Divergent Memories: Opinion Leaders and the Asia-Pacific War

Studies of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center

by Gi-Wook Shin, Daniel Sneider

No nation is free from the charge that it has a less-than-complete view of the past. History is not simply about recording past events―it is often contested, negotiated, and reshaped over time. Debate over the history of World War II in Asia remains surprisingly intense, and Divergent Memories examines the opinions of powerful individuals to pinpoint the sources of from Japanese colonialism in Korea and atrocities in China to the American decision to use atomic weapons against Japan. Rather than labeling others' views as "distorted" or ignoring dissenting voices to create a monolithic historical account, Gi-Wook Shin and Daniel Sneider pursue a more fruitful analyzing how historical memory has developed, been formulated, and even been challenged in each country. By identifying key factors responsible for these differences, Divergent Memories provides the tools for readers to both approach their own national histories with reflection and to be more understanding of others.

Genres: History

376 pages, Hardcover

Published September 7, 2016

Reviews

[Pablo Molina · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the book doesn't necessarily add anything new if you already know about the memory debates it's focusing on, it's still interesting enough. It helps you see that even within very authoritarian societies (like China) or ones with powerful right-wing nationalist establishments (like Japan), there is always divergence in opinion.

The main weakness for me is that the editing is a bit shoddy. Interviewees get fully reintroduced for unclear reasons, and there was at least one time where the same block quote was repeated in two subsequent chapters.