This collection contains translations of about 300 letters written by Japanese citizens who experienced World War II, half of them former servicemen. The letters, written in 1986 at the request of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, describe their support of the war effort, reasons for it, arrests and interrogations, their questioning of government policies, army training and brutality, their opinions about the war afterward, and civilian life. Introductions to each chapter provide historical context, and letters are grouped according to topic. This edition includes comments from political and intellectual leaders, who reflect on the causes and spirit of the war. The late Gibney was a foreign correspondent, editor, and author who served in World War II. Cary is a translator and interpreter. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Recenzijos
"In 1986 and 1987 the Asahi Shimbun solicited reminiscences of the war from its readers. The newspaper received over 4,000 letters. The Gibney-Cary translation of a selection has attained the status of a classic. They reveal many things, not least that the Japanese know full well what they did during the war, whether their politicians want to acknowledge it or not." - Chalmers Johnson, author of MITI and the Japanese Miracle"
Foreword by Samuel Yamashita |
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vii | |
Preface to the Expanded Edition |
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xi | |
Introduction |
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xiii | |
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3 | (20) |
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23 | (36) |
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59 | (40) |
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4. The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere |
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99 | (24) |
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5. The War in the Pacific |
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123 | (46) |
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169 | (32) |
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201 | (14) |
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8. "We Are All Prisoners" |
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215 | (48) |
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9. Japan Under Occupation |
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263 | (20) |
10. Rethinking the War Experience |
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283 | (52) |
11. Reassessment: Causes of War |
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335 | (14) |
Index |
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349 | |
Frank Gibney was born in 1924 and raised in New York City. He graduated from Yale College, in absentia, in 1945. He served in the navy as Lieutenant, USNR, from 1942 to 1946.Through his career, he held the positions of foreign correspondent and associate editor of Time magazine, senior editor of Newsweek, and editor and publisher of Show magazine. Gibney was in charge of Encyclopaedia Britannicas Japanese and East Asian companies from 1966 to 1976 in Tokyo. He was vice chairman, TBS-Britannica, and also vice chairman of Encyclopaedia Britannicas Board of Directors.The author of twelve books, including The Pacific Century; Japan: The Fragile Superpower; and Koreas Quiet Revolution, Mr. Gibney was president of the Pacific Basin Institute in Santa Barbara, California until his death in spring 2006., Beth Cary is a translator and interpreter based in the San Francisco Bay area. Born and raised in Kyoto, Japan, she was educated at Wellesley College and Sophia University (Tokyo). Her father, Otis Cary, served with Frank Gibney as a language officer in the U.S. Navy during World War IIHer published translations include fictional works, such as Inspector Imanishi Investigates (Suna no Utsuwa) by Matsumoto Seich? and A Spring Like Any Other (Itsumo to Onaji Haru) by Tsujii Takashi, and nonfiction works, such as The Japanese Conspiracy: The Oahu Sugar Strike of 1920 (Nihon no Inb?: Hawai Oahut? Daisutoraiki no Hikari to Kage) by Duus Masayo, adapted by Peter Duus; and An Ecological View of History: Japanese Civilization in the World Context (Bunmei no Seitaishikan) by Umesao Tadao, edited by Harumi Befu.