Kempei Tai: The Japanese Secret Service Then and Now [Paperback]

Richard Deacon (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Pub (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804816530
• ISBN-13: 978-0804816533
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,613,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An informative and easily readable history., September 22, 1998

By 

Theron Fairchild ([e-mail]) (Kyoto, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kempei Tai: The Japanese Secret Service Then and Now (Paperback)

"Kempei Tai: The Japanese Secret Service Then and Now" is a straightforward narrative, probably the only of its kind, on the history of JapanÕs modern intelligence activities. Although Richard Deacon is not a historian of Japan, his book is a good supplement for anyone interested in JapanÕs history, especially the period 1904-45.

The most intriguing aspect of the book deals with Japanese intelligence in China before 1941, which includes a more genuine account of the conspiring associations Sun Yat-Sen, Yuan Shi KÕai, and ChinaÕs last emperor, Henry Pu Yi had with Japanese agents. Also discussed at length is the history of intelligence on both Imperial and Soviet Russia, with a particularly interesting story about Japanese agent involvement in a plan to rescue the Romanovs from their Bolshevik captors. As for intelligence on the United States, Deacon of course devotes part of the book to covert activities, especially for naval intelligence, before 1945.

In its weaker moments, two major problems standout in "Kempei Tai." First, although Deacon rightly discusses the influence of right-wing extremism on the Japanese intelligence services, he never addresses the inherent weaknesses in the system or the brutality it inflicted in Asia in 1941-45. Second, Deacon sometimes strays from the subject of intelligence in the postwar period, trying to tie in too many political and economic issues. Since this volume of "Kempei Tai" is a revision of an earlier book, material in the later chapters is often irrelevant to the original title.

In summary, however, "Kempei Tai" is easily readable and recommended to anyone with an interest in modern Japanese history or affairs of State.

5.0 out of 5 stars kempeitai the japanese secret service then and now, February 5, 2010

By 

S. A. Van Soest "balidragon" (Netherlands(Holland)) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kempei Tai: The Japanese Secret Service Then and Now (Paperback)

This is very well written and documented because it is hard and difficult to find proper reliable information about Japan's dreaded military police.
A Dutch filmmaker, Peter Hoogendijk (Dammas Films) made a very interesting documentary about resistance in the former Dutch Indies including an interview with the last living Kempeitai officer in Tokyo who broke the code of silence.