Product Description

Hailed in Britain as “Spectacular . . . Searingly powerful” (Andrew Roberts, The Sunday Telegraph), a riveting, impeccably informed chronicle of the final year of the Pacific war. In his critically acclaimed Armageddon, Hastings detailed the last twelve months of the struggle for Germany. Here, in what can be considered a companion volume, he covers the horrific story of the war against Japan.

By the summer of 1944 it was clear that Japan’s defeat was inevitable, but how the drive to victory would be achieved remained to be seen. The ensuing drama—that ended in Japan’s utter devastation—was acted out across the vast stage of Asia, with massive clashes of naval and air forces, fighting through jungles, and barbarities by an apparently incomprehensible foe. In recounting the saga of this time and place, Max Hastings gives us incisive portraits of the theater’s key figures—MacArthur, Nimitz, Mountbatten, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. But he is equally adept in his portrayals of the ordinary soldiers and sailors—American, British, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese—caught in some of the war’s bloodiest campaigns.

With unprecedented insight, Hastings discusses Japan’s war against China, now all but forgotten in the West, MacArthur’s follies in the Philippines, the Marines at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and the Soviet blitzkrieg in Manchuria. He analyzes the decision-making process that led to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—which, he convincingly argues, ultimately saved lives. Finally, he delves into the Japanese wartime mind-set, which caused an otherwise civilized society to carry out atrocities that haunt the nation to this day.

Retribution is a brilliant telling of an epic conflict from a master military historian at the height of his powers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1423 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-18
• Released on: 2008-03-18
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 656 pages

From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com

Reviewed by Kai Bird

The British military historian Max Hastings is best known for volumes that insist on recounting World War II from the bottom up. Hastings wants his readers to learn history from the perspective of the army grunts, sailors and airmen who endured the tedium and barbarity of war. His is military history as told from the foxhole -- or, in the case of this narrative of the last year of the Pacific war, as told from the decks of aircraft carriers.

Too often the little actors in history are forgotten in the shadows of the kings, presidents and generals who send them into battle. In Retribution, Hastings does not leave out the big actors, but what is new and original are the personal stories he has extracted from oral histories and his own interviews with veterans of the American, Japanese, Russian, Australian and even Chinese armies. A fine writer, Hastings conveys many heartrending testimonies. He quotes a sailor describing his friend's decapitation during a kamikaze raid: "His head fell off at my feet. I looked down . . . and I believe his mouth was still trying to tell me something." A Japanese soldier observes his starving men cooking the remains of a dead officer. A Marine on Iwo Jima comes across "piles of dead Marines, waiting to be collected."

Hastings's veterans recount numerous firefights, ambushes, massacres and rapes. War crimes are committed by all sides -- but most methodically by the Japanese. When Gen. Douglas MacArthur refuses to bombard Manila's old Spanish district, one of his officers complains: "War is never pretty. I am frank to say I would sacrifice Philipino [sic] lives under such circumstances to save the lives of my men. I feel quite bitter about this tonight."

Hastings draws an array of lessons from these stories. He concludes, unarguably, that war is chaotic, arbitrary and brutal for the people on the frontlines, and that generals often make decisions that needlessly sacrifice their soldiers. He is very tough on MacArthur, criticizing many of the Pacific commander's strategic moves, particularly his decision to waste lives and resources in seizing Manila. Describing the U.S. loss of 8,140 men on Luzon, Hastings observes that "Japanese barbarism rendered the battle for Manila a human catastrophe, but MacArthur's obsession with seizing the city created the circumstances for it. . . . MacArthur presided over the largest ground campaign of America's war in the Pacific in a fashion which satisfied his own ambitions more convincingly than the national purpose of his country."

But when it comes to Retribution's central theme -- that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were wholly justified and necessary to persuade a recalcitrant enemy to surrender -- Hastings abandons his critical faculties. He is not content simply to argue that "the fate which befell Japan in 1945" was "retributive justice" for that country's misdeeds. In language reminiscent of the patriotically correct criticism of the Smithsonian's attempt in 1995 to mount an exhibit about the Enola Gay, Hastings asserts, "The myth that the Japanese were ready to surrender anyway has been so comprehensively discredited by modern research that it is astonishing some writers continue to give it credence." He calls these unnamed writers "peddlers of fantasies."

Of course, the American Legion agrees with him. But it is an assertion rather than an argument, and the evidence of ongoing, robust debate is abundant. Numerous historians continue to question one aspect or another of the standard defense of President Harry Truman's decision to use the bomb, in the words of J. Robert Oppenheimer, "against an enemy that was essentially defeated." Three years ago, the Japanese scholar Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, who teaches at the University of California, Santa Barbara, published a widely praised book, Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman and the Surrender of Japan, revealing evidence from Japanese and Russian archives that it was the Soviet entry into the war -- and not the atomic bombings -- that induced surrender. But Hastings does not alert his readers to this new evidence.

Let's clear the deck here: Few, if any, critics of the atomic bombings believe that an invasion of the Japanese home islands would have been preferable to the use of weapons of mass destruction. But the critics -- and Hastings -- know that this was not the real choice; Hastings admits that an invasion "would almost certainly have been unnecessary." The real question is whether lives could have been saved by following the advice of War Secretary Henry Stimson, Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy, the State Department's Joseph Grew, Gen. George Marshall and numerous other advisers to the president. They -- and by the way, The Washington Post at the time -- urged Truman to clarify the terms of unconditional surrender by stipulating that the United States would allow Japan to retain its emperor as a constitutional monarch. There is good evidence -- even in Hastings's book -- that this might have led to an earlier surrender.

But while Hastings devotes two full chapters to these issues, he can't find the space to note that Truman, Secretary of State James F. Byrnes and Adm. William D. Leahy, the president's chief of staff, all reportedly agreed on Aug. 3, 1945 -- three days before 140,000 civilians were killed in Hiroshima -- that Japan was "looking for peace." Similarly, Hastings says Byrnes advised Truman that Americans would not stand for a clarification of the terms of surrender that appeared to coddle Japan. But Hastings does not tell his readers that the Senate Republican leadership was publicly attacking Truman for prolonging the war by not giving the Japanese what the State Department knew they wanted: a guarantee of the continuation of the emperorship. Rather, Hastings has this to say about Byrnes's judgments: "If there was a strand of triumphalism in American conduct, why should there not have been?"

In the end, I don't quarrel with many of the facts in this book. But I am appalled by the critical evidence left out. This is both unfortunate and unnecessary because Hastings's narrative is fully compatible with a more nuanced interpretation of how the Pacific war ended. He amply demonstrates, for instance, that the Japanese were essentially defeated before the atomic bombs fell. But the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain a hot-button issue, something that can make otherwise responsible historians nose-dive into polemics.

Copyright 2008, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

Review
"Hastings is a military historian in the grand tradition . . . He is equally adept at analyzing the broad sweep of strategy and creating thrilling set pieces that put the reader in the cockpit of a fighter plane or the conning tower of a submarine."
--Evan Thomas, The New York Times Book Review

"Compelling . . . To the broad sweep of military events Mr. Hastings adds myriad human stories . . . and he does not hesitate to offer his own keen analysis along the way."
--Peter R. Kann, The Wall Street Journal

"The great merit of Max Hastings's many books on war is his skill at bringing the numbers, as it were, down to earth. Through the imaginative power of his writing, we get an inkling . . . of what it must have been like to slog one's way up a cliff at Iwo Jima, or be firebombed in Tokyo."
--Ian Buruma, New York Review of Books

"Hastings has another winner . . . This book is first-rate popular history, stiffened with a strongly stated point of view . . . A close-up and personal look at war as it affected real people, and how it felt to them at the time."--Harry Levins, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Explosive, argumentative, intensely researched . . . Demands to be read. A book of stunning disclosures."--Tom Mackin, Sunday Star-Ledger

"[A] masterful interpretive narrative . . . Hastings is both comprehensive and finely acute."
--Booklist

"Spectacular . . . Searingly powerful. Hastings makes important points about the war in the East that have been all too rarely heard."
--Andrew Roberts, The Sunday Telegraph

"A triumph . . . The key to the book's success lies not in its accessibility, nor in its vivid portraits of the key figures in the drama--although it has both--but in something else entirely: the author's supremely confident ambition."
--Laurence Rees, The Sunday Times

"Extraordinary . . . Anyone who believes that we're all living through a uniquely troubled time should read this . . . book."
--Georgie Rose, The Sunday Herald

"This is a book not only for military history buffs but for anyone who wants to understand what happened in half the world during one of the bloodiest periods of the blood-soaked 20th century."
--The Spectator

"Highly readable . . . An admirably balanced re-examination of the last phases of a conflict that it is not fashionable to remember."
--Dan van der Vat, The Guardian

"Engrossing . . . Its originality lies in the meticulousness of the author's research and the amazing witnesses he has found."
--Murray Sayle, The Evening Standard

"Hastings is . . . a master of the sort of detail that illuminates the human cost. It is the way he leaps so adeptly to and fro between the vast panorama and the tiny snapshot pictures that makes him such a readable historian."--Mail on Sunday

About the Author

Max Hastings is the author of more than fifteen books. He has served as a foreign correspondent and as the editor of Britain’s Evening Standard and The Daily Telegraph and has received numerous British Press Awards, including Journalist of the Year in 1982, and Editor of the Year in 1988. He lives outside London.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating - superlative effort
This is my first Pacific Theatre (in keeping with the author's heritage) non-fiction book and I was totally taken in by Max Hastings' effort. Realizing that this is just a single year of history, the breath covered was remarkable. It was fascinating reading with very little wasted on superfluous wording. Hastings knows the material and was meticulous in his delivery; mixing history and personal sagas throughout each chapter.

I cannot say if there is anything new here for the real WWII Pacific buffs, but for anyone in my situation, this is definitely a sensational start to learning about the Eastern effort. Additionally, there were a couple of chapters on China that helped me to learn about the setup for the Chinese Revolution that comes just after the war.

In reading some of the negative reviews, I wonder if those individuals read the entire book or just the chapters of their interest. Not knowing much about General MacArthur, I cannot say if Max was too harsh on him or if the General was a publicity hound, a good leader, a terrible strategist as well as an ego maniac. But it does make me want to read more about him - will read William Manchester's "American Caesar" soon after this one.

The scope of the fighting and the timelines were dealt with beautifully by Hastings. His ability to pull you into the various venues of fighting and help you to understand what it was like to be there was just superb. The maps of each battle being explained were a bonus.

What I particularly liked about Hastings was his review of the battles and warlord decisioning. He gave a balanced review of much modern day ridicule of many wartime decisions by reviewing each decision with situational facts that impinged on those decisions at the time of the decision. It seemed to me (a novice) that he was fair in his criticisms and with his praise. He raised and discussed some very touchy decision making with the Chapter on the Fire bombing of Tokyo; looking at it from various angles.

I believe that Hastings did a very credible job of superimposing today's critics onto the decisions of the atomic bombs at the time and with the knowledge that our leaders had in 1945. I was simply fascinated by Hastings telling of this year during WWII.

I am giving this book, my highest recommendation.

Somewhat disappointing
This book is the product of meticulous research and sourcing. Clearly reflects a significant amount of historical data that is collected across a vareity of sources. Kudos for his scholarly efforts. But I am deeply disappointed he could not find a better - and less offensive - example of a 'foxhole question' to illustrate relations between soldiers from the north and south. Incredibly disappointng for a book of this potential and a very low reach by the author that colors his treatment of race throughout the book.

ONE OF THE BETTER CURRENT WORKS IN THIS AREA.
This was quite a read and I must say that it has been sometime now that I read a work in which I gleaned so much information from. Like another reviewer here, I am getting a bit long in the tooth, and when I first picked this book up I was a bit discouraged at the weight, length, fine print, etc. But, like the other reviewer, once I read the first few pages, I was hooked.

Retribution, The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Max Hastings is the study of and chronology of the last year of the war in the Pacific. As with Hasting's companion work, Armageddon, the author has given us a sweeping overview of who, what, where, when and, most importantly, why, events were the way they were, and has done it quite well. While certainly addressing the overall "big picture," this writer/historian has placed special emphasis on the view of the common soldier and sailor, the grunt on the ground, the blue jacket on the sea and the air crews, all whom did their part. One of the more unique features of this book is that the author has given all sides of the war, not only the allies side, but that of the Japanese also. Another feature I loved, and learned so much from, was the author's coverage of the war in China, Burma, Thailand, Russia, Australia and the involvement of each of the countries and the extent of their involvement. He has also recorded extensive interviews with members of the civilian population, on all sides, caught up in this horrible conflict. The entire work is filled with page after page of the personal stories of the men and woman who were directly involved in these world changing events.

The author has addressed problems in this work that are still with us today. Having read quite extensively in this area, I found little to criticize as to his facts and the conclusions he came to. I feel the hard core reader and student of WWII will probably not learn many new facts, per se, but do feel the author does a wonderful job of putting everything in perspective. As an example; the author dose make a very good case for the justification of dropping "the bombs," but on the other hand, well presents the arguments that are still raging against their use, and when they were used. Also, this writer is certainly no fan of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and does have some rather harsh things to say concerning a number of the military leaders on both sides, and from all countries involved. This may well offend some fans of these men, but again, the author well documents his opinions. Of course, like any work of history, by any historian, one should not take just their word for it completely, and certainly should seek out the opinions of others before the mind is made up, as it were. Each individual must study, read and form their own opions as to some of these controversies, keeping in mind at all times that hind-sight is great and it is much easier to judge now than it was then. We must look at the entire situation through their eyes, and not ours, and not judge decisions made them, using the values and criteria of today. While the author has indulged himself to some extent in this, he has been quick to point it out when he did it.

This book not only addresses the actual battles during this time period, but gives us a great look at the political situation which was going on behind the scenes, and how they effected the front line and support troops who where actual there. From a personal point of view, I found this to be fascinating.

This is a very readable book. There are a couple of things to remember though. This is a British author, therefore the syntax and vocabulary is a bit different and does take some getting use to. Secondly, no work of this size and scope will be completely with out error in minutiae. If you are one of those that has problems and is willing to write an entire work of because the author recorded that the 76th Battalion did such and such on 4 August, and it was actually the 77th Battalion that did it on 3 August indyrsf, then you may have trouble. I am certainly no expert, far, far from it; even I spotted a few flaws. Of course I do not recall a single history book after years of reading that I did not find as such. These few flaw, and they are few, should not in anyway distract from the overall work. If you are that hung up on such matters, you should research and read the after action reports yourself.

Now as to the opinions the author has come to; you may or may not be in agreement each and ever time. I personally found this to be a good thing as it stimulates further research. I will say though, that the author has back up his opinions quite well. Of course as I am in agreement with almost all of them and I suppose that it is easier for me to say.

A ward of warning: Some of the action and events described here are quite graphic. Atrocities committed by both sides are documented, but those committed by the Japanese are of particular note. It should also be noted that the author is quite anti-communistic and anti Soviet. I.e. Stalin. I had to laugh at a friend recently who read the same book and made the statement that Hasting is quite left wing in his writings and opinions. This could not be farther from the truth and I really had to question if the man had actually read this work or the author's other works.

All in all this was a great read. I enjoyed ever page and do recommend it highly.