The japanese empire had all but crumbled, with little left of an empire that previously stretched from manchuria to new guinea. Small japanese craft flee from larger vessels during an american aerial attack on tonolei harbor, japanese base on bougainville island, in the central solomon islands on october 9, 1943. Japans decision to launch a war against the united states is masterfully recounted in eri hottas japan. Hear some of the experiences of five new zealanders who fought in the pacific. This hatred stemmed from the way the japanese treated their prisoners of war. Nineteen ninetyfive is a year of celebration and remembrance of the axis collapse that signaled the end of the second world war. It only ended in the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki, along with the soviet invasion of manchuria. Best history books about the battles of the pacific. The pacific half of world war ii, which began with japan s attack on the american naval base at pearl harbor, hawaii, on december 7, 1941, ended almost four years later when japan surrendered to americanled allies on september 2, 1945.
The pacific war, also referred to as the asia pacific war was fought during world war ii between the empire of japan, thailand and japanese puppet states on the one side and the united states, britain, australia and other allied states on the other. The two signed a commerce and navigation treaty in 1911. Massacres and atrocities of wwii in the pacific region. The rape of nanking by iris chang basic books, 1997 is the story of the massacre that followed japans 1937 capture of that city. During the first six months of 1944, 14 army experienced 40,000 combat casualties and 282,000 casualties from illness. The great pacific war was a 1925 novel by british author hector charles bywater which discussed a hypothetical future war between japan and the united states. Pacific crucible war at sea in the pacific, 19411942 by ian w. The japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of. It treats the submarine campaign, the air attacks on japan, the use of the atomic bombs, and japans surrender in unusual detail. Japan s decision to launch a war against the united states is masterfully recounted in eri hottas japan.
My grandfather is william bill telles and served a. For reasons big and small, understandable and unjustified, the war in the pacific during world war ii has largely been overshadowed by the allies war against hitler. Teeth and skulls were the most commonly taken trophies, although other body parts were also collected. Marines direct flame throwers at japanese defenses that block the way to iwo jimas mount suribachi on march 4, 1945. What was it like to be a soldier in the pacific during. The german national mentality was also one of tradition and. This book give a totally new take on the us in ww ii. List of books and articles about japan, postwar period. Japan believed it necessary to destroy or neutralize american striking power in the pacificthe u. Perez examines the people and ideas that led japan into or out of war, analyzes the outcomes of battles, and presents theoretical alternatives to the strategic choices made during the conflicts.
The unsung heroics of filipina resistance fighters during the pacific war december 8th, 1941 marked the start of the fullscale invasion of the philippines. The fleet was composed of british commonwealth naval vessels. American mutilation of japanese war dead wikipedia. Second sino japanese war 193745, conflict that broke out when china began a fullscale resistance to the expansion of japanese influence in its territory. A steven spielberg and tom hanks tv series about the second world war s brutal pacific campaign begins tomorrow a story surprisingly little told. During world war ii, some members of the united states military mutilated dead japanese service personnel in the pacific theater.
Pacific war pacific war the war against japan, 1945. Fighting continued in the peripheral theatres of the pacific war in 1945, with the allies pressing their advantage in burma. All these books are currently available on in the u. This book is an interesting view of the war in the pacific, the superiority of the japanize zero in the early stages of the war, built by mitsubishi and still an industrial leader in japan.
Large companies survive after complete government defeat. In ww2, who treated pows worse, the germans or the japanese. The author of six frigates traces the war with japan from pearl harbor to. Competing voices from the pacific war by including a range of primary sources representing the experiences and views of participants and commentators of all sides and setting them in their historical contexts, this unique anthology promotes an understanding of the pacific war, the events that led up to it, and its legacies. Enlisted reservists were pressed into active duty service as the war was brought to japan s doorstep, but their training was limited to three months, rather than. The campaign began with japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the british solomon islands and bougainville, in the territory of new guinea, during the first six months of 1942. In 1915, japan presented the twentyone demands designed to reduce china to a protectorate. I will describe a couple of stories hes shared with me, and now my kids, about his experiences during his tour of service during wwii. Chiangs resistance to the japanese during the pacific war 194145 forced.
The war against japan us army center of military history. You can see the pride the author still has for the japanize people and particularly the zero pilot. In 1931 the real start of world war ii, with japans illegal invasion of manchuria the chinese capital nanking, now nanjing, had a population of just over one million, including over 100,000 refugees. Though the central strategic principle governing allocation of resources to the two fronts provided for concentrating first on the defeat of the european axis, on the american side this principle was liberally interpreted, permitting conduct of an offensive. In world war ii, for the first time, the united states had to fight a war on two fronts. The war remained undeclared until december 9, 1941, and ended after allied counterattacks during world war ii brought about japan s surrender. When he found himself out of a job, he wrote this book and got even deeper into trouble. Why america preferred to forget about the pacific war. On august 7, 1942, allied forces, primarily us marines, landed on the islands of tulagi and guadalcanal in the southwestern pacific to fight back the encroaching japanese army. They were involved in fighting in the jungle, some spent time in japanese prisoner of war camps, others took part in air raids or manned ships, while others played a vital support role. The mutilation of japanese service personnel included the taking of body parts as war souvenirs and war trophies. History of war a personal account of author tony maxwells travels to the south pacific in search of the fast disappearing relics left behind in the jungles and on the islands by that titanic struggle against the invading forces of the empire of japan. Get the best deals on original ww ii japanese books when you shop the largest online selection at. World war ii is sometimes thought of as primarily a fight against nazi germany, with the war in the pacific as an afterthought.
Heres your opportunity to let others know your favorite books on the war that led us from pearl harbor to tokyo bay. The bpf formally came into being on 22 november 1944 from the remaining ships of the former eastern fleet then being redesignated the east indies fleet and continuing to be based in trincomalee. There are not many books that cover all japanese aircraft so buy a nice used copy and you will not regret it. Books shelved as world war ii pacific theaternaval. Most of my reading on the pacific war, so far, has been around the south pacific. During world war i the japanese secured the german interests in shandong later restored to china and received the germanowned islands in the pacific as mandates. With the surrender of the bataan peninsula and the fortified island corregidor in the spring of 1942, all hope seemed lost. War in the pacific throughout the rest of world war two. In august, the world will mark the 50th anniversary of vj day.
Though the book is now dated, it is still frequently cited by historians looking at race during wwii. Historians debate whether this was a war that japan could ever have. The war in the pacific continued between japan the latter briefly aided by thailand and to a lesser extent by its axis allies germany and italy and the allied powers. Rejecting recent trends that tend to whitewash or demonize the japanese, this book casts new light on. Closely linked to the hbo tv series, this sizable book follows the experiences of five us servicemen four marines and a navy aviator during the four years of the pacific war, tracing their experiences from the japanese invasion of the philippines to the preparations for the invasion of japan, through the battles of midway and guadalcanal and the long island hopping campaign that followed. The pacific war was fought against the japanese with a level of hatred generally not felt against the germans. The great pacific war news newspapers books scholar jstor june 2016. In german military tradition, war was an endeavor of gentlemen with clearly established rules and procedures. You can see the pride the author still has for the japanize people and particularly the zero pilots. Enterprise and the first year of the war by eugene burns, hellcats. The great pacific conflict, 18531952 hoyt, edwin palmer on. The beginning of the pacific war is traditionally dated to december 8, 1941, when the japanese. Race and power in the pacific war that does an excellent job detailing the racism that stemmed from both the u.
A critical perspective on japan s role in world war ii saburo ienaga ienaga was a teacher who got himself into trouble by telling the truth as he saw it about japan s conduct of the war. Fortunately, there is no shortage of worthwhile books about the. Pacific war the war against japan, 1945 britannica. The book, which takes into account japanese and asian documents and scholarship. On december, the city fell to the invading japanese troops. During the war in the pacific, every japanese male between the ages of 17 and 40 was subject to active military service up to three years, and possibly more given the circumstances. The allied defensive phase of the war in the pacific ended on. President theodore roosevelt brokered a 1905 peace treaty in the russo japanese war that was favorable to japan. John dower wrote a book in 1987 titled war without mercy. The other world powers opposed those items that would have given japan policy control in. In january, 1942, the argentina maru sailed away from guam, taking with it prisoners of war, including american military and civilian personnel, navy nurses, american and spanish priests.
List of 10 greatest battles of the pacific war history lists. I only wish my other books on the wwii aircraft of various nations were this good. Particularly important, then, is this new historical study o the pacific phase of world war war ii that coers not just the military, but also the political side of the war. The pacific war that began in the early 1940s ended in defeat for the japanese empire. This is a must have book for any world war ii aficionado.
As toll rightly asserts in his books final pages, midway exposed a. The cambridge history of the second world war edited by john ferris april 2015. The definitive onevolume history of world war ii in the pacific theater, the pacific war was. The combined air, land, and sea assault was the first of its kind, marking the allies first major offensive against the empire of japan in the pacific. In the great pacific war, the war begins with a japanese invasion of. New zealanders who served in the pacific war had diverse experiences. The horrors of the death camps did not become common knowledge until the very end of the war.
Heres your opportunity to let others know your favorite books on the war. The british pacific fleet bpf was a royal navy formation which saw action against japan during the second world war. Also buy japanese aircraft 19101941, it will be useful when the author refers to aircraft that were not used during the war. World war ii pacific theater naval books goodreads. The book contains contributions from scholars in a wide range of disciplines, including history. The war in the pacific, 19411945 chapter 15 the cambridge. In the battle of tarawa november 2023, 1943 during world war ii 193945, the u. It also will help you understand japanese aircraft trends and history. The information on japan following the surrender and the way general douglas macarthur managed.