In the Service of the Emperor - (Studies in War, Society, and the Military) by Edward J Drea (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Japan's war in Asia and the Pacific from 1937 to 1945 continues to be a subject of great interest, yet the wartime Japanese army remains little understood outside Japan. Most published accounts rely on English-language works written in the 1950s and 1960s. The Japanese-language sources have remained relatively inaccessible to Western scholars in part because of the difficulty of the language, a difficulty that Edward J. Drea, who reads Japanese, surmounts.

In a series of searching examinations of the structure, ethos, and goals of the Japanese military establishment, Drea offers new material on its tactics, operations, doctrine, and leadership. Based on original military documents, official histories, court diaries, and Emperor Hirohito's own words, these twelve essays introduce Western readers to fifty years of Japanese scholarship about the war and Japan's military institutions. In addition, Drea uses recently declassified Allied intelligence documents related to Japan to challenge existing views and conventional wisdom about the war.

Review Quotes

"An excellent analysis of the imperial Japanese army's behavior, including that of the supreme commander, the emperor, during World War II."-"Journal of Asian Studies,"

"Drea's book should be read by anyone who wishes to understand why the Japanese armed forces and their leaders acted as they did during World War II."-"Naval War College Review,"

"Offers unique insight into the Imperial Japanese Army's strategic thought.. This is an excellent book for lovers of World War II history."--Lt. Youssef H. Aboul-Enein, "Great Lakes Bulletin"

"For anyone interested in learning more about the truth behind one of the most infamous armies in the history of war, this book is essential reading."--"Pacific Wreck Database"

"The collected essays in this excellent and highly recommended anthology dispel many myths and shed much light on the Japanese Army during World War II."--"Military Heritage"

"An excellent analysis of the imperial Japanese army's behavior, including that of the supreme commander, the emperor, during World War II."

"Drea's book should be read by anyone who wishes to understand why the Japanese armed forces and their leaders acted as they did during World War II."

About the Author

Edward J. Drea works in the Historical Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He is the author of MacArthur's ULTRA: Codebreaking and the War against Japan, 1942-1945.