Japan's War: The Great Pacific Conflict [Paperback]

Edwin P. Hoyt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 2001

The many factors that led to Japan's participation in World War II, and the horrifying battles that resulted, come into focus in Japan's War: The Great Pacific Conflict. The book, which takes into account Japanese and Asian documents and scholarship in addition to American and European sources, chronicles events in the Pacific from 1853 to 1951. During those years, the leaders of Japan, believing in the superiority of their nation and culture, sought to dominate East Asia and the Pacific Basin. That period also saw Japan and America becoming entangled in each other's national affairs, starting when Commodore Perry's ships ended Japan's isolation policy, and continuing into the occupation by the U. S. Army following the war. Author Hoyt shows conflicting personalities and historical context that led to the rise of Japanese militarism and wars with China and Russia. Japan's War examines the decisions that led to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the escalating climate of violence that resulted in the Rape of Nanking and the Bataan Death March.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

"Using the official 101-volume Japanese-language history of World War II, which has never before been mined by Western historians, Hoyt has compiled a brilliantly accurate history of the war from the Japanese standpoint" was how LJ's reviewer praised this 1986 volume. Juxtaposing the histories of both Japan and the United States from 1853 to the 1950s, Hoyt concludes that the Pacific war was an inevitable clash. "Huge in scope, superbly researched, and eminently readable, this is essential for World War II collections."
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Edwin P. Hoyt, a former soldier, is a distinguished historian in the field of World War II studies, and the author of Inferno, The GI's War, and Hitler's War. He lives in Tokyo, Japan.

Edwin P. Hoyt, a former soldier, is a distinguished historian in the field of World War II studies, and the author of Inferno, The GI's War, and Hitler's War. He lives in Tokyo, Japan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 568 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press (January 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815411189
• ISBN-13: 978-0815411185
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Japan's Tragedy, November 11, 2005

By 

Edward Tsai (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Japan's War: The Great Pacific Conflict (Paperback)

Tragedy has been described as a drama in which the main character is brought to ruin as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. The story of Japan from the moment it was opened up to the West by Commodore Perry until its surrender is, as Hoyt tells it, such a tragedy. The book does an excellent job of describing the context of Western imperialism and Western racism that shaped Japan's perceptions of what it needed to do for national survival, and the chaotic state of affairs where the civilian government could not control and was wholly intimidated by the military ran amok and bent on war with China, the tar baby that eventually consumed Japan and started the sequence of events that led it to war with the United States. Surprisingly, Hoyt makes it clear that up until the time the United States made its oil embargo against Japan, it was the Soviet Union that was enemy number one in the militarist's (including Tojo) strategic thinking, as Japan sought to create a buffer zone around it as well as lands to exploit for natural resources and as markets for its manufactures (in line with the Western colonial system). Most importantly, Hoyt traces the evolution of the mind set of the Japanese government and how, starting with the "China Incident" and followed on with rationalization upon rationalization, it dug an inescapable hole for itself that led to the downfall of the nation. The only complaint is that the writing at times is a bit unsophisticated, but it does not detract from the powerful storytelling.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An unreliable book, April 20, 2009

By 

Ronald P. Ng (Singapore) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Japan's War: The Great Pacific Conflict (Paperback)

A number of reviewers have already pointed out the inaccuracies in this book, I would add to that on page 159, it said,"... a pun based on the characters gai ŠQ meaning foreign, and gai ŠO, meaning harm." The two Kanji characters there have been placed wrongly.

Despite the litany of atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army in China, and the clearly stated aim of the Japanes move to the South was to secure the resources of SE Asia, the author concluded the book by saying, "Asia owes a great debt to Japan for the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere... More than any other nation, Japan caused the end of colonialism in less than two decades after the war."

Does Hoyt really believe that Japan went to War in SE Asia, against Britain, USA and the Netherlands in order to free the colonial subjects of those nations? If that was their intentions, why did those "colonial subjects" welcome the return of their "colonial masters?"

After the conquest of Singapore, an estimated 50,000 innocent Chinese males were massacred under an operation known as "Sook Ching".

Does Hoyt realise that when the Japanese were ruling Singpapore, any Singaporean, walking past a Japanese solder, has to bow to him, if not he would be slapped or severly beaten up? The Singaporeans never had to do that to the British soldiers when the British were in control. In addition, does Hoyt realise that the cinemas at the time of Japanese control only admitted Japanese, the locals were not allowed? If that was Hoyt's idea of "liberation of the Asian people by Japan", Hoyt has a very strange idea of the meaning of liberation.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Inaccuracies and misconceptions, February 7, 2007

By 

jemmus (Syosset, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japan's War: The Great Pacific Conflict (Paperback)

I probably shouldn't post a review, since I didn't read this book to the end. I couldn't bear to. The first three chapters on Japanese ancient and feudal history were riddled with misconceptions and plain inaccuracies.

One example of many: The author states that Japan's first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, reigned around 600 A.D. and had to contend with the influx of Buddhism from China. Jimmu was around at least 1200 years before 600 A.D., and he predated Buddhism in Japan by many centuries.

Further, the author repeatedly insists that the samurai class during the Edo (Tokugawa) Period were swaggering warriors who beheaded peasants at the slightese whim. Although the samurai enjoyed many privileges, beheading peasants at will during peacetime was not one of them. The authoritarian Tokugawa government strictly punished any breach of the peace, whether committed by a commoner or a samurai. People of all ranks (including peasants) had at least some level access to the protection of the law and redress in the court system. It's a myth that samurai could kill any commoner at will and with impunity.

I hate to be harsh, but a book about history needs, as a minimum, to be well-researched and have its facts straight. It's difficult to have any faith in the author's analysis and conclusions otherwise. This book purports to be able to trace the rise of Japanese militarism to the psychology and sociology of the feudal samurai, yet it description of the samurai feudal era is spotty. (The book was written in the 1980s, when the U.S. was being economically "invaded" by Japanese business. The book also hints at being able to explain Japanese business psychology through explaining Japan's Pacific War). If the author wants to find the roots of Japanese militarism in samurai culture, he needs to have had a more in-depth understanding of samurai culture itself.