Customer Reviews

MacArthur: General Douglas MacArthur & The Occupation That Changed Japan

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I ordered this book-knowing that it was written for Japanese students-because I am a MacArthur buff and have collected almost all books written about him. In addition, I was curious about the view of history students are getting from this text, which is written by an American. I have read about how Japanese high school history books distort, cover-up, and revise Pacific War history, especially atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army. After reading it, I can say that students fortunate enough to use this text will get a good, balanced treatise on the war, MacArthur, and the Occupation. Apparently, they learn much about Hiroshima, Nagasaki, etc., in other words, how Japan suffered during the war, but little about the suffering Japan caused it neighbors. The textbook deals with some of this in the lesson on the Tokyo War Crimes Trials. Given the present sour state of relations between Japan and China/Korea because of visits to Yasukuni Shrine, the textbook problem, etc., this should be required reading for Japanese leaders! I recommend this book for history buffs or educators interested in how English-as-a-second-language is taught using a content-based (historical) textbook in Japan.

This is a simple book, with nothing insightful or original about one
of the 20th century's most fascinating military leaders. When you
consider that it is a textbook written for Japanese university
students-who hardly know that Japan fought and lost a war 60 years
ago-that is all it could be, I suppose. Although the academic/English
level would be appropriate for U.S. middle or high school students, I
found it to be a nice, well-written read. The Japan-based author
surveyed his university students and was shocked at their lack of
knowledge of a war their grandfathers fought. Apparently he felt that
the Occupation of Japan should be better understood and appreciated
for what it did to change Japan for the better. I thought he did a
good job of presenting the material as simply as one could for English
as a second language students. It is unfortunate that he mentions
atrocities (Unit 731, Bataan, Nanking, etc.) only in passing because
that is what they don't get in their own
history books. The author seems over-flattering in his portrayal of
MacArthur, who, at worst, was reviled by many and at best was
controversial. Also, one wonders whether young people anywhere would
want to spend so much time on one historical figure, which, to them,
must seem like ancient history. Still, given the national collective
amnesia in Japan regarding the Pacific War, Professor McBean's text is
a welcome, commendable idea.