in history. His biggest and most significant contribution is the rehabilitation of Japan after the Second World War. In this sense, MacArthur virtually revamped the whole concept of Civil-Military Affairs. Not many military Commanders vested with civil powers have been successful in history. Caesar, both Commander and proconsul didn't leave a strong legacy. Napoleon faltered as a Commander but many of his reforms are still evident in Europe today. Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer granted the appointments of High Commissioner and Director of Operations in pre-independent Malaya scored a first in introducing Hearts and Mind Operations in combatting Communist insurgency in the 1950s.
The world will not see the likes of a military Commander vested with civilian powers today for modern democracy prohibits the centralization of authority on one person. As such, military Commanders such as McCrystal or Patreaus will have to juggle military initiatives with public interests. Supreme Commander however reflects the complexities of Civil Military Affairs today and the demand for continued civilian control of the military in both peace and wartime. An excellent book.
The world will not see the likes of a military Commander vested with civilian powers today for modern democracy prohibits the centralization of authority on one person. As such, military Commanders such as McCrystal or Patreaus will have to juggle military initiatives with public interests. Supreme Commander however reflects the complexities of Civil Military Affairs today and the demand for continued civilian control of the military in both peace and wartime. An excellent book.
August 20, 2025
Even if not all the facts are correct, as stated by a reviewer on Amazon.com, this is a compelling read. It is an evenly paced, extremely well written story that obviously needed (re)telling, as MacArthur's astounding achievements in Japan are today largely forgotten. My knowledge about MacArthur, gleaned from reading about the Pacific theater, was of an accomplished general, but a flawed, vain and self-centered man. This book changed my perception about him completely. I certainly am going to read more about MacArthur and I hope I can find more biographers like Mr. Morris, who give MacArthur the credit he is due.
As the audio book preceded the print edition, I listened to the audio book first. The audio book is read by Charles Constant, who gives an outstanding performance. As I wanted to re-read certain passages I bought the Kindle e-book as soon as it became available. The Kindle e-book didn’t have a linked index ( a lot of epubs have beautifully linked indexes nowadays), but as the e-book boasts of having page numbering corresponding with the hardback book this shouldn’t be a problem, where it not that the layout of the index is totally ruined by sloppy formatting. The index is an unreadable, useless mess. I should have checked my eagerness for the ‘printed’ page and ordered the hardcover instead.
As the audio book preceded the print edition, I listened to the audio book first. The audio book is read by Charles Constant, who gives an outstanding performance. As I wanted to re-read certain passages I bought the Kindle e-book as soon as it became available. The Kindle e-book didn’t have a linked index ( a lot of epubs have beautifully linked indexes nowadays), but as the e-book boasts of having page numbering corresponding with the hardback book this shouldn’t be a problem, where it not that the layout of the index is totally ruined by sloppy formatting. The index is an unreadable, useless mess. I should have checked my eagerness for the ‘printed’ page and ordered the hardcover instead.
August 13, 2014
This has been the second book on US general officers that I've listened to in the last few months. This is a fascinating treatment of what I have to describe as an egotistic genius - more of whom we could surely use, but probably do not deserve and may be unable to focus should we find them. A couple other reviewers took issue with the quality of editing - something a bit harder to judge in the audio version, but maybe less important than one might think. Let me cite two examples. One reviewer took issue with Morris describing the war as having lasted, for America, for 4 1/2 years rather than the the more accurate 3 1/2. I was going to give the reviewer more credence, but shortly thereafter I recall distinctly a reference to the war lasting the appropriate 3 1/2 years. Another comment regarded the use of (apparently in print) "bonsai" for the acclamation "banzai" It was not long after reading this review snippet that I recall hearing the word in the work - I smiled and didn't even bother to rewind and see if I could detect the difference; the meaning was clear.
The author is not afraid to lay MacArthur's faults on the table. They pale, I think, in comparison to his accomplishments, particularly as the regard his "reign" as Supreme Commander in Japan. A work well worth your consideration.
The author is not afraid to lay MacArthur's faults on the table. They pale, I think, in comparison to his accomplishments, particularly as the regard his "reign" as Supreme Commander in Japan. A work well worth your consideration.
June 2, 2014
I just finished listening to the audiobook, "Supreme Commander: MacArthur's Triumph in Japan," by Seymour Morris, Jr., a riveting account of General Douglas MacArthur's transformation of Japan's defeated militarist empire into a free-market economy and peaceful culture after World War II. This is probably the only example of regime change and nation building that really worked. It certainly hasn't worked in Iraq or Afghanistan so far anyway (the author explains why). But MacArthur was brilliant in achieving his 11 goals. Morris has not written a hagiographic history; he's plenty critical of the general at times, but overall he gives MacArthur high marks, arguing that "Douglas MacArthur's greatest victory was not in war, but in peace."--giving Japanese women the right to vote, creating a new democracy by rewriting their Constitution, bringing in Joseph Dodge to revitalize the Japanese economy, etc. I give this book five stars, and can recommend it without reservation for military and non-military readers.
January 13, 2016
Having visited Japan many times over the course of 20 years. taught in Kyushu and accompanied my husband when he consulted in Japan during the 1990's and finally welcoming a college homestay Japanese college student into our home one summer I found this book absolutely fascinating. I grew up hearing that MacArthur was fired but not much else. What a revelation the actual story. We have stayed in Japanese homes, been warmly greeted many times by Japanese who suffered during the war, wondering why were we so welcomed! After all we dropped the atomic bomb twice, fire bombed major parts of the country and occupied the Japan for over 5 years. This book finally answered many questions. The extensive research, the readable way it is written made this book an informative pleasure.
November 15, 2016
Morris' research must have been intense. But the opportunity to learn so much about one of our country's greatest heroes is difficult to pass. After finishing this book, I cannot but label MacArthur as the single greatest reason Japan is a modern superpower. His candor and backbone are sorely missed in America's leaders today. There is no better comparison to the present-day floundering in Iraq than this piece of work. Morris describes in detail MacArthur's triumphs while the reader remains awestruck knowing it was the will of one man - a General who went from strategic warrior to peaceful icon - who saved a nation and its people. You will learn something, I guarantee it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews