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El holocausto asiático. Los crímenes japoneses en la segunda guerra mundial
En los escenarios de Asia y del Pacifico la Segunda Guerra Mundial vio producirse crimenes que superan en numero y en crueldad a los del holocausto en Europa. Laurence Rees quiso investigar personalmente estos hechos entrevistando a victimas y a verdugos y consiguio que muchos supervivientes le contasen con toda franqueza sus experiencias: un soldado que habia participado en violaciones en masa un medico que colaboro en los experimentos sobre prisioneros un piloto kamikaze que salvo su vida porque su avion se averio... Su proposito no era exponer una galeria de horrores desde las matanzas de Nanking hasta la practica del canibalismo por los soldados japoneses en Nueva Guinea sino tratar de explicarse estos hechos sin caer en el topico de la crueldad de los orientales. Por que si los japoneses habian tratado humanamente a sus presos en la Primera Guerra Mundial se condujeron de modo tan distinto en la Segunda? Este libro es a la vez una respuesta a esta pregunta y un alegato contra la brutalidad de la guerra.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2001
40 people are currently reading
1099 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Rees
31 books399 followersIn addition to writing, Rees has also produced films about World War II for the BBC.
In New York in January 2009, Laurence was presented with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by ‘History Makers’, the worldwide congress of History and Current Affairs programme makers
In 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (DUniv) by The Open University(UK).
In New York in January 2009, Laurence was presented with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by ‘History Makers’, the worldwide congress of History and Current Affairs programme makers
In 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (DUniv) by The Open University(UK).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 20, 2024
This book revives some of the darkest pages of history that started with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.
A of research has gone into the book. Laurence Rees interviewed veterans of the Second World War, mostly from Japan and the US. These interviews reveal to an extent how the combatants saw the circumstances they were in.
Japanese veterans when pressed about acts of barbarism they had committed would respond "We were doing it for the emperor — he was a god." Obeying the rules and believing in the unadulterated power of their godlike emperor was considered imperative in Japan. Not all were enthusiastic about it but many were.
Paul Montgomery, a US flyer, tried to explain why he did not feel compassion for the Japanese civilians whom he was killing by dropping bombs on them. Doing this was much easier for him because of the distancing effect of aerial bombardment.
Most of the interviewees, as Rees points out, had very low levels of guilt or no sense of guilt at all.
One of the major takeaways from this book is that each side committed what can be called moral crimes during that war. They include the extreme brutality of the Japanese army against the Chinese, mass rapes, the cruel treatment of numerous Allied POWs, death marches, cases of cannibalism, and the aerial bombardments of the Japanese cities by the Allied forces.
The brutality of the Japanese Imperial Army can be attributed to a combination of factors from the norms that ruled Japanese society at the time to logistics. The Japanese considered their Chinese enemy 'subhuman' which made atrocities against innocent women and children possible.
Japanese soldiers were regularly and routinely brutalized by their superiors.
The massacre committed by the Japanese army in Nanking was not unique at all.
Atrocities against the civilian population were happening in many other places throughout China.
One of the reasons explaining the mistreatment of POWs from Western countries was the fact that the Japanese had never expected to take such big numbers of POWs. As a result, they were not prepared in terms of basic provisions.
Another powerful reason was the Japanese idea of shame.
The Japanese emperor forbade his troops to surrender. Becoming a prisoner of war for a Japanese soldier meant being disgraced and bringing shame on all his family members.
Such an attitude to surrender made many Japanese genuinely resentful of their enemies who preferred surrender to 'honorable' death.
The book highlights the pernicious effects that prejudices may have. Both the Westerners and the Japanese cherished prejudices and misconceptions about each other. Although some aspects of those biases changed along with the volatile situation at the front, they persisted throughout the war. The Allies saw the Japanese as ‘inferior’ warriors. Interestingly, even after Pearl Harbor and the swift Japanese victories in Southeast Asia, this perception changed only to a degree. The Japanese were now seen as a tougher adversary but still not ‘civilized’ and inherently cruel. This myth about the cruelty of the Japanese is refuted by the way they treated POWs during the First World War. For example, the German POWs were treated decently by the Japanese.
The Japanese, on their part, considered their enemies as weak warriors who do not have the stomach for a long fight. To no small extent because of this miscalculation, the Japanese almost until the end believed in one decisive victory that would save their country and pave the way for peace.
At the start of the war the Japanese had been dismissed as ‘inferior’ warriors, but in the wake of Pearl Harbor and the swift Japanese victories in Southeast Asia that perception had changed to one of grudging acceptance that they were a tougher adversary than had first been believed — but they were still not credited as being ‘civilized’. The logic was simple — and perverse: the Japanese were now thought to be formidable opponents precisely because they were prepared to fight in ways that no civilized soldier would be willing to.
Rees states that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not uniquely horrible even if this tragic episode is often perceived as such by the public. The use of the atomic bomb fits into the bombing policy that preceded it.
The last thing I would want to mention before wrapping up my already long review. The author explores the role of what psychologists call ‘the situational ethic' in people's agreement, explicit or taciturn, to go along with totalitarian regimes and ideologies. The situational ethic enables ordinary people not only to conform to the rules but also to feel like they are justified in supporting their government. The longing to conform to the values of the group and please whoever is in power extends across continental boundaries.
To sum up, this was an informative read which I would recommend to history lovers. Plenty of photos are included to support the text.
The book was under 200 pages but it took me quite a long time to finish reading it. Too many horrible things were portrayed in it.
4.25 stars
A of research has gone into the book. Laurence Rees interviewed veterans of the Second World War, mostly from Japan and the US. These interviews reveal to an extent how the combatants saw the circumstances they were in.
Japanese veterans when pressed about acts of barbarism they had committed would respond "We were doing it for the emperor — he was a god." Obeying the rules and believing in the unadulterated power of their godlike emperor was considered imperative in Japan. Not all were enthusiastic about it but many were.
Paul Montgomery, a US flyer, tried to explain why he did not feel compassion for the Japanese civilians whom he was killing by dropping bombs on them. Doing this was much easier for him because of the distancing effect of aerial bombardment.
Most of the interviewees, as Rees points out, had very low levels of guilt or no sense of guilt at all.
One of the major takeaways from this book is that each side committed what can be called moral crimes during that war. They include the extreme brutality of the Japanese army against the Chinese, mass rapes, the cruel treatment of numerous Allied POWs, death marches, cases of cannibalism, and the aerial bombardments of the Japanese cities by the Allied forces.
The brutality of the Japanese Imperial Army can be attributed to a combination of factors from the norms that ruled Japanese society at the time to logistics. The Japanese considered their Chinese enemy 'subhuman' which made atrocities against innocent women and children possible.
Japanese soldiers were regularly and routinely brutalized by their superiors.
The massacre committed by the Japanese army in Nanking was not unique at all.
Atrocities against the civilian population were happening in many other places throughout China.
One of the reasons explaining the mistreatment of POWs from Western countries was the fact that the Japanese had never expected to take such big numbers of POWs. As a result, they were not prepared in terms of basic provisions.
Another powerful reason was the Japanese idea of shame.
The Japanese emperor forbade his troops to surrender. Becoming a prisoner of war for a Japanese soldier meant being disgraced and bringing shame on all his family members.
Such an attitude to surrender made many Japanese genuinely resentful of their enemies who preferred surrender to 'honorable' death.
The book highlights the pernicious effects that prejudices may have. Both the Westerners and the Japanese cherished prejudices and misconceptions about each other. Although some aspects of those biases changed along with the volatile situation at the front, they persisted throughout the war. The Allies saw the Japanese as ‘inferior’ warriors. Interestingly, even after Pearl Harbor and the swift Japanese victories in Southeast Asia, this perception changed only to a degree. The Japanese were now seen as a tougher adversary but still not ‘civilized’ and inherently cruel. This myth about the cruelty of the Japanese is refuted by the way they treated POWs during the First World War. For example, the German POWs were treated decently by the Japanese.
The Japanese, on their part, considered their enemies as weak warriors who do not have the stomach for a long fight. To no small extent because of this miscalculation, the Japanese almost until the end believed in one decisive victory that would save their country and pave the way for peace.
At the start of the war the Japanese had been dismissed as ‘inferior’ warriors, but in the wake of Pearl Harbor and the swift Japanese victories in Southeast Asia that perception had changed to one of grudging acceptance that they were a tougher adversary than had first been believed — but they were still not credited as being ‘civilized’. The logic was simple — and perverse: the Japanese were now thought to be formidable opponents precisely because they were prepared to fight in ways that no civilized soldier would be willing to.
Rees states that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not uniquely horrible even if this tragic episode is often perceived as such by the public. The use of the atomic bomb fits into the bombing policy that preceded it.
The last thing I would want to mention before wrapping up my already long review. The author explores the role of what psychologists call ‘the situational ethic' in people's agreement, explicit or taciturn, to go along with totalitarian regimes and ideologies. The situational ethic enables ordinary people not only to conform to the rules but also to feel like they are justified in supporting their government. The longing to conform to the values of the group and please whoever is in power extends across continental boundaries.
To sum up, this was an informative read which I would recommend to history lovers. Plenty of photos are included to support the text.
The book was under 200 pages but it took me quite a long time to finish reading it. Too many horrible things were portrayed in it.
4.25 stars
November 1, 2014
This book does an excellent job of not only presenting the reader with rare first-hand accounts of the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War, but, more importantly, explaining the background that made these atrocities possible. To me it was an invaluable help in understanding why Japan has, to this day, not apologised for the horrors inflicted on the world in the name of its emperor. The book, however, is far from defending the Japanese. On the contrary, it pauses some very disturbing questions.
A really good read - highly recommended.
A really good read - highly recommended.
May 16, 2018
My first book on Japan's involvement in the world war 2, their fighting spirit, the motivation behind. The emperor Hirohito being a god and people were ready to do anything for the country. Their atrocities on Chinese people and the POW is unimaginable. But that did come to an end, and rather a very sad end. The army was committing suicide, some resorted to cannibalism and their was mass suicides by people as they did not want to surrender to their enemies.
Well, the emperor still sat on the throne when they surrendered to Japan after the bombings.
Imagine the devastation, this books covers interviews from the perspective of people of Japan , the Chinese victims, British victims, American army, Japanese survivors and Japanese army. The writing is very simple and easy to understand.
Well, the emperor still sat on the throne when they surrendered to Japan after the bombings.
Imagine the devastation, this books covers interviews from the perspective of people of Japan , the Chinese victims, British victims, American army, Japanese survivors and Japanese army. The writing is very simple and easy to understand.
June 19, 2007
This was a great book, although full of graphic detail and heartbreaking stories of the innocent Japanese, Chinese and American civilians who survived the war in the Pacific. This book however does give insight into why the Japanese fought the way they did and gives reasoning behind their thinking. Japanese survivors tell their story as to why their commrades committed suicide and why it was so important to never surrender.
June 17, 2020
This book offers unbiased and scrutable explanations of the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army in the Asia-Pacific during WW2. The final chapter also contains notable details pertaining to US involvement and some arbitrary thrown in snippets about the havoc they wreaked upon and expectedly concluding on the nuclear carnage. The fact that makes this book thoroughly engaging and clearly distinguishable is the first-hand accounts by representatives from both parties involved which is deployed by the author to form convincing opinions almost all times. It is astounding how Japan, through the lens of Western allies, managed to overturn the perception of being a place charged with credulous and ghastly fanatics ready to go to the bitter end, to a nation revered for preserving its culture; being an epicurean, tech, and comic haven in a mere span of 70 years, in addition to developing strong bilateral ties with most of its belligerents. This antithetical shift in attitude towards Japan definitely paves way for another supposedly interesting read: 'Embracing Defeat' and this read has definitely been monumental in keeping that interest sustained, though, I feel, in many instances, it mostly scratches the surface in terms of intricacies.
October 26, 2016
Breve repaso a las atrocidades del ejército japonés en Asia durante la II Guerra Mundial, de Nankín al trato a los prisioneros de guerra, o el secuestro de mujeres occidentales y no occidentales para convertirlas en "mujeres de asueto", también conocidas como esclavas sexuales. El libro está basado en un documental de la BBC así que el tratamiento es necesariamente superficial y no aporta nada al que ya está ligeramente metido en el tema, pero abre puertas para seguir conociendo detalles (normalmente inquietantes) acerca del comportamiento humano en las guerras.
June 6, 2015
Clear, concise, and incredibly engaging writing. Absolutely horrific stories of what happened under Japanese brutality, and it was fascinating to hear different voices from different people: the Chinese victims, the comfort women, the European and American victims, and what I found the most fascinating and esoteric, the Japanese veterans themselves and how they were raised to believe what they believed when they were fighting during the war.
August 5, 2015
Didn't go into as much depth on the experiences of POWs as I had hoped (I bought this book for more information after reading the Narrow Road to the Deep North) but it does set the context for the atrocities that were perpetrated by both sides during this conflict.
February 20, 2020
Interesting but short
After reading a few novels about Korea during WW2 I have been interested to read about Japanese atrocities that were perpetrated.
This book was really interesting but I feel it only scratched the surface. Pretty grim reading though.
After reading a few novels about Korea during WW2 I have been interested to read about Japanese atrocities that were perpetrated.
This book was really interesting but I feel it only scratched the surface. Pretty grim reading though.
January 24, 2025
Good.
May 6, 2017
A short, yet riveting book. Its language is simple (which is good) and it probably isn't a serious historical study. But neither am I a serious history person.
It tells the story of World War II, specifically, events around Japan and Asia, and also features brief fragments of interviews of actual people who fought, and why did they do the (horrible, as title suggests) things they did. The most horrible thing shown is probably how ideology and conditioning can make a regular person do normally unthinkable things, like raping or killing civilians or bombing cities etc.
Most memorable parts for me were the ones about the comfort women and the recollections of a woman who survived firebombing of Tokyo, these touched me deeply for some reason.
It tells the story of World War II, specifically, events around Japan and Asia, and also features brief fragments of interviews of actual people who fought, and why did they do the (horrible, as title suggests) things they did. The most horrible thing shown is probably how ideology and conditioning can make a regular person do normally unthinkable things, like raping or killing civilians or bombing cities etc.
Most memorable parts for me were the ones about the comfort women and the recollections of a woman who survived firebombing of Tokyo, these touched me deeply for some reason.
July 8, 2018
Doesnt give as much detail as I hope
More of a shirt history of japan then any in depth study of the madness. The author spends tge last chapter on how such monstrosity occured and his argument backed by data made a convincing read. Over all the book was fine and performed its goal, only I would have preferred more data presenting his argument as I did not feel fully convinced by it. And much of it before the last chapter felt like a history lesson that didnt always tie up to the argument he was trying to lay out. In the end while I understood some of the mentality that led to unspeakable horrors, I still couldnt fathom how this could ever lead to cannibalism, something prevalent in the japanese army.
More of a shirt history of japan then any in depth study of the madness. The author spends tge last chapter on how such monstrosity occured and his argument backed by data made a convincing read. Over all the book was fine and performed its goal, only I would have preferred more data presenting his argument as I did not feel fully convinced by it. And much of it before the last chapter felt like a history lesson that didnt always tie up to the argument he was trying to lay out. In the end while I understood some of the mentality that led to unspeakable horrors, I still couldnt fathom how this could ever lead to cannibalism, something prevalent in the japanese army.
May 13, 2024
Me empecé a leer este libro porque me sirve para el TFG, pero debo decir que me ha dejado los pelos de punta. No me suelen atraer los libros de historia, pero el hecho de que en este libro haya una recopilación de entrevistas a personas implicadas desde diferentes ópticas en el conflicto y hayan contestado sobre su versión de algunos hechos que no eran nada fáciles de contar me ha dejado de piedra.
No olvidaré algunos testimonios desmitificando la honorabilidad que se le da en Japón al suicidio, así como relatos de víctimas de abuso y agresiones de diferentes tipos al que se enfrentaron. O soldados reconociendo las atrocidades que su bando llevaba a cabo.
No olvidaré muchas de las cosas que he leído en este libro. Sigo temblando al pensar en ellas.
Y sin embargo, lo más aterrador puede que no sean los relatos individuales de las atrocidades que se cometieron, sino más bien la reflexión conjunta que se puede extraer de todas estas situaciones. Y es que no se necesita un mal destacable individual para ser capaz de cometerlas, sino tan solo ser parte de un momento concreto de la historia y no poseer una fuerte voluntad de alejarse de esos valores y comportamientos. Es decir, no querer pasar una larga cadena de infortunios al destacar para mal en la sociedad, ser los marginados y atenernos a las consecuencias negativas por imponer nuestros valores morales. Lo fácil en estos casos, lo común, no es no cometer las atrocidades, sino actuar como el resto de personas de nuestro entorno y llevar a cabo estos actos infames.
Y eso es lo grave de todo.
No olvidaré algunos testimonios desmitificando la honorabilidad que se le da en Japón al suicidio, así como relatos de víctimas de abuso y agresiones de diferentes tipos al que se enfrentaron. O soldados reconociendo las atrocidades que su bando llevaba a cabo.
No olvidaré muchas de las cosas que he leído en este libro. Sigo temblando al pensar en ellas.
Y sin embargo, lo más aterrador puede que no sean los relatos individuales de las atrocidades que se cometieron, sino más bien la reflexión conjunta que se puede extraer de todas estas situaciones. Y es que no se necesita un mal destacable individual para ser capaz de cometerlas, sino tan solo ser parte de un momento concreto de la historia y no poseer una fuerte voluntad de alejarse de esos valores y comportamientos. Es decir, no querer pasar una larga cadena de infortunios al destacar para mal en la sociedad, ser los marginados y atenernos a las consecuencias negativas por imponer nuestros valores morales. Lo fácil en estos casos, lo común, no es no cometer las atrocidades, sino actuar como el resto de personas de nuestro entorno y llevar a cabo estos actos infames.
Y eso es lo grave de todo.
November 30, 2025
I’ve always been confused about the way that Japanese culture that I so admire could result in the atrocities of the invasion of China and the Second World War. This book, in a concise and very readable way, explained it to me. The use of the word horror in the title is fully deserved as man’s inhumanity to man is presented in all its near-incomprehensible terror. Rees lays out a compelling case for the deliberate dehumanisation of entire peoples, combined with systematic brutality at every level of the armed forces leading to appalling crimes against humanity. The pages dealing with the raping and murdering of women and the treatment of the comfort women are particularly difficult to read. It is hard not to believe that Japan’s inability to face these realities, admit the wrongs and properly engage in a national searching of it’s soul is desperately necessary for the country to move on.
February 7, 2025
I think it is important to remember that the culprits of all these crimes mentioned are both the individuals who committed them and the societies that normalized this.
Definitely not all Japanese were born as bad people, which is clearly obvious, but the circumstances and the society that raised them normalized certain thoughts that today are definitely wrong (and well, as at any time in history).
To this day, Japanese society still cares a lot about what others think about them, or that is what is sold to us from this society. The only thing left for us as individuals is to try to have our own criteria and not base our values on what an evil society says.
Definitely not all Japanese were born as bad people, which is clearly obvious, but the circumstances and the society that raised them normalized certain thoughts that today are definitely wrong (and well, as at any time in history).
To this day, Japanese society still cares a lot about what others think about them, or that is what is sold to us from this society. The only thing left for us as individuals is to try to have our own criteria and not base our values on what an evil society says.
June 28, 2017
This book is a very brutal example of the futility of war. It is an emotional rollercoaster as you read first-hand accounts of the brutality and cruelty meted out ( on all sides ) to women children and prisoners of war. We in the west for the past 65 years or so have lived with the impression of the atrocities handed out by the Japanese during WW2, howeverMr Rees has put together an eye-opening seminal study of the war in the east. In parts, I found it very hard to read due to the horror of the unbelievable cruelty. This is a must read for anyone with any interest in the war.
February 17, 2022
"Horror in the East" is a good book to use for attempting to understand some of the events in World War 2, especially the role of the Japanese. Laurence Rees does an incredible job at obtaining his research.
It is a very thought-provoking book. It is terrifying at times when you realize this is not fiction but 100% fact. He maintains a neutral stance while he interviews veterans from the US, Germany and Japan as well as some of the civilian victims during the era. It's important to read books like this so that we as a society don't repeat the atrocities on humanity. Very good book.
It is a very thought-provoking book. It is terrifying at times when you realize this is not fiction but 100% fact. He maintains a neutral stance while he interviews veterans from the US, Germany and Japan as well as some of the civilian victims during the era. It's important to read books like this so that we as a society don't repeat the atrocities on humanity. Very good book.
August 26, 2023
I thought this did a fantastic job at explaining the atrocities that japan committed in world war two without being biased. I love how the writer also looked at history from a psychological and sociological standpoint and didn’t fall into the trap of holding the Japanese in ww2 to a western/modern moral standard but yet didn’t excuse them in any way whatsoever.
November 11, 2025
4.5. It explains a very important topic in a way that is approachable and engaging. While the content is obviously very dark, it was still a page-turner (which is rare for historical non-fiction). The author did a pretty good job of maintaining cultural relativism, although there was still a bit of Western bias which is why I knocked it a half star.
October 16, 2017
A good read that covers the various atrocities done by the Japanese from the comfort women to the treatment of prisoners. Learned how some of the Dutch in Indonesia were treated and how the both sides were underestimating each other.
July 3, 2022
Nothing really new here, although I did like the fact that the author looked at allied soldier's involvement in atrocities not just Japanese. Human beings are capable of inhuman acts no matter what country they are from.
February 11, 2024
Es un libro de lectura rápida se echa de menos un poco más de información. Las descripciones son horribles, llegas a odiar a la cultura japonesa, el autor finaliza con una reflexión sobre la moralidad y la ética en la sociedad. Muy interesante, te quedas con ganas de seguir leyendo más
August 26, 2018
Brief introduction to Japanese culture and war atrocities committed by the imperial army during the sino-japanese war and WWII
April 20, 2020
Nice overview but I’m a bit disappointed. Was expecting more “meat”. It goes quite lightly on all the battles and issues in the pacific war.
Read
March 29, 2022Jarring. I am definitely watching the documentary.
But sir how is democracy a trademark of the West? Even the most sensible accounts cannot spare their Colonial bias!
But sir how is democracy a trademark of the West? Even the most sensible accounts cannot spare their Colonial bias!
July 12, 2022
Couldn’t put it down, an easy bite sized account of what the Japanese did in the war and a breakdown of why they did it
February 17, 2024
Denne ble lest i embetets medfør, og selv om ikke krigshistorie er en favoritt, gir denne boka god innsikt i en mindre kjent del av andre verdenskrig (i hvert fall for oss europeere).
July 22, 2025
Concisely written, well introduced and ending with good conclusions.
May 11, 2025
A profoundly disturbing yet vitally important book. The stories within are utterly atrocious—so horrifying and nauseating at times that they are difficult to process. And yet, this is precisely what makes the book essential. Rees does not flinch from the darkest truths of Imperial Japan’s wartime actions, presenting them with clarity, context, and a deep sense of moral gravity. It’s a harrowing read, but one that shines a necessary light on a chilling chapter of history that must never be forgotten.
December 1, 2020
Grim stuff indeed. Rees is best known as a producer of several documentary series for television about the Second World War, with this book being based on one about Japanese atrocities.
I haven't seen the related series but the book seemed to follow its format quite closely, being chiefly based around interviews with Japanese soldiers, their Allied opponents and various civilians. Throughout, Rees' intention was to seek an explanation for why the atrocities occurred. He did attempt to produce a balanced account by mentioning moral lapses by the Allies where appropriate.
I found this to be a compelling read, though inevitably the horrific nature of the events related made it hard going at times. The context of the events was explained very well, with several reasons for the brutality of the Japanese soldiers being proposed: notions of racial superiority, endemic bullying within the armed forces, pressure on participants to stay within the group rather than protest, absolute loyalty to the Emperor as a living god, and the idea that surrendering was dishonourable being among them. The latter was quite a compelling argument for why POWs were harshly treated, as in comparison civilians held at interment camps such as Lunghua near Shanghai seem to have been treated relatively benignly, although the regime there did become harsher towards the end of the war as food supplies began to run low for the Japanese administrators as well as their captives.
The book is relatively short so did not really have space to explore some issues in real depth. I would have liked to have read more on racial theories and the postwar trials and American occupation period. Rees suggests that as the Emperor was retained after the war this made it very difficult for people in Japan to be able to apologise for their conduct during the war but other factors may well be involved; emotionally there would be great loss of face in making apologies, and the postwar trials were only of a few thousand people with many being rapidly paroled, so there was arguably less of a sense of condemnation of wartime conduct than had been the case in Nazi Germany where most of the political leadership had been captured and put on trial at Nuremberg, events well publicised in the newsreels and popular press of the era.
There were only a couple of points I found somewhat contentious. Rees proposes that the high population density of Japan resulted in the emphasis on the group (geri) but there are many other societies which subscribe to similar notions which do not resemble Japan in terms of population density. Events such as the Cultural Revolution in China would not have been possible without most people agreeing to fit in with what the group wanted to do, no matter how irrational. I would also take issue with the description of Churchill as a highly moral leader. Churchill was a firm believer in the British Empire an institution which existed due to oppression of colonial possessions, sent out the army to deal with striking miners in 1910 and had actually considered the use of chemical weapons prior to the Second World War, stating "I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes." Deployment of poison gas against Iraqi Kurds was considered although ultimately it does not appear to have been used due to either unavailability of supplies or the effectiveness of air power making their use unnecessary.
On the whole though this was an impressive, thought-provoking book which provided a good introduction to the subject.
I haven't seen the related series but the book seemed to follow its format quite closely, being chiefly based around interviews with Japanese soldiers, their Allied opponents and various civilians. Throughout, Rees' intention was to seek an explanation for why the atrocities occurred. He did attempt to produce a balanced account by mentioning moral lapses by the Allies where appropriate.
I found this to be a compelling read, though inevitably the horrific nature of the events related made it hard going at times. The context of the events was explained very well, with several reasons for the brutality of the Japanese soldiers being proposed: notions of racial superiority, endemic bullying within the armed forces, pressure on participants to stay within the group rather than protest, absolute loyalty to the Emperor as a living god, and the idea that surrendering was dishonourable being among them. The latter was quite a compelling argument for why POWs were harshly treated, as in comparison civilians held at interment camps such as Lunghua near Shanghai seem to have been treated relatively benignly, although the regime there did become harsher towards the end of the war as food supplies began to run low for the Japanese administrators as well as their captives.
The book is relatively short so did not really have space to explore some issues in real depth. I would have liked to have read more on racial theories and the postwar trials and American occupation period. Rees suggests that as the Emperor was retained after the war this made it very difficult for people in Japan to be able to apologise for their conduct during the war but other factors may well be involved; emotionally there would be great loss of face in making apologies, and the postwar trials were only of a few thousand people with many being rapidly paroled, so there was arguably less of a sense of condemnation of wartime conduct than had been the case in Nazi Germany where most of the political leadership had been captured and put on trial at Nuremberg, events well publicised in the newsreels and popular press of the era.
There were only a couple of points I found somewhat contentious. Rees proposes that the high population density of Japan resulted in the emphasis on the group (geri) but there are many other societies which subscribe to similar notions which do not resemble Japan in terms of population density. Events such as the Cultural Revolution in China would not have been possible without most people agreeing to fit in with what the group wanted to do, no matter how irrational. I would also take issue with the description of Churchill as a highly moral leader. Churchill was a firm believer in the British Empire an institution which existed due to oppression of colonial possessions, sent out the army to deal with striking miners in 1910 and had actually considered the use of chemical weapons prior to the Second World War, stating "I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes." Deployment of poison gas against Iraqi Kurds was considered although ultimately it does not appear to have been used due to either unavailability of supplies or the effectiveness of air power making their use unnecessary.
On the whole though this was an impressive, thought-provoking book which provided a good introduction to the subject.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews