Warriors of the Rising Sun: A History of the Japanese Military

by Robert B. Edgerton

Book Overview

Chronicles the Japanese military's transformation from honorable soldiers known for their chivalry and kindness towards their wounded and imprisoned enemies into men who massacred hundreds of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393040852
• ISBN13: 9780393040852
• Release Date: July 1997
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 388 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

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I'm finding this book captivating to read. I read many other history books mentioning about Japanese_Russo war but this particular offering discussed the incident in detail of why the war needed to occur at the first place. Unlike the book "Rape of Nangking" which is fairly one-sided from an American Chinese point of view, this book projected the Japanese been chilvarous during the Japanese_Russo war and also the Boxer Rebellion in China. Later, the author discussed the reason(s) why moral values weren't taken as seriously as they used to by the Japanese during the later war. It's intriguing to note that Japan was a victim of its circumstances & that what the decision makers had planned for Japan didn't turn up to be the way they intended to be & by then, Japan had already overextended itself & far too late to turn back the clock. It also refuted about the conspiracy surrounding the bombing of Pearl Harbour as discussed in "Yamato Dynasty" by Sterling Seagrave but due to a simple misunderstanding of interpretation in the code-breaking! The book emphasised that should we flicked to the other side of the coin which the Axis won the war, it's the Allies that would be depicted as the villains for dropping the lethal & inhuman atomic bombs which killed countless of innocent victims including their own fellow soldiers who were held capitve in Japan at the time. In other words, it's not only Japan that commited barbaric act during the wars but everybody seemed to be doing that since the beginning of time. In war, civilised people would become "monsters" due to their surroundings & their circumstances. The book wanted us to see that we are reflection of Japanese, that we are only human. Towards the end, the book discussed about the emerging power(s) in the Asia Pacific region. Japan has started to increase its spending in military in order to be more prepared should countries such as China, North Korea, Pakistan, & so forth start to threaten its sovereignity or perhaps, Japan has been called upon by the countries of the world to play a pivotal role in maintain the stability in the region. The author mentioned that the military teaching in Japan is different from what it used to be (less fanatical & emphasising towards the freedom of choice) but whether Japan would revert to its old self, or whether it would play a different role together, we are urged to wait and see. Well, we might never know the whole truths about the history of the Japanese military or perhaps what are discussed here are inaccurate but still, it is a very well written book & induces discussion. It would be ideal if war could be averted by any means. History of the past reminds us of the ugliness of war, lest we forget. Highly recommended.

Interesting, informative and easy to read.

I am a collector and student of the Russo/Japanese War. This is the first book, of many, that I could read that was unbiased and actually fun to read. I don't know what the problem the other people who read this book have. It seems like they have some kind of grand agenda or ? Maybe they should try writing, but then again maybe they have...Anyway, I think this is a great book!

An unfinished work

Indeed the start of this book is engrossing and in light of what we commonly know about Japanese atrocities in World War 2, the kind treatment Japanese soldiers showed the Russians in the Russo-Japanese war is astonishing. However the book feels incomplete as most of the narrative concentrates on the actions of the Russo-Japanese Conflict while only a small third of the book deals with the periods after. This is not a complete history and the reasons for this sudden and barbaric change seem to be only mentioned on two pages. However the book is still a good read in many ways.

A great story of the men behind the battles

Although I agree that "A history of the Japanese Military" is not quite accurate I loved the book. Edgerton does an amazing job of research and includes the mostminute details in describing the atmosphere, the food, the people and the circumstances they are in. Military history can be boring if just repeated verbatim, but Edgerton brings to life the generals and their men so that they come alive again I was astounded at the more than humane treatment of the Russians by the Japanese. And the dramatic change that colored their history forever.