Book Description
Evan Thomas takes us inside the naval war of 1941-1945 in the South Pacific in a way that blends the best of military and cultural history and riveting narrative drama. He follows four men throughout: Admiral William ("Bull") Halsey, the macho, gallant, racist American fleet commander; Admiral Takeo Kurita, the Japanese battleship commander charged with making what was, in essence, a suicidal fleet attack against the American invasion of the Philippines; Admiral Matome Ugaki, a self-styled samurai who was the commander of all kamikazes and himself the last kamikaze of the war; and Commander Ernest Evans, a Cherokee Indian and Annapolis graduate who led his destroyer on the last great charge in the last great naval battle in history.
Sea of Thunder climaxes with the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the biggest naval battle ever fought, over four bloody and harrowing days in October 1944. We see Halsey make an epic blunder just as he reaches for true glory; we see the Japanese navy literally sailing in circles, torn between the desire to die heroically and the exhausted, unacceptable realization that death is futile; we sail with Commander Evans and the men of the USS Johnston into the jaws of the Japanese fleet and exult and suffer with them as they torpedo a cruiser, bluff and confuse the enemy -- and then, their ship sunk, endure fifty horrific hours in shark-infested water.
Thomas, a journalist and historian, traveled to Japan, where he interviewed veterans of the Imperial Japanese Navy who survived the Battle of Leyte Gulf and friends and family of the two Japanese admirals. From new documents and interviews, he was able to piece together and answer mysteries about the Battle of Leyte Gulf that have puzzled historians for decades. He writes with a knowing feel for the clash of cultures.
Sea of Thunder is a taut, fast-paced, suspenseful narrative of the last great naval war, an important contribution to the history of the Second World War.
Customer Reviews:
No Bull..........2007-09-29
It's no wonder were in the mess we are, when myoptic vision clouds reason.
This was not a hit on Halsey..Duoh! This was a very good read. Maybe Ken burns took some info here?
I see a lot of whinners(on other forums) saying the Japanese never had a plan to sue for peace if they took Hawaii..(?)
Any way Good book.
Thanks, Mr Evans
Non-Fiction Thriller.......2007-09-12
A non-fiction historical work of serious scholarship that can compete with any thriller. An absolute page turner that's hard to put down. When Thomas finds the time to do this kind of research with his TV panelist and news magazine gigs is a mystery. He is an absolutely first rate writer and story teller, and Sea of Thunder is not to be missed.
Good Read, but............2007-08-06
I got this book on Friday and finished it Saturday night. A decent book over all but as other reviewers have stated I find the revisionist aspect a bit much. I think the 'slam' on Halsey tended to be over-kill. The author even goes as far as mentioning the two occasions where Halsey sailed into typhoons to further his knocks on Halsey. Interesting, but not in the scope of the book. The author does point out the reasons behind Halsey's choice to go after Ozawa but only in passing. I found the study of Japanese vs. American admirals a bit slanted in the Japanese admiral's favor. As far as the 'racist' aspect of Halsey's statements "Kill Japs, Kill Japs. Kill more Japs" & etc. We only need to look at quotes by other Admirals and Generals to understand the purpose behind these statements. I gave it three stars only because it was a page-turner, I think what kept me reading was to see if the author was going to go into a more in-depth study of the choices made by the admirals and why they made them. I was left with the impression that the Japanese admirals made the choices they made mostly because of the training received at Eta Jima and the choices made by American admirals were due to some personal flaw as in Halsey's 'need' to get the Japanese carriers at all costs. What I wasn't left with was the stunning victory by the Americans and how important it was in shortening the war. I am just starting to read 'The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors' by James D. Hornfischer so I can compare two different author's views on the Leyte Gulf naval battles.
CORRECTION to Thomas' text.......2007-07-27
Evan Thomas incorrectly states that Admrial Spruance's son married Admiral Halsey's daughter. In fact, Margaret Halsey married Preston Lea Spruance who was only distantly related to Admiral Spruance.
- Halsey Spruance, a decendant of Margaret Halsey and Preston Lea Spruance
A good story.......2007-07-11
I did not know as much about the battle before this book. Thomas gives an excellent perspective of all sides of the battle. I felt I was a bit oversold on the book and it did not live completely up to expectations which is why I only give it 4 out of 5.
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- An artful and indepth look into Singaporian, Malaysian, and Indonesian cuisine!
- wonderful flavors
- No Show, All Tell
- Oseland's book draws you in..
- Exotic but so intriguing
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Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia
James Oseland
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
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ASIN: 0393054772 |
Book Description
The first book to reveal the undiscovered jewels of Southeast Asian cuisine.
Just when you thought you knew everything about Asian food, along comes James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor. Oseland has spent two decades exploring the foods of the Spice Islands. Few can introduce us to the birthplace of spice as he does. He brings us the Nyonya dishes of Singapore and Malaysia, the fiery specialties of West Sumatra, and the spicy-aromatic stews of Java. Oseland culled his recipes from twenty years of intimate contact with home cooks and diverse markets. He presents them here in easily made, accessible recipes, perfect for today's home cook. Included is a helpful glossary (illustrated in color in one of the picture sections) of all the ingredients you need to make the dishes and where and how to buy them. With Cradle of Flavor, fans of Javanese Satay, Singaporean Stir-Fried Noodles, and Indonesian curries can finally make them in their own kitchen. 16 pages color photographs; 3 maps.
Customer Reviews:
An artful and indepth look into Singaporian, Malaysian, and Indonesian cuisine!.......2007-09-02
The author provides wonderful ancedotes for each of the recipes that truly inspire the Western cook. The book is filled with the many encounters the author has had along his journey and vividly retells them with such insight. The recipes are written in a simple, yet descript manner that should not intimidate nor offend the novice or professional cook. This book is truly a gem and is recommended for all who are interested in experiencing the awe of cuisine from the Spice Islands.
wonderful flavors.......2007-08-23
I did some traveling in Malaysia and Indonesia a few years ago and loved most of what I ate. This book has given me the opportunity to try making some of those foods at home. His mouthwatering descriptions of the key ingredients include even some brand recommendations and make finding and purchasing these novel and exotic items much less intimidating. He explains in great detail the required cooking techniques and his recipes are extremely easy to follow. Every recipe I have tried so far has been fantastic.
No Show, All Tell.......2007-05-30
If you want a cookbook with no photos, this one's for you. I read the reviews before buying but only one mentioned wanting more pictures. This is an understatement. The text may be good -- I don't know because I'm still getting over the disappointment of what might have been -- but the few photos there are feature ingredients (how many chili shots do I need?) and a few of the less interesting dishes.
Oseland's book draws you in.........2007-05-20
Great writing and excellent recipes. I've tried the beef sate recipe so far and it's is very tasty.
Exotic but so intriguing.......2007-05-13
No wonder this book was a James Beard winner for 2007. The text is exceptional-you feel like you are there. The photos are perfect. All the food is interesting and the ingredients are available-if you know where to obtain them. Many foods can be bought locally and if you run into a snag, there are internet sites listed. An exceptional book.
Book Description
Robert A. Manning debunks key myths about the oil industry: that the world is running out of oil, that the Caspian Basin is the new Persian Gulf, that resource scarcity combined with military modernization, economic buoyancy, and nationalism will lead to military conflict, and that territorial disputes among Asian nations are fueled by resource competition. His book assesses the energy challenges and strategies of Asian nations and explores the new geopolitics emerging out of their efforts to meet these challenges.
Customer Reviews:
How to think about energy in Asia.......2006-01-29
It is China's burgeoning energy demand which has nurtured an increased interest into the energy reality in Asia; and yet we still lack the conceptual lens through which to analyze the way that energy markets, and by extension geopolitics, are affected by the profound asymmetry between the demand for energy and the supply of resources in Asia (and East Asia in particular). It is this gap that Robert Manning bridges with the "Asian Energy Factor."
Mr. Manning's angle is captured in these words: "Whether they [Asia-Pacific nations] gravitate--as some have already begun to do--towards market-based solutions and realize the myriad commercial possibilities of foreign investment, regional integration and privatization, and deregulation or older dirigiste models may be the difference between increased conflict or increased cooperation in Asia." Alone, this sentence offers a useful conceptual take on the energy challenge which confronts us: how to push the world to geoeconomics rather than geopolitics in the scramble for energy. Exposing this broad dilemma is the book's prime contribution.
Mr. Manning is also useful in showing how one should approach the analysis of energy questions. Although some of his information is dated (the book came out in 2000), he demonstrates that energy is intricately linked to politics, economics, and geography; any analysis which fails to take so inclusive a view is bound to fail. (His section on Central Asia, in particular, is very good at this integrationist approach.) Mr. Manning's argument that Asia's energy situation can produce sufficient interdependence for cooperation is also very interesting.
To be honest, I diverge with Robert Manning on two counts: he confuses a country's domestic energy realities with its foreign policy. It is possible for a country to combine a commitment to markets with an aggressive foreign policy (there are various times when America and Britain would fit this profile). By referring to many countries' market friendliness he logically concludes that the prospects for conflict are diminished; but in assuming an identity between foreign and domestic policy, I believe that he errs.
(In a later article he exposes the dilemma in these terms: "It is unclear how Asian policy-makers will view the global politics of Asian energy markets. Will they view it through the lens of traditional geopolitics of real estate and sea-lane security? Or will they view it through the lens of geo-economics, where international investment, joint ventures and global cooperation rather than competition for resources and conflict is the prevalent means to satisfy energy security requirements?" But he resorts, again, to looking at domestic politics.)
My other disagreement is with Mr. Manning's unwillingness to explore the ways in which energy can lead to conflict; although I agree with his assessment that energy is often a mere manifestation of underlying geopolitical rivalry, it is still important to uncover the mechanics which can link energy to conflict. By choosing not to explore this idea in detail, I believe that is evades a very important subject.
These disagreements aside, the "Asian Energy Factor" is one of the most important contributions on the subject; by debunking some of the most important fallacies, Mr. Manning allows for the debate to focus on the significant topics. This is even more useful today than it was when the book was first published.
Paucities and Scarcities.......2001-05-23
An excellent work from one of our most important scholars on Asia. Riddled with numbers and graphs, the book is still readable for those just encountering energy politics. The referencing is also excellent, and allows one to delve further into the topic.
His initial chapters on environment/pollution and population growth/demand, and scarcity are important by themselves. Understanding the differences between a scarcity of resources and political limitations or economic bottlenecks on those resources is essential to being able to really forecast the strategic environment. Consequently, the time Manning spends belittling Paul Ehrlich and the Club of Rome is well spent. The country analyses are also very useful, and give one a sense not only of the economics of energy, but of the two way impact of energy and political relationships between countries. With our noble leaders beginning to evoke various fears about Asia, this is very important in understanding the nature and degree of "emerging threats."
Manning might be too bold in divorcing extending military interests with growing energy demands, but it is worth reading the book to develop an opinion on the subject.
I also recommend checking out the Energy Information Administrations's website, which Manning used heavily. It was of great use to me in a recent project: www.eia.doe.gov
Also useful is the cover piece of the January 2001 'Atlantic Monthly.' The piece, "The New Old Economy: Oil, Computers, and the Reinvention of the Earth," in helping advance perspectives of the oil industry. See: http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/01/rauch.htm
Energy Interdependence as an Integrative Force.......2001-03-12
Robert Manning covers a lot of ground in this book, from the Caspian, to India, to Northeast Asia, and challenges a lot of established notions, but two of the points he makes really stand out:
First, he argues that energy interdependence is a potential positive force for Asian regional stability. While a number of analysts (from the serious scholar Kent Calder to the more shrill "Blue Team" types) have argued that China's entry onto the stage as a major oil importer will have serious negative consequences for regional stability, Manning argues that this is far from clear, and that it may actually have positive consequences. Other energy development issues looming in the future, such as the need for natural gas integration in Northeast Asia, can only be addressed by cooperation among regional governments and some degree of mutual interdependence.
Second, Manning points out in his preface how little contact and exchange there is between American analysts who focus on political and security issues, on the one hand, and those who focus on energy from an economic perspective. (As an example, he points out the differing views of the South China Sea between energy specialists and security policy analysts.) Energy issues involve tie-ins with a broad range of national security, economic, and environmental issues, and Manning argues that the policy community could benefit from more dialogue between these two separate sets of analysts. (I've long known this - since my own academic and professional background sort of straddles both groups.)
While the book does suffer a bit from poor editing in some spots, it is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in Asian security issues and/or the region's rapidly growing energy sector.
Intriguing Analysis of an Emerging Geopolitical Concern.......2001-03-01
Without a doubt, energy will be among one of the most important factors determining diplomatic behavior and relations in Asia in the coming decades. The Asian Energy Factor tackles this emerging geopolitical concern through an intriguing analysis of Asia's growing demand for energy and its global political, economic, and strategic consequences. Unique from other authors addressing this under-examined issue, Robert Manning sets the stage by exposing the myth that the world is quickly running out of oil. Technology and new methods of both collection and use of energy have made the impending energy crisis espoused by the doomsayers less of a concern. Manning proceeds to focus on the regional powers (China, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia) and where their individual energy abilities and needs puts them on the collective strategic map. He examines the commercial and political dynamic between the countries demanding increasing amounts of energy (China, Japan, and India) and those with the reserves (the Middle East and Southeast Asia).
As The Asian Energy Factor aptly points out, energy security is the crux upon which the economic, social, energy, and military policies of Asian nations converge; it is among the most critical issues in the coming decade. Manning delves deep into these economic and strategic complexities and continues to challenge the prevailing wisdom about Asian power structure and energy competition.
Book Description
Tracing the history of Japanese aggression from 1853 onward, Hoyt masterfully examines the issues behind the war in the Pacific and sheds new light on the China Question, the rape of Hong Kong, the Bataan Death March, and the murder camps of the East Indies.
Customer Reviews:
Inaccuracies and misconceptions.......2007-02-08
I probably shouldn't post a review, since I didn't read this book to the end. I couldn't bear to. The first three chapters on Japanese ancient and feudal history were riddled with misconceptions and plain inaccuracies.
One example of many: The author states that Japan's first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, reigned around 600 A.D. and had to contend with the influx of Buddhism from China. Jimmu was around at least 1200 years before 600 A.D., and he predated Buddhism in Japan by many centuries.
Further, the author repeatedly insists that the samurai class during the Edo (Tokugawa) Period were swaggering warriors who beheaded peasants at the slightese whim. Although the samurai enjoyed many privileges, beheading peasants at will during peacetime was not one of them. The authoritarian Tokugawa government strictly punished any breach of the peace, whether committed by a commoner or a samurai. People of all ranks (including peasants) had at least some level access to the protection of the law and redress in the court system. It's a myth that samurai could kill any commoner at will and with impunity.
I hate to be harsh, but a book about history needs, as a minimum, to be well-researched and have its facts straight. It's difficult to have any faith in the author's analysis and conclusions otherwise. This book purports to be able to trace the rise of Japanese militarism to the psychology and sociology of the feudal samurai, yet it description of the samurai feudal era is spotty. (The book was written in the 1980s, when the U.S. was being economically "invaded" by Japanese business. The book also hints at being able to explain Japanese business psychology through explaining Japan's Pacific War). If the author wants to find the roots of Japanese militarism in samurai culture, he needs to have had a more in-depth understanding of samurai culture itself.
"Win first, fight later"*.......2006-09-24
Quite apart from the history of the war from Japan's viewpoint, this book gives one of the most lucid thumbnail histories of Japan you will find anywhere. It also clearly shows that although we in the West frequently confuse the ethos of bushido with those of chivalry, they were very different.
One of the reviews here mentions the "unsophisticated" style of writing. I don't like that description but I'm not sure I can think of a better one. It struck me as the exuberant writing of a really good high school report--which sounds derogatory but in fact works very, very well here and makes it a pleasant read that draws you on easily. Some of the other criticisms in the reviews I think may be due more to typesetting and proofing than to mistakes by the author. (The aircraft mislabeled is in fact not a Betty at all but due to the twin tail surfaces I believe to be a Nell.) My only criticism of the book would be the illustrations which frequently add nothing to the text. I get the impression they were assembled by someone who hadn't really read the book. The space given to illustrations of Americans is totally wasted. Does anyone who would be reading this book need a picture of Bull Halsey? The fact that there are no substantive criticisms of the book's content in these reviews indicates its excellence.
*Chapter Four
Japan's Tragedy.......2005-11-12
Tragedy has been described as a drama in which the main character is brought to ruin as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. The story of Japan from the moment it was opened up to the West by Commodore Perry until its surrender is, as Hoyt tells it, such a tragedy. The book does an excellent job of describing the context of Western imperialism and Western racism that shaped Japan's perceptions of what it needed to do for national survival, and the chaotic state of affairs where the civilian government could not control and was wholly intimidated by the military ran amok and bent on war with China, the tar baby that eventually consumed Japan and started the sequence of events that led it to war with the United States. Surprisingly, Hoyt makes it clear that up until the time the United States made its oil embargo against Japan, it was the Soviet Union that was enemy number one in the militarist's (including Tojo) strategic thinking, as Japan sought to create a buffer zone around it as well as lands to exploit for natural resources and as markets for its manufactures (in line with the Western colonial system). Most importantly, Hoyt traces the evolution of the mind set of the Japanese government and how, starting with the "China Incident" and followed on with rationalization upon rationalization, it dug an inescapable hole for itself that led to the downfall of the nation. The only complaint is that the writing at times is a bit unsophisticated, but it does not detract from the powerful storytelling.
admirable work but with some minor pitfalls.......2002-08-22
This is one of the few books that really shines in documenting the Japanese strategy/politics from Meiji period to the end of WWII. The huge scope in this single volume limits the depth of details it can reach. However, it is detail enough for a general reference of all the events involved from Japanese's side point of view. Mr. Hoyt also takes an indifference approach to the subject matter. He not only lambast the rape of Nanking, rape of Hongkong but also General LeLand's bombing of Tokyo, which kills 200,000.
There are also some minor mistakes on this book that leaves a scar in my mind. A few examples:
1. The illustrations have a pictures of the "Betty" bomber. The legend say it is a Type 0 bomber. However, a "Betty" should be a Type 1 bomber.
2. In the middle of book, when he describes the Janpanese army's joke at the foreign minister by claiming him as the harm minister (because of the similar pronounication in Japanese), Mr. Hoyt misplaces the Kanji characters with his explanation. This makes the context and Japanese meaning of the character in opposite.
3. When he refers to the hanging of General Itagaki by the conviction of murdering of the old marshal, he uses Zhang Hsueh-Liang at the end of the book. However, Zhang Tso-Lin was the old marshal while Zhang Hsueh-Liang was the young marshal (Zhang Tso-Lin's eldest son). Surprisingly, he refers them correctly in the middle of the book when he is discussing the murder around in 1936.
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Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Critical Perspectives on the World Economy)
Drysdale
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0415310989 |
Book Description
The Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum was established as a regional grouping in 1989 to deal with the issues arising from growing regional interdependence. Its stated aim is to build `a prosperous Asia-Pacific through free and open trade and investment' and it now has twenty-one member economies, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Peru and Chile. The APEC Summit of Leaders and Ministers from around the region is the major dialogue on economic and political affairs across the Pacific each year. But APEC continues to evolve in a bid to keep pace with the rise of East Asian economic and political power, first around the emergence of Japan as a great industrial nation, later with the rise of the other East Asian economies, the remarkable growth of China and, more recently, the emergence of India.
This new Major Work from Routledge is a five-volume collection which covers in depth the origins and history of APEC, its achievements and the impact it has had—and continues to have—on international relations and economic cooperation in general. It provides the information, analysis and interpretation that are essential to thinking about the economic and political framework within which these unprecedented changes in the structure of the world economy might be managed more or less successfully.
Book Description
Professor Iriye analyses the origins of the 1941 conflict against the background of international relations in the preceding decade in order to answer the key question: Why did Japan decide to go to war against so formidable a combination of powers?
Customer Reviews:
First rate history for the non-specialist........2005-03-17
Akira Iriye is Charles Warren Professor of American History at Harvard University, and is a noted historian of international institutions. This 1987 book is a well organized and well edited introduction to a complicated subject, the origins of what the Japanese call The Pacific War, and which we know as WWII in Asia and the Pacific.
The book's organization is straightforwardly chronological. His account of these years is less dramatic but easier to follow than that of John Toland in "The Rising Sun", even though Toland is a better writer than Iriye. Iriye has the advantage of having that period as his primary subject, whereas Toland was laying the groundwork for a dramatic account of the war itself. And Iriye takes pains to explain his conclusions in several different ways, a habit no doubt learned from teaching college undergraduate students, who are the primary target audience of this book.
Iriye clearly describes the step by step process by which Japan entrapped itself in a net from which it was in the end only able to escape by engaging in a suicidal war. He shows how extremely naive Japanese political and military leaders were to think that they could overturn the existing order in Asia without serious consequences. Ironically, most of them - Konoye, Tojo, Yamamoto, and others - could see the trap they were heading into, yet believed that there was no way out that would not be a disaster for Japan, and that war was the only way to preserve Japanese honor. Contrary to some impressions, Japanese at the highest levels of leadership knew very well that Japan was no match for the United States militarily. But things had deteriorated to the point that even the Atlantic Charter, a precursor of The United Nations, was viewed by the Japanese leadership simply as a declaration of war on Japan by the Anglo-American powers.
Iriye leaves little doubt that once Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Hitler and Mussolini in 1938, FDR and his cabinet - Hull, Stimson, Knox, Acheson - saw war with Japan as inevitable. Their only goal was to try to gain time in order to avoid having to fight in both Europe and Asia at the same time. In the event, of course, America did both. A major irony of Japan's joining the Axis powers is that it provided none of the benefits Japan had hoped to gain from the alliance, while at the same time it ended all possibility of a rapprochement with Britain and the US. Japan had literally backed out onto a tree limb and then proceeded to saw it off.
Iriye delineates the development of China's influence on American policy in the Far East. By the late 1930's, China was clearly identified in the eyes of the American public as the victim of unjustified Japanese aggression. This was indeed an accurate assessment of the situation, but the strength and emotion with which it was held by the American public gave the Roosevelt administration very little room to maneuver with Japan, even had it been inclined to do so. Any accomodation in China that would have left Japan a way toward "honorable" retreat would have been seen by the American public, no less than Chiang Kai-Shek, as a complete betrayal of China. This was the trap Japan had entered when the Japanese government allowed the Japanese Army to turn the incident at the Marco Polo Bridge into an excuse to invade China proper, from which there was no escape other than through total war with America.
Japanese public opinion also played a role in polarizing events. Tojo even started contingency planning for riots should Japan decide to bow to American will and withdraw from China. And the fear of assassination by nationalistic fanatics in the Japanese Army was an ever-present factor in the decision making of the Japanese political leadership.
Did FDR cook up a conspiracy to lure the Japanese into attacking Pearl Harbor? Iriye thinks not, and gives pretty good reasons for his opinion, the most convincing one being that by the summer of 1941 the American political and military leadership knew from the broken Japanese diplomatic code that war with Japan was inevitable. No conspiracy was needed to precipitate war - it was just a matter of time before the Japanese would attack.
In a nutshell, according to Iriye's analysis, Japan had three alternatives open to it by 1939: 1. Withdraw from China and suffer the consequences: Loss of prestige, power, resources, and military position; 2. Follow a policy of "perseverance and patience", passively waiting for the unlikely chance that events would eventually turn in a direction more to Japan's advantage; 3. Take the offensive immediately, while Japan still had sufficient oil reserves to support aggressive naval operations, and before the ABCD powers (America, Britain, China, and the Dutch) could further prepare themselves. In the end, option 3 seemed the most preferable of three bad choices.
Iriye ends on an optimistic note, saying that the period from 1931-45 was an aberration in the history of Japanese-American relations. One certainly hopes that he is right.
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- THE Classic WWII Memoir
- Brilliant Memior
- Gutted
- BEST WW2 BOOK EVER!!! ....so far.....
- This is the best book ever written by an American Combat Veteran
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With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
E.B. Sledge
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0891419063
Release Date: 2007-05-01 |
Book Description
In The Wall Street Journal, Victor Davis Hanson named With the Old Breed one of the top five books on epic twentieth-century battles. Studs Terkel interviewed the author for his definitive oral history, The Good War. Now E. B. Sledge’s acclaimed first-person account of fighting at Peleliu and Okinawa returns to thrill, edify, and inspire a new generation.
An Alabama boy steeped in American history and enamored of such heroes as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene B. Sledge became part of the war’s famous 1st Marine Division–3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Even after intense training, he was shocked to be thrown into the battle of Peleliu, where “the world was a nightmare of flashes, explosions, and snapping bullets.” By the time Sledge hit the hell of Okinawa, he was a combat vet, still filled with fear but no longer with panic.
Based on notes Sledge secretly kept in a copy of the New Testament, With the Old Breed captures with utter simplicity and searing honesty the experience of a soldier in the fierce Pacific Theater. Here is what saved, threatened, and changed his life. Here, too, is the story of how he learned to hate and kill–and came to love–his fellow man.
Customer Reviews:
THE Classic WWII Memoir.......2007-10-22
I was first aware of this book when it was published (without little or no fanfare) in 1981. A few years later, Sledge was interviewed by Studs Terkel for his Pulitzer Prize account, "The Good War." Since then, his book gathered steam. Paul Fussell singled it out in his book "Wartime," and John Keegan said in his book "The Second World War," that the book was "haunting." Now the book is regarded as a classic and rightly so. I read it in 1995 and while Sledge's prose may not be as polished as a professiona writer, it's his total honesty the keeps you going. To me, this was the best kind of writing, it's written from the gut. It also seems like a personal excorcism, a way to purge the demons and tell people of what he saw and what we, our country lost in this war.
Ken Burns was right to select Sledge for his documentary, "The War." Though the extracts they use makes Sledge seem bitter. Reading the book it seemed to me that he was proud of his service, but haunted by the terrible things he was forced to endure.
Also, read for what Sledge doesn't say. His friend Sam Phillips (also in Burns' "The War,") said, "We never took a prisoner." Sledge says the same thing. One can only assume the worst in a war where life was regarded so cheaply.
This book should be required reading for Political leaders who are so callous to send young men to war so quickly over so little.
Brilliant Memior.......2007-10-20
Watching the varios retrospectives shown during the 50h anniversary of the end of WWII was fascinating,but what delighted me was seeing Eugene Sledge on televlsion and getting to see what he looked like and what his voice sounded like.I'd read his book several times and it was great actually seeing him.As the cliche goes, I felt like I knew him. I assume that he's passed away because he wasn't on camera during Ken Burns' new documentary, The War,and I felt a real sense of sadness and loss when I realized that he was being discussed but wasn't being interviewed-which made me assume that death had finally caught up with him.Damned shame.He authored one of the finest American memiors of a fighting man.He brilliantly conveyed the pride and excitement that he and his fellow Marines felt on finally "making the team"and he just as brilliantly conveyed the horror and disgust that a thinking man must feel sitting in a hole in the ground surrounded by rotting bodies and human excrement,waiting for an incomprehensible foe who was eager to die in battle.RIP Eugene. Thanks for what you did for your country.
Gutted.......2007-10-08
I watched much of The War this weekend on PBS. Ken Burns leans heavily on Eugene Sledge's account of war, and that tells me that Burns at least knows genius writing when he reads it.
Sledge may be the best writer from the 20th century that most people have never heard of. His language is harrowing and detailed and does not spare any details about the chaos and misery and ineffable singular experience that is war. I truly believe that he lived through Peleliu and Okinawa, so he could compile his writings and share them with the world. How else can you explain the same person living through two of the nastiest battles of the 20th century?
Buy this book. Share it with everyone you know.
BEST WW2 BOOK EVER!!! ....so far............2007-10-04
This book was a pleasure to read. Not that I find pleasure in the horrors of war, I do not, but this book is so well written. I gets into the real nitty-gritties of every day life at war fighting a fearsome enemy. This book was the first book to ever give me a real glimpse of the totality of war on the foot soldier. There are many great books on WW2 out there, this definetly has to be one of the best! GET THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!!! you wont regret it.
This is the best book ever written by an American Combat Veteran.......2007-10-04
This book is about combat. Nothing more. It is horrifying. It is well written. It is too well written. If you read this book, you will understand combat. Not "war", but combat. That's Mr. Sledge's goal. He wants the rest of us to understand the horror of combat. This is the best book on combat by an American combat veteran. The only combat book that is better is "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer, a German soldier on the Russian front during WWII. Both of these books will make you cry like a baby. Read them back to back & I promise that you will have nightmares.
Book Description
Turn East-West Relations Into Win-Win Situations
China has more than one billion people. That's one billion potential customers. China Now is your must-have guide to this exciting world of opportunity, written by a top corporate advisor and a renowned business professor who specialize in East-West business strategy. Together, Mark Lam and John Graham have worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and thousands of American and Chinese executives, and now share with you their most successful strategies, tactics, and insights.
A comprehensive all-in-one tour of the world's fastest growing market, China Now is filled with everything you need to know about China's people, negotiation styles, culture, history, economics, and business dealings. You'll learn how to plan, where to go, and who to visit for the best results. And, unlike other books on the market, you'll discover the key differences between various regions and businesses that could make or break the deal.
China Now includes:
- The best regions to do business
- Nonverbal cues and culture-based signals
- Important travel, meeting, and personnel tips
- Laws and regulations on customs, foreign trade, and investment
- Protecting your intellectual property rights
Even if you've read Sun Tsu's The Art of War, this book will help you master the art of peaceful negotiations-and establish long-term partnerships that profit everyone involved. The advice you'll find here is not only invaluable; it's absolutely essential to the future of your business.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting book worth the read.......2007-09-28
This is an interesting book well worth reading, especially if you are doing business in China or plan to do so.
Excellent guide for business negotiation in China!.......2007-07-05
The book is a page turner. China joined the WTO in 2001. With the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and Shanghai World Expo in 2010, China provided fantastic opportunities for multinational enterprises.
The comparisons on negotiation style between Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Chinese managers, were covered in details. It is the best part of the book. This is a must read for all American CEOs.
With the new leadership, Mr. Hu Jintao as president and thousands of revised laws, China is moving out of the corrupt-country list eventually.
In Northeast of China, 4,000 Japanese companies set up shops in Dalian, Harbin is the little Moscow, and Shenyang got investments from South Korean firms. In 2006 Putin approved the oil pipeline from Siberia to Daqing (an old oil field in China), costing $11 to $16 billion USD. Again, opportunities are everywhere!
A good example was given on GreenTree Inn in Shanghai, a hotel chain established by a Californian Chinese. He suffered much on his dealings with the Chinese government red tapes. But at the end, he prevailed. The three keys to his success are: guanxi, patience and persistence.
US and China needed each other. China is no longer just an export country like Germany. China is quickly becoming a vast market for American and global brand-name products. In China, the 300 million middle-class population, is the ultimate consumer power. This number is increasing every year.
The book provided too much history on the Asian countries and it will be better if more real life success stories are covered.
Good Time to Learn Mandarin.......2007-07-05
Every time I visit Shanghai, I become more convinced that this is the Chinese Century, much as the last century was dominated by America and the 19th Century by Britain. I picked up a copy of this book at Hongqiao Airport en route to Beijing and finished it within days.
The authors clearly know their stuff, and despite repeating themselves throughout the text, present a compelling case for respecting Chinese culture and learning how to conduct business differently than the typical American practices. I found their comments on intellectual property rights to be particularly insightful and convincing. Their argument that China (or any other country) will not be motivated to respect other countries' IP rights until they themselves have IP they want to protect is supported by the history of Taiwan, Japan and the US.
Anyone who wants to do business in China will benefit by reading this book. Since China is quickly becoming our biggest trading partner and will someday soon have an economy larger than the US, learning some Mandarin wouldn't hurt either.
Great information and insight with intriguing statistics.......2007-02-25
Sun Tzu said "Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will win every battle." This book provides the readers with a key to the critical success factors of conducting business in China. It contains much pertinent information to help understand the people and the culture that drive the business culture in China. As a former expat manager in Asia for a major American telecom company, I found incredible knowledge, intriguing numbers, and insight in this book, and I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to grow their business or career with the Chinese economy.
China Now--For Businessman and Layman.......2007-02-18
China Now is a sweeping and practical guidebook for those intending to engage in the formidable challenge of conducting business activities in China. The authors possess first-hand experience which will benefit entrepreneurs as well as corporate executives. There is ample `hands-on' step-by-step guidance, by region, with an emphasis on negotiation preparation, techniques and styles, and approaches to the drafting of contracts and relevant cultural insights. Extensive discussions regarding intellectual property protection with important historical perspective--harking back to the years when Americans provided very lax protection for IP-- provide the reader with an understanding of the opposing views of today. There is also considerable discussion of the existing International IP agreements and the progress made in this area. The various sectors of China's high technology and research and development are surveyed, along with the expanding harbor and container capacity, power supply and information management systems, and air and ground transportation systems.
A brief review of rural China suggests the possibilities for investment by labor intensive industries in these geographical areas that have not significantly shared in the new Chinese economy. There are summaries of the Chinese governmental structures and legal profession, their functions, powers and interrelationships, formal and informal, with discussions of the consequences for foreign business. Useful anecdotal references are sprinkled throughout.
China Now presents historical and cultural perspectives that are lacking in many public portrayals of the nation. China's unforgotten bitter experiences with foreign powers in the 19th and first half of the 20th Centuries are surveyed. The book also offers a present day assessment of the contentious issue of U.S. impediments to trade with China. The authors emphatically set forth their views of the importance of the unimpeded flow of trade for the promotion of mutually beneficial international relations.
In addition to its value for business investors, China Now affords a very useful set of perspectives for the general reader who wants a fuller understanding of the world's `other giant.' It covers not only the principal sectors of China proper (Northeast China, Beijing and Tianjin, Shanghai, the Pearl River Delta (including Hong Kong) and Rural China), Singapore and Taiwan and their economic relations with China, but also addresses the economic importance of the Chinese Diaspora. Historical, cultural and economic relations between North and South Korea and northeast China are also discussed.
Through a portrayal of the evolving business face of China, and its cultural underpinnings, the book serves as a counterbalance to the customary more-or-less dominant focus on the political and military aspects of relations with China. The general reader will find an informative picture of the extensive involvement of Western and Japanese capital investment and business activities in China, Sino-Russian trade and economic cooperation and the growing South Korean investment in northeast China. The mutuality of international economic interests is made quite clear.
America's understanding of China is too important to be left to business people and political operatives alone. China Now can help to bring such understanding to the general electorate. A phrase appearing near the end of China Now: "China and the United States need each other," states an important premise of the book. If this phrase is true and remains true, it is a basis for optimism.
Edward Lindsay
Certified Public Accountant
Member California State Bar (Inactive)
Fountain Valley, California
Book Description
Suffocating heat, tropical rain and hostile jungle terrain were but a few of the treacherous obstacles that confronted the Allies when they fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Southeast Asian rainforest.
Aided by the knowledge of the terrain, the Japanese were consistently successful in their advances during the winter of 1941-42. However, once the Allies realized that unconventional means and specific jungle skills would be needed in order to survive and win, they developed effective units able to fight the Japanese in this hostile environment.
Lessons were learned by the few British soldiers trapped in the central Malaysian jungle by the time of the fall of Singapore and Malaya. In Burma, Orde Wingate led the Chindits, an allied force that trained in jungle discipline, field craft, survival skills, and special tactics such as combat tracking, close-quarter fighting, and small team operations. These men were responsible for pioneering the key jungle warfare tactics that are still practised effectively to this day.
Providing an expert analysis of tactical warfare, this book explains the early successes of the Japanese and highlights how the Allies overcame many physical and psychological impairments, to master the art of jungle warfare and finally conquer the strange and claustrophobic jungle environment.
Customer Reviews:
Rather hollow........2007-04-10
I was expecting something more comprhensive concenring to tactics in this book and found that the content is a rather superficial collection of quotations on several manuals and other publications. Maybe the size of the book does not allow for a deep analysis and explanation but some more detailed information should be possible. The other books of Osprey's Tactics series are much more to the point. Illustrations are interesting as is usually the case in Osprey's series.
Bring history to life........2007-04-10
Dr. Stephen Bull's WORLD WAR II JUNGLE WARFARE TACTICS describes and illustrates the course of the Allies as they struggled against Japanese strongholds in the pacific. Wartime training documents and front-line memoirs of action spice a survey of these battles and bring history to life.
Average customer rating:
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Medicinal Plants of Asia and the Pacific
Christophe Wiart
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Covering all aspects of botany, ethnology, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacy, and medicine, this authoritative volume provides comprehensive coverage, presenting all important classes of natural products found in Asia and the Pacific, classified by their mode of action. With illustrations and photographs, each chapter includes figures of plants, concepts, and mechanisms of action. The author also presents cutting-edge research and recent developments in the field. Medicinal Plants of Asia and the Pacific provides a thorough guide for professionals interested in natural products, pharmacognosy, biomedical applications of medicinal plants, toxicology, and many other rapidly growing fields.
Books:
- Selling China: Foreign Direct Investment During the Reform Era (Cambridge Modern China Series)
- Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right (Politics and Society in Twentieth Century America)
- The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm
- The Church and the Market: A Catholic Defense of the Free Economy (Studies in Ethics and Economics)
- The Cold War and the Color Line: American Race Relations in the Global Arena
- The Complete Guide to Home Wiring - 3rd Edition: Includes Information on Home Electronics & Wireless Technology (Black & Decker Complete Guide)
- The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World (New Press People's History)
- The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World (New Press People's History)
- The Economics of Life: From Baseball to Affirmative Action to Immigration, How Real-World Issues Affect Our Everyday Life
- The Elusive Republic: Political Economy in Jeffersonian America
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