5655. The Fall of Japan, by William Craig (read 22 Oct 2019) This book was published in 1967 so it has some perspective on its subject. It relies on memoirs, and many interviews which are listed but with no specificity. But the book is well put together and I found it consistently absorbing reading, with no dull page in the whole book. It concerns itself mainly with the events of July to September 1945--momentous days indeed, which I lived though with high attention to the events leading to the end of the war and the occupation of Japan. It covers well the events which led me to so appreciate Japan's Longest Day (read by me on 11 April 1982) but that covered only one day whereas this book covers well the events between Aug 6 and the Emperor's words to the country on Aug 12--the first time Hirohito ever spoke on the radio. The book covers many events not known well to me, such as the liberation of General Wainwright and Tojo's botched suicide attempt. There was no time in the reading of this book that I was less than fully caught up in the words in the book. It fully deserves the five stars I give it. ( )

A unique and utterly fascinating description of the situation in Japan and the events that unfolded in the last two weeks of WW II. I literally had never known a great deal of these things, and I've been studying that war for decades. It provides an interesting perspective and context unlikely to be found anywhere else. Excellent book. Definitely recommended! ( )

Well done and concise ( )

Though some might debate when a book called "The Fall of Japan" might start--arguably, Japan's fall began as early as its defeat at the Battle of Midway--this book generally focuses on a timeline from the Potsdam Conference (with a little prologue about Okinawa) through the signing of Japan's official surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri.

The justification typically given for the dropping of the atomic bombs was that the alternative would be an American invasion of the home islands of Japan that would have cost many hundreds of thousands of (American) lives. That might have been. But most of those in authority in Japan knew well before Hiroshima and Nagasaki that the war was lost. The whole kamikaze phenomenon was an act of desperation. Still, there was a faction of Japanese, moved by honor and stoked by fanaticism, who would have fought to the death (and who were willing to, even after Hiroshima and Nagasaki). When the Emperor spoke for surrender, this faction was willing to stoke civil war--a short-lived uprising even led to the assassination of several officials. But the fanatics were far outnumbered by those who would not disobey their Emperor.

William Craig details these dramatic days, and all the confusion and trauma involved with the surrender. What is remarkable is that, given as honor-bound as Japanese society was, the surrender actually went through as smoothly as it did. If the Japanese did not have an Emperor with the courage to speak for surrender (this was the only time Hirohito exercised his authority in any political sense), and they were not a society that revered him, things could have gone very differently.

Craig enlightens about a short, yet significant time in modern world history of which many are no doubt unaware. ( )

Yes, the same William Craig who wrote Enemy at the Gates. His reputation has suffered from the revelation that the famous duel of snipers in the ruins of Stalingrad probably didn't take place, but not much; he would hardly be the first author taken in by Soviet propaganda.

This book is also something of a classic, having been first published in 1967. And, you know? It's really, really good. I'm surprised Set hasn't already reviewed it; yes, another loaner from him. I'm happy to step up.

The story picks up with the kamikaze attacks in the Philippines, and the desperation they signaled among the Japanese. This is followed by a fairly brief description of the firebombing campaign against Japan, with some harrowing descriptions of the terror in the streets of Tokyo. The theme that begins to emerge is that the Japanese military was nucking futs about any thought of making peace. The early attempts to find a way to negotiate an end to the war, and the squelching of those attempts by Army and Navy, get a chapter. I did not realize Toyoda was such a hardliner.

There are then three chapters on the development and use of the first nuclear bombs. Interesting tidbit: It was originally Fat Man and Thin Man, and the hope was that any enemy agent overhearing the names would mistake them for references to Churchill and Roosevelt. I suppose that's a plausible take on hearing that "Fat Man and Thin Man are going to end the war." However, the gun barrel was greatly shortened in the final Thin Man design and it became Little Boy.

Best account I've read so far of the Nagasaki mission. This has become controversial; depending on the source, the bomb was supposed to be aimed at the Urakami Valley and that's where it hit, or it was aimed at the center of the city by radar against orders and landed a mile and a half off target, or it was supposed to be aimed at the city center, was aimed for whatever reason at a stadium a mile and a half off target, and landed pretty much where it was aimed. Craig's is the latter theory, and since his account is the best I've read so far, I'll go with it.

The descriptions of bomb damage are harrowing, especially for Nagasaki, which for some reason Craig keeps coming back to. (Hiroshima is hardly mentioned after it is bombed.)

The largest and best part of the book deals with the intrigues and negotiations that finally led to the surrender. And that's just within Japan. Anyone who glibly asserts that the bombs were unnecessary because Japan was about to surrender anyway is not looking honestly at the record, which shows it was a very near thing even with the bombs.

An excellent account of the attempted coup following the decision to surrender. Making the decision stick was as hard as making the decision.

This is followed by lots of suicides. A couple of the generals were badgered into suicide by their wives. Craig dryly mentions that one couple went to bed somewhat tense with each other after the wife demanded that the husband redeem his honor. Gee, ya think? In fairness (if that's the right way to put it) this particular wife dutifully killed herself with cyanide once her husband had done his own duty (as she saw it.)

A thorough description of the actual process of arranging surrender and bringing in the first occupation troops. Descriptions of OSS parachute jumps into northern China to rescue POWs. Not all those in Japan were reached in time; at least 66 were murdered after the surrender. One of the OSS leaders was a certain John Birch.

A brief modern day Telemachy.

Finally, Yamashita hangs. An interesting place to wind up the story.

I found only one obvious mistake: MacArthur did not lose nearly all his aircraft on the first day of the war. He lost about half. That, of course, was disastrous enough.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up. ( )