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Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 By Max Hastings ( Knopf )
Release Date: 2008-03-18
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List Price: $35.00
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Product Description
Hailed in Britain as “Spectacular . . . Searingly powerful” (Andrew Roberts, The Sunday Telegraph), a riveting, impeccably informed chronicle of the final year of the Pacific war. In his critically acclaimed Armageddon, Hastings detailed the last twelve months of the struggle for Germany. Here, in what can be considered a companion volume, he covers the horrific story of the war against Japan.
By the summer of 1944 it was clear that Japan’s defeat was inevitable, but how the drive to victory would be achieved remained to be seen. The ensuing drama—that ended in Japan’s utter devastation—was acted out across the vast stage of Asia, with massive clashes of naval and air forces, fighting through jungles, and barbarities by an apparently incomprehensible foe. In recounting the saga of this time and place, Max Hastings gives us incisive portraits of the theater’s key figures—MacArthur, Nimitz, Mountbatten, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. But he is equally adept in his portrayals of the ordinary soldiers and sailors—American, British, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese—caught in some of the war’s bloodiest campaigns.
With unprecedented insight, Hastings discusses Japan’s war against China, now all but forgotten in the West, MacArthur’s follies in the Philippines, the Marines at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and the Soviet blitzkrieg in Manchuria. He analyzes the decision-making process that led to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—which, he convincingly argues, ultimately saved lives. Finally, he delves into the Japanese wartime mind-set, which caused an otherwise civilized society to carry out atrocities that haunt the nation to this day.
Retribution is a brilliant telling of an epic conflict from a master military historian at the height of his powers.
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 well written
this book was worth the purchase
written well
gave many interesting facts
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Here, This is For Pearl Harbor!
Max Hastings has done it again. He has thrown convention to the side. His take of the final year of the battle in the Pacific during World War II is indeed a breakthrough.
Just as he did in his take on the end of the European War of World War II, Hastings relied on the people who fought in the fields of these epic times. Obviously Hastings couldn't have done these interviews all over the globe by himself, he indeed had a staff to forage into the Pacific hinterland. As I stated in my review of Armageddon this personal touch does indeed add flavor to the text but it is not the real context of what Hastings is trying to convey.
Hastings describes all the strategies of a basically American led campaign against Japan. The actions of Nimitz and MacArthur are described in depth. Especially the landings by MacArthur on the Philippines are criticized and described at length.
Also the descriptions of the actions on Okinawa and the mindset of the Japanese are detailed. Hastings also describes the Japanese actions of the desperate kamikaze operations prevalent in late 1944 through to 1945.
Also we learn of the Japanese operations of the east Asian mainland. Few Americans are schooled in the military operations in Burma, China and onto India. In reality American knowledge was based on the battles of Midway, Okinawa and the Coral Sea and onto the dropping of the atomic bomb. Hastings educates us as to the brutality of the operations in Burma, India and China. These revelations were an education to me.
Hastings goes into great detail on the subject of the decision of the use of the atomic bomb. Again Hastings brings up a theory that I have never heard before. His theory is that Truman made the decision to drop the bomb on Japan not solely to defeat Japan. In the back of Hastings head he believes that Japan had already lost the war, and that further conventional bombing by Lamay's Air Corps would have done the job. What Hastings suggests is that Truman dropped the bomb to show the USSR that America had this weapon and was not afraid to use it. I have never thought of this famous decision in this light. In reflection, his theory does indeed make sense. But remember we may be over analyzing this. Sixty Three years later this makes sense. Did Truman really think this way?
There is one major point that I must take up with Mr. Hastings. In the later part of the book he quotes, "To comprehend the president's behavior, the limitations of the man occupying the office, his July Potsdam diary is helpful. This reveals Truman's ingenuous private responses to the personalities and events amidst which he found himself. His narrative possesses banality. To say this represents not condescension, for Truman's later achievement is undisputed, but mere recognition of his predicament. He was a self-consciously small man much influenced by advisors, notably Byrnes and the former ambassador to Moscow Joseph Davies, because he was morbidly sensitive to his own inexperience."
With this I take umbrage. I may not be a well known historical scholar, but I did read "Off the Record, The Private Papers of Harry S. Truman." He was never awed by these events. He indeed made his own decisions. Never once in his diary entries was he banal!
Even Hastings wrote late in this entry made by Truman at Potsdam in July 25, 1945, "This weapon is to be used against Japan between now and August 10th. I have told Sec. of War, Mr. Stimson, to use it so that military objectives and soldiers and sailors are the target, and not women and children. Even if the Japs are savages, ruthless, merciless and fanatic, we as the leader of the world for the common welfare cannot drop this terrible bomb on the old capital or the new."
Sorry, Mr. Hastings Truman was not weak. I read the same words you did, how can you say Truman didn't do this on his own?
This book still deserves 5 Stars. Hastings has broken new ground. I as an old Army Veteran will always question Hastings rather aggressive works. That's as it should be. Good Read! Five Stars!! No Problem!!
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A Terrific Book ( hanseman )
This is one of the best books I've ever read about the Pacific War. It is extremely well-written. In addition, it provides unique insights into the nature of MacArthur's command, as well as the roles of the British in Burma and the Russians in Manchuria. Another interesting aspect of Hastings' book is the stress he places on Japanese sources.
In sum, this is a terrific book.
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 Review of Retribution by Max Hastings
Excellent book. Hastings provides a good sense of proportion in describing the opposing forces, the casualties, and the importance of specific actions. Battle coverage is a little uneven; For example covers Burma thoroughly, but omits Saipan entirely. Good evaluation of the commanders on both sides. I endorse his judgement that the atomic bombs were necessary and a casualty saver for both the U.S. and Japan (but I may be biased since I was scheduled to participate in Coronet, the invasion of Honshu.)
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A wonderful book. I loved it. ( eric14510 )
Every page of this book was fascinating. All my previous knowledge of WWII was limited to the European arena. This book was a complete education on the Japan side of the war. I do a lot of business in Japan. With this book, I was able to gain insights into the Japanese perception of victory and honor which might influence their business behavior as well. This was a great book.
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