Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes In World War II (Transitions--Asia and Asian America) 50231st Edition

by Yuki Tanaka (Author)

61 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0813327181

ISBN-10: 0813327180

Why is ISBN important?

Other Sellers

from

Other Sellers

See all 9 versions

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

Ships from and sold by wals01.

List Price: $45.00 Details

Save: $30.00 (67%)

$4.49 delivery: Aug 16 - 17

There is a newer edition of this item:

Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes in World War II (Asian Voices)
$99.00
(61)
Available to ship in 1-2 days.

This book documents for the first time previously hidden Japanese atrocities in World War II, including cannibalism; the slaughter and starvation of prisoners of war; the rape, enforced prostitution, and murder of noncombatants; and biological warfare experiments.The author describes how desperate Japanese soldiers consumed the flesh of their own comrades killed in fighting as well as that of Australians, Pakistanis, and Indians. Another chapter traces the fate of 65 shipwrecked Australian nurses and British soldiers who were shot or stabbed to death by Japanese soldiers. Thirty-two other nurses, who landed on another island, were captured and sent to Sumatra to become “comfort women”—prostitutes for Japanese soldiers. Tanaka recounts how thousands of Australian and British POWs died in the infamous Sandakan camp in the Borneo jungle in 1945. Those who survived were forced to endure a tortuous 160-mile march on which anyone who dropped out of line was immediately shot. Only six escapees lived to tell the tale.Based on exhaustive research in previously closed archives, this book represents a landmark analysis of Japanese war crimes. The author explores individual atrocities in their broader social, psychological, and institutional milieu and places Japanese behavior during the war in the broader context of the dehumanization of men at war—without denying individual and national responsibility.

Frequently bought together

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Some of these items ship sooner than the others.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

by Yuki Tanaka Paperback
$15.00
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by wals01.
$4.49 shipping
by Edward Frederick Langley Russell Paperback
$11.59
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00.
by Hal Gold Paperback
$12.29
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00.

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Edward Frederick Langley Russell
201
Paperback
49 offers from $4.83
Hal Gold
379
Paperback
33 offers from $8.29
Iris Chang
1,754
Paperback
75 offers from $4.30
Saburo Ienaga
75
Paperback
104 offers from $1.95
John Toland
670
Paperback
51 offers from $7.43
Charles Park
15
Paperback
5 offers from $13.21

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Edward Frederick Langley Russell
201
Paperback
49 offers from $4.83
Hal Gold
379
Paperback
33 offers from $8.29
Gavin Daws
92
Paperback
89 offers from $1.32
Iris Chang
1,754
Paperback
75 offers from $4.30
Yuki Tanaka
1
Paperback
5 offers from $25.98
Brian MacArthur
15
Hardcover
109 offers from $1.95

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Yuki Tanaka is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Australian National University.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Westview Press; 50231st edition (December 17, 1997)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0813327180
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0813327181
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1460L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.71 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,862,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,435 in Foreign & International Law
- #2,986 in Asian History (Books)
- #4,098 in Military History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
61 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		60%
4 star		22%
3 star		9%
2 star		6%
1 star		4%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Don G. Schley

Finally! A factual truthful accounting of Japanese atrocities in WWII

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book details a wide range of atrocities that the Imperial Japanese forces committed against helpless civilians and POWs, whom they considered "captives of war". Unlike the Germans, who have had to listen for two generations to accounts of the Nazi horrors carried out against European Jews (though scarcely a word about the more than sixty million Slavic Christians the Nazis exterminated on their way to seizing "Lebensraum"!), the Japanese have never been held publicly accountable for the crimes of their military leaders in WWII. This book does that in a detailed and historically factual way and the author, himself Japanese, paid a heavy personal price with his own people for publishing this material. Prior to the publication of Tanaka's book, none of this stuff was known. Now, while it will be known, it will only be known in a small circle of readers. Heck, modern American school children have not even HEARD of the Bataan Death March, or of the atrocities committed against the defenders of Wake Island. So this book fills a critical gap in available material. Five stars: unadulterated!

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

The Professor

Racism was a key contributor to much of the brutality

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2019

Verified Purchase

An excellent book that explains why average people commit horrible atrocities as occurred during World War II by the Japanese. Documents the fact that a key idea that opposes this mind set is the Western idea of human rights which comes from the Judeo-Christian belief from “the Biblical premise that all human beings are equal in the eyes of God” (p. 213). Racism was a key contributor to much of the brutality which occurred. The belief that all humans are children of Adam and Eve is a critical factor in removing the racism often based on Darwinism. I bought the 1st edition and learned too late that the 2nd edition is far better.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

mac

author does not make excuses

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2014

Verified Purchase

Probably one of the best and most researched books written about World War II. Yuki Tanka does not try to excuse the Japanese of the horrors they committed during the war, but tells it like it happened without making excuses. This is not a blame book but but a truth telling account of what happens to a race when lines are distorted to the point that criminal behavior is part of the norm. Japanese soldiers kill themselves before capture so why respect a POW who lets himself be taken prisioner? All is done for the emperor so no one is to blame. The Japanese soldier followed orders without questioning since it was all for the emperor. This was there reasoning for all the crimes they committed. Not just a history book.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Sigmund Frederick Kerns

A Japanese Researcher Confirmed The Horrors Imperial Forces Perpetrated in WW2

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is an honest, non-propaganda-based, report of many of the horrors carried out by Japanese Imperial Forces against both indigenous people and Allied combatants during the Second World's War. At a time when well-known Japanese politicians are attempting once again to "whitewash" the history of the war, this book stands in stark counterpoint to the "sanitized facts."
As a researcher into WW2 US DOD files, reports of--say--Japanese military cannibalism of bodies of Allied KIA & POW combatants came as no surprise.
What was surprising was that Japanese researcher Yuri Tanaka had the honor and respect for the truth to admit that similar events had taken place, and to cite examples.
Nothing can be done to "un-do" the events of the war, so long ago, but admission that these events had taken place is vital, for forgiveness and understanding to begin.
There can be no Japanese honor in lies, whitewashed history, and deceit. The only path to true honor for Japanese seeking to put the events of the war behind them is to admit that evil men did, indeed, perform evil deeds; and to take pains that such events cannot happen, again.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ty Chasteen

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

Great book. Lots of history that is nice to learn.

Helpful

M. Powell

Great information. The author knows how to do his ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great information. The author knows how to do his research and it is packed with primary sources. Selected snippets is a better description. He found some great stories amongst the primary sources and told them well. He gives good insight into the why, but an overall theme would do this book wonders.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dickster

A Most Interesting Book On WWII era War Crimes

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2013

Verified Purchase

I didn't "love the book (5-stars)" but certainly appreciated the openess of the Japanese author pertaining to WWII Japanese war crimes with military and civilian prisoner mistreatment with extreme labor, torture, disgusting medical experimentations, and also battle field canabalisms. Highly recommend this book for those interested in the WWII dark side of human beings.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Patrick Passero

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2018

Verified Purchase

Ok reading, but very full of excuses for the Japanese military action.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Edgar R Wagner

An excellent "must read" book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

An excellent "must read" book, somewhat marred, I thought, by forays into supposed allied misdeeds. It isn't that I am so stupid as to think that no war crimes were ever committed by the allies, because, of course, in armies numbered in millions there will be some criminals who misbehave, and sometimes misbehave very badly. It is just that I think that there is no moral equivalency between what Japan did to others and what the allies ended up doing to the Japanese, and, no, Mr Tanaka I don't regard Hiroshima and Nagasaki as war crimes. Along with the Soviet Union entering the war against Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki helped bring World War II to an end.

3 people found this helpful

MISIX

CONTENT OF THIS BOOK IS REVOLTING

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2021

Verified Purchase

The facts revealed in this book have to be made known and remain available.
Readers be warned that what is graphically described are cruel and sadistic acts carried out by people who can only be described as depraved and unfit to be part of any civilised society.

Why did the Japanese act the way they did?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2004

Verified Purchase

This book about Japanese war crimes during WW2, rather than simply stating facts about what war crimes were committed, also provides possible reasons as to WHY it happened.
Tanaka clearly does not make any excuses for Japanese conduct but points out that prior to WW2, the Japanese army was, in fact, quite humane to other ethnic groups in times of war e.g. the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, WW1, etc). It is also interesting to note that Japan was one of the founding countries of the Geneva Convention.
He also demonstrates how Japanese war crimes were in no real way unique when it came to mass rape and other war crimes, since Bosnia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Vietnam and other war zones have had similar experiences. A very good sociological, as well as historical book.

3 people found this helpful

bkkbob

horror JAP POW stories & accounts

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

horror JAP POW stories & accounts

One person found this helpful

Maureen Holtham

Maureen holtham excellent book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

Marvellous book .It tells the utter brutality of the Japanese Soldiers to the POWs they were utterly cruel and un forgiven as far as I am concerned. We were not told enough about the Horrors of what they did.Yuki Tanaka The author should be Congratulated on his works, Brilliant.

Maureen Holtham

2 people found this helpful

See all reviews

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1