5 comments about The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi.

1. What an interesting life this guy led. Read it, and do likewise. If you dare :-)



2. The best part of this book is the fact that the author does not pretend to KNOW everything. He lays out his opinion, which I usually agreed with, but also will lay out what other people have interpreted things as. He has laid this out in a matter that makes the
   works and writing of Musashi so easy to understand and relate to. The Book of Five Rings is a piece of work that is meant to make us think and practice the strategies over and over again. This book gives an easy way for the beginner to the expert to relate to and open ideas about Musashi's writing and ideas



3. He is too lifted... like a god... who says it's all true what he has done, ok ok... he must have done a lot... but i guess he wasn't the only one around there... he even got beaten too.. is that written in there...
   
   Always mushashi this and that... i don't mean disrespect here...
   
   But write me another book please about other samurais that time... without upholding the facemask of the japanese !!!
   
   Like, what do we know about jinsuke shigenobu... minamoto no yoshimitsu... and lots and lots of others...
   
   you won't fool me by telling he did it al by himself...



4. Being a novice student of both the martial arts and Japanese culture and history (though I have a good collection of Japanese swords--fueling much of my interest in both the above subjects), I found Wilson's book both readable and enlightnening. I have read "The Book of Five Rings" three or four times, but after reading "The Lone Samurai" it is much more meaningful to me.
   
   The best contribution of Wilson's book is his emphasis on Musashi the artist. I did not know previously that Musashi is also known not only as a great swordsman (and strategist), but is one of Japan's greatest artists in the india ink painting style. It is easy to see Wilson's point about the similarity between the total commitment of a deadly sword strike and the brush stroke of non-erasable ink. (This comparison also explains and qualifies one of Musashi's most famous and apparently mistranslated quotes from "The Book of Five Rings": "The way of the warrior and the way of the pen are the same." It should read, "the way of the warrior and the way of the BRUSH," which is more accurate if not quite so profound and philosophical-sounding.)
   
   I was also very interested to learn for the first time that of Musashi's famous "over sixty duels" in fact most of them were not to the death. This, and the extensive discussion of Musashi's art, make him seem much less the grim fanatic that sometimes dominates Musashi's image.
   
   Don't be fooled, therefore, by the inappropriately lurid style of the book's cover art! This is not another sensational/specialized publication for the macho martial artist and samurai wannabees. (I delayed buying this book for years because I was so put off by the misleading cover.) "The Lone Samurai" is actually and elegant and respectful study, written in a way that balances thorough scholarship with affection and readability.
   
   My only criticism (other than the book's cover) is what other reviewers have noted already: Wilson could have included a chapter, or expanded parts of the existing book to include more context about the history and culture of Japan, especially during Musashi's time. However, this did not keep me from being able to follow the basic "plot" of the book.
   
   Also, this is not really a "288-page" book. Wilson has tried hard (and fairly) to flesh out the limited factual material available with interesting comparative sources, but be advised that the actual biography is less than 165 pages, including analysis of Musashi's "Principles."



5. Anyone who is familiar with Musashi's reputation as a master swordsman and the many stories about his skill and bravery will enjoy this book and want to add it to their collection. This excellent and well researched (as much as is possible about events in c. 1600AD) presents biographical information in an interesting timeline that includes all of Musashi's major duels, battles and teaching engagements while including additional material on his artistic and writing accomplishments. Musashi evidently was a true renaissance man during the renaissance time, albeit some 12,000 miles away from Europe. The author also presents considerable information and explanation of Musashi's writings that summarized his life's learning on martial strategy, technique and philosophy.

5 comments about The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story.

1. This is a "feel good" book about a great man, written well by a savvy media guy.
   
   The USA has experienced many times of racial strife, which our black and Japanese and other minorities can attest to.
   
   World War II brought hatred of Japanese, German and Italian U S citizens... during a period that smudged our proud heritage. While most of our "leaders" joined in the blatant racism, a precious few did not.
   
   Native Coloradan Ralph Carr stood tall, and paid a high price, in his stalwart support for the marvelous Colorado citizens of Japanese descent. After Governor Carr was voted out of office, wise Coloradans regretted the mess... and many wished they had been more supportive of Carr.
   
   Schrager has done a masterful job of helping his readers to see into the mind and spirit of a heroic American patriot. The sub-plots flow gracefully in this riveting and delightful book. You will enjoy the read, and be better off for it.



2. Adam Schrager has written a well researched book on Gov. Ralph Carr,some of whose topics discussed in the forties,are still relevant today.One is reminded of Mahatma Ghandi's seven deadly sins of mankind, one of which is Politics without Principle. The author describes Ralph Carr's stance on democratic principles which puts his whole political career in jeopardy during World War II.
   In a no-holds-bar of quotes during 1942 from such famous newspaper writers such as Walter Lippmann, Westbrook Pegler as well as names of common Coloradans, most of them were caught in a tsunami of racial emotions against American citizens who looked like the enemy (Japan). The author points to Ralph Carr's reference of Abraham Lincoln as his pillar of strength when seemingly, Mr. Carr was among the very few who upheld the constitution. This ultimately proved his demise as a politician.
   After reading this book, the figure of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial need not look so lonely for I see Ralph Carr standing by his side.



3. With recent election coverage, we're often reminded of how much we yearn for political leaders who will inspire rather than disappoint us. Governor Ralph Carr was a rare political figure, a truly inspirational man. In his book, The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story, Adam Schrager provides a moving portrait of what the public is looking for in its political leaders. Governor Carr was a man who changed lives and changed history through his defense of Japanese American rights during their incarceration after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Even though I knew nothing about Governor Carr prior to reading the book and I was a bit skeptical about what I would find in this biography, I was touched by the life of Governor Carr and the way he led with his heart and conscience. This book is a must-read.



4. Courage Under Pressure
   by Dick Bennett
   Adam Schrager's The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story, deals with extremely troubled times in the United States. It was a time of the Great Depression and then World War II occured. Ralph Carr was elected govenor of Colorado. Although he was a reluctant candidate, Abraham Lincoln was his role model and when a problem arose he would reason, "What would Lincoln do?" His other rule cas to "Never go against the United States Constitution."
   Schrager gives examples of the elected officials in the federal government going against the U.S. Constitution and the people supporting this behavior. Govenor Carr never wavered in his support of the Constitution.
   Govenor Carr believed in sound money principles. When he took office, Colorado was one million dollars in debt. When he finished his first term two years later (the term of office was two years at that time) the state was one million dollars in the black.
   After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Govenor Carr fully supported all citizens including the Japanese-Americans. He also supported the federal government in allowing Camp Amache, an internment camp, to be built near Granada, Colorado.
   Although I was born and raised in Rocky Ford, Colorado, I don't remember Govenor Carr; but my family often discussed politics and Govenor Carr was a hero to my father. Schrager has captured much of what I learned around the dinner table. Schrager's research has been extensive and complete and he has written his book in an interesting manner. The book should be required reading for all politicians and would-be politicians.



5. This is the biography of Ralph Carr, American hero. He never set out to achieve that title, but was merely trying to help his political party to unseat the incumbents. They had become so wasteful and extravagant that they had plunged his beloved state of Colorado into a deep financial quagmire. Carr's passion for the cause transcended his desire for any lofty station in the party. When his contemporaries recognized how deep his passion really was, they pressured him into becoming their standard bearer for the upcoming gubernatorial election. The reluctant Carr finally gave in and ascended to the highest political office in the state. He never placed himself above the citizen, but always as an equal. While he was achieving his initial goals, the country was drawn into World War II. When the cry went out for nationwide unity and cooperation to help the country defeat its enemies he gave his full support. His only request was that when the states placed their rights under federal control, assurance would be given to return that authority after victory was achieved. Then the federal government ordered a round-up of all residents of Japanese ancestry, without regard to their citizenship, and incarcerated them in camps. Colorado was strongly considered as one of the states for internment. Governor Carr was the only governor to welcome the Japanese to his state, but strongly disagreed with their incarceration. His position was that those who were citizens had the constitutional right to live where they pleased, as long as they broke no laws. The resulting furor caused him to receive severe criticism from his constituents, the regional governors and national political figures. As always, he followed his moral compass and took the high road. It turned out to be a toll road and his toll resulted in a political pink slip. Ralph Carr could have been, and should have been, a nationally prominent figure. The country, not he, would have been the major benefactor.
   
   Adam Schrager did an outstanding job in bringing to light what this man stood for. It is evident that his passion to tell this man's story mimics the subject's passion for a cause. The author did all of his homework, which included apparent extensive research. I felt more like I was living the events rather than reading about them. I was anxious to turn the page so that I could find out what happened tomorrow. It was easier for me to put down most of my James Patterson or Clive Cussler mysteries than Schrager's book. I have stashed away my copy with the intent to present it to my now five year old grandson as soon as he is old enough to understand the concept. It is that good! Ralph Carr was a great man and the author was able to eloquently make that fact very obvious.
   
   I believe that educational professionals would be doing their students from middle school to the collegiate level a big favor by placing this book on recommended reading lists. The subject matter certainly covers history, political science and social studies. Most importantly, it is a specific example of lifelong ethical behavior which would apply to all walks of life, more than just another laundry list of ethics platitudes.

5 comments about The Jungle is Neutral: A Soldier's Two-Year Escape from the Japanese Army.

1. The Malaysia theater of WWII has often been neglected, especially after the capitulation of the commonwealth at Singapore. This book was written by one the the operatives the Brits sent in to hassle the Japanese forces behind their lines. It is an interesting story that leads to many adventures and insite into a complex number of peoples fighting the Japanese.



2. Some of the descriptions of survival & evasion in the jungle were incredible. The first half of the book had my interest more & then I think it tailed off in the second half. Worth reading.



3. This book could easily be overlooked as an outdated World War 2 yarn.
   For years "The Jungle is Neutral" was regarded as the Bible of jungle warfare training.
   For the 21st Century reader, it is an amazing,uplifting tale of the human spirit overcoming overwhelming odds.
   A must read for the professional soldier.



4. I had read a review on the "The Jungle is Neutral" over 30 years ago and finally found the opportunity to purchase and read the book. Book is written mostly as a chronicle of what happened to the author in what is now Malaysia during the Japanese occupation of WWII. It is an interesting read of that trying time and the author's nerve and tenacity (as well as a lot of luck) needed to survive in the "wild." Book is well-written but is often too interested in minutiae. Still, I enjoyed the read and the information conveyed.
   
   Tom



5. This book could have been an excellent five star book had it kept up the action at the pace from page 1 to page 100. Those pages should be given to every western military college and used as a briefing on insurgent warfare. In a two week period the author of this book and two fellow soldiers blew up eight Japanese locomotive trains, numerous trucks, and miles of rail road tracks. This commando team killed well over 500 Japanese Army soldiers and - perhaps - were much more effective against the IJA than the weak and ill led Allied armies that surrendered to Japan in early 1942. The trouble with this book is he author becomes a training instructor for the communists and other non-regular soldiers fighting the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army). So, the book becomes more involved with the day-to-day running of camp life from about page 130 until page 330. So, from mid 1942 until early 1945 this excellent soldier tells about training insurgents, living in a camp, putting up with illness, and there is lots of writing on eating.
   
   So, yes, I read this book. Is it worth it? Yes, he gives good leadership advise on conducting small unit leadership in a jungle type enviorment. The centralized location and ramdom attacks on enemy targets allows a very small group of soldiers to do massive damage to IJA operations. The bits on camp life and cooking get a little long. I'm not making this part up; on every three pages he will give a long description on a meal.
   
   Past page 330 the book gets wildly interesting again. Liberator bombers are used as long range supply drop transports and they are seen operating all over the SE Asia area. The author makes contact and starts living the normal life of a soldier. He admits that he missed the main parts of the war. While he initially helped hinder IJA in 1942 and trained insurgents in late '42 to early '45 it was the other allied soldiers who fought and won from Burma to Stalingrad. The author admits that he sort of wishes that he had been part of that action.
   
   But this is a fair war book and I'll give it a nice 3 star rating. It give insight into jungle operations and how to conduct insurgent actions.
   
   I hope you enjoy this good book.

5 comments about Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps.

1. Even if one is aware of the internment of the American Japanese, I doubt that most people can form any real idea of what it was like without reading a personal chronicle like this. It is difficult to express how painful it is to read, and I already knew the basic story. Sure, now we know that it didn't turn into a second Holocaust, but the people in the camps didn't have that comforting foreknowledge. One needs to be reminded that although the intense portions of a tragedy may be long over with, the ramifications for the people who suffered through it can last all their lives, even for those who didn't lose everything that they had owned before the catastrophe.
   
   Jeanne Wakatusi Houston also wrote a classic memoir: Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience During and After the World War II Internment, and it is well worth reading both of the books for the similarities and differences between the two experiences. Houston was perhaps 8 or 10 years younger than Mary Matsuda, and her family dynamics were quite different, so they really complement one another. Being older, Mary Matsuda had to confront personally and directly issues that Jeanne Wakatusi Houston didn't, although of course her family members did. JWH tells us more about her life after the camps; MMG ends her books in 1945, with only an afterword summarizing the later lives of the Matsudas.
   
   I found the book very vivid. I could easily imagine how I would feel having to destroy so much family history, even being afraid to keep a set of dolls lest it add fuel to the anti-Japanese fervor. And I feel that I have some inkling of what it was like to live for years under constant strain, not knowing what would come next, or if it would ever end. I was close to crying at points, which is unusual for me. The Matsudas lived on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound, which should make the book all the more interesting to fans of Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel.
   
   The book includes a bibliography, a glossary and numerous black-and-white photographs of the Matsudas and the camps.



2. My family was also sent to internment camps, actually some of the same ones as this author. We came from the same beloved Vashon. Being a child of a parental figure who came from that era and having had aunts and uncles, grandparents and great grandparents who had lived that experience but never spoken of it, this book has opened my eyes and helped me understand the severity of it all. I can understand now the turmoil emotionally and physically that they under went. I cried with this author. For even today, in this wide spread nation, I can still see the ripples of underlying current made from this time period and the choices made by our leaders. This is a wonderful book. You'll learn something, and if you don't, you should ask yourself some hard questions.



3. A must. Extremely readable. Should be required reading for Junior or High School students. Evokes a sense of what it felt like to be Japanese during that infamous time.



4. I loved this book. As a Sansei, 3rd generation Japanese in America, I learned so much from reading this book. Both of my parents were interned during the war, but in all these years, they've only shared bits and pieces or vague generalities of their own experiences. Reading Mary Matsuda's vivid and detailed account of her own experience gave me a much greater appreciation and understanding of this traumatic, stressful period, along with a better understanding of basic Japanese customs and beliefs that have guided my own life. It has been a powerful step towards better understanding my own family's history, and I so appreciate that this story was shared by the author. It was beautifully written. I highly recommend this book to all.



5. I'm a history buff of sorts and alsways looking for books on American History. I've just started reading this book and it is already very interesting. We need to know how our citizens felt when they were treated like the enemy. We don't want to do it again.

5 comments about Japanese Destroyer Captain: Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Midway - The Great Naval Battles As Seen Through Japanese Eyes.

1. I found this revision to be a little too generic in the type and spelling, but very informative none the less. I used to have the early 70's copy of this book in paperback. I enjoyed it then as I do now.



2. Japanese Destroyer Captain is an excellent written account of Captain Hara missions in the Pacific theater during World War II. This work gives a rare insight into the Japanese perspective regarding the great naval battles of World War II from early campaigns to the last desperate struggles of the Japanese Empire. This account provides a reason why the Japanese lost the initiative in the Pacific by exposing the ill concieved naval tactics which lead to the defeat of the Imperial Navy. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Naval battles of World War II.



3. This may be one of the best first person accounts of the Pacific theater of operations, that I have read from either side. Not only does Capt. Hara explain the individual battles in which he participated in vivid detail, he also gives his own perceptions of Japanese leadership (or lack thereof) during this incredibly demanding period. With his background in torpedo warfare, Hara shares his perception of both the abilities and short-comings within his own navy, but also those of the USN (praise and condemnation where he deemed appropriate, including himself). Overall a very good and fast paced oral history of the Pacific War, I would recommend to anyone.



4. Probably one of the two books anyone interested in the Pacific naval war simply MUST have in his libraray (the other the brilliant 'Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy' by the unfortunately named Paul S. Dull). True experts and affecionados should overlook the occasional mis-identification of ship types (undoubtedly a result of either negligent editing or translation problems), but otherwise a superb recollection of the Pacific war from the point of view of a famous Japanese destroyer captain.
   
   Having studied this war and its naval campaigns, one thing that always struck me was the peculiar paradox of the near-deification of Admiral Yamamoto (engineer of the Pearl Harbor attack) by the Japanese at the time, and many foreign historians as well. Frankly, from any objective point of view, it was Yamamoto who almost single-handedly ensured the disasterous defeat of the Japanese navy, first, by not in fact taking out the most important targets at Pearl Harbor (the enormous fuel tank farm, and the even more important ship-repair facilities and machine shops), and secondly, by repeatedly committing vastly insufficient forces at the places of most importance, and invariably sending these elements through the most convoluted and tortuous separate routes to get there (each element could be easily defeated one at a time).
   
   Further, it appears that at no time during the war did the Japanese have the slightest interest in obtaining or using intelligence, by either method or desire, and this led them into one catastrophe after another. Guadalcanal is probably the best exemplar of this failed strategy, where neither the Japanes Navy, nor the Japanese Army had any idea of the strength of the American presence there, apparently weren't even interested, and instead committed and lost battalions, regiments, whole divisions of troops and squadrons of ships again, and again, and again, until both the Army, and Navy were bled white.
   
   The Japanese submarine fleet was even more useless, not because of any real defect in the subs themselves, but the ridiculous manner in which they were used. This is even more stunning when you consider that not only was the Japanese submarine fleet largely founded by German engineers and specialist after the First World War, but the Japanese maintained close communications with the Germans throughout the war, even sending submarines to Germany and back several times, as well as German U-Boats sailing to Japan and being used by the Japanese Navy. Yet despite the continued availability of the very finest in submarine expertise, the Japanese apparently never bothered to discuss the topic of strategy and/or tactics with the Germans. Incredible!
   
   With all my various studies of this war, I never came across any real recognition of these fundamental flaws, until I read this book, and it is apparent that not only were these flaws as real as i thought, but that many members of the Japanese Navy itself were fully cognisant of these same mistakes, and yet, were unable to convince their own senior command of the need for changes, and so went down together. Starting to sound familiar?



5. Hara gives an unusual and frank insight in the workings of the Japanese Navy during WWII. He describes in great detail how he fought many battles as a destroyer captain and what he, his colleagues and enemies did right or wrong: many battles were stacks of blunders and were won by who blundered the least or simply was the luckiest.
   
   Couldn't put it down: had to keep reading which cost me some sleep....

5 comments about Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman.

1. Intriguing, informative and insightful of the ways of China in the late 1900's.
   Well written and easy to read and held your attention. Shows a very courageous
   woman.



2. Gladys' story reveals the power of God's call in a woman deemed inconsequential by the powers that were. This biography is well worth reading, and would be encouraging to children who need someone to emulate.



3. Get this book!!!
   You won't be able to put it down, there are many books and even a movie (made Hollywood style, which Gladys didn't like) but the movie let me know about Gladys Alward
   
   But this book, written withe the help of a Christine Hunter, gives Gladys Alward's story in her own words!



4. This is an amazing book that I happened upon by accident. I have shared it with others who were impressed when reading about the life of this unassuming missionary. It was truly inspirational. I highly recommend this book.



5. THE BOOK ITSELF WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I ENJOYED READING THIS BOOK. IT WAS HARD TO PUT DOWN. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ANYONE.

5 comments about Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter.

1. Many American youth are fascinated with Japanese anime, films, and culture. Typical high school students in America, in my experience, tend to understand Japanese crime families to be "legal" in Japan. Accepted. Yakuza Moon relates a vivid picture of brutality and drug abuse in terms that are quite clear. The quaint myth that gangsterism in Japan is accepted is exploded. Shoko Tendo's autobiography makes it quite clear that to the Japanese mainstream, Yakuza crime families are held in low repect. Yakuza Moon's tattoos are a fascinating part of the crime subculture. With American teens' fascination with tattoos, it offers a different and critical attitude which may give pause for thought to the phenonema in America. The style and complexity of the novel places it in the category of adololescent literature. The diction can be a bit abrasive, but probably realistic.



2. The reviews for this seemed positive enough to feed my interest in anything and everything Japanese. I was very disapointed! The book is written (I'm not sure if this is a translation issue) like something a middle schooler would write, if not for the foul language and explicit situations. Really, it does not do too great of a job describing Japanese culture, instead focusing mainly on the abuse of women. Further, the tone of the book is dull and uninviting. A real let down!



3. Perhaps it was a bad translation. Perhaps it was written in a rush. Or perhaps the author just isn't particularly talented. The last seems to be the case with Shoko Tendo's memoir about life as the daughter of a Japanese mobster. Many of the chapters ran like separate vignettes without much dramatic tension. There was little insight into the actual lives of the yakuza, and the reader is left trying to add pieces together. What keeps the pace is Tendo's interesting life, and the trials she must overcome to better herself. When she receives the full-body tattoo, it seems anti-climactic and, dare I say it, unimportant. The tone of the entire piece just doesn't have enough resonance to carry itself. For example, the trite (and very bizarre shift in the aforementioned tone) last line is this: "Thank you Mom and Dad." Like something out of high school essay, I felt deceived with such a simplistic ending. Some passages contained rich imagery, but they didn't last very long. Overall, with the subject and some of the narrative, the book had promise. But it seems carrying out the task proved to be too much of a task.



4. Whereas the samurai encapsulates the image of the pre-modern ideal of Japanese masculinity through his martial skill, stoic nature, self discipline, and code of honor, the yakuza, Japanese gangster, supposedly carries on a number of these traditions in the modern, or post-modern, world, especially the codes of honor and respect for not only his superiors but his inferiors. Wearing traditional Japanese garb, an expensive Western suit, or a loud aloha shirt, pockets full of money from sometimes questionable businesses, and carrying centuries of culture within his being, the yakuza has come to fascinate not only the Japanese populace, but the world at large through primarily his depiction in film and crime novels.
   
   Shoko Tendo is the second daughter and third child of the yakuza oyabun, Japanese gang boss, Hiroyasu Tendo and she witnessed his great excesses and eventual downfall, but she was not involved in the gang herself and therefore is unable or not willing to expunge deeply upon the topic of her father's involvement with the yakuza, but instead writes on her life and how her father's being a yakuza would affect her life for years to come. It is for this very reason that I believe that a number of Western readers are disappointed with Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter. They are looking for a memoir that will feed into their cinematic/stereotypical ideals of what Tendo's life should be like, but instead they receive a thin tome written by a woman who suffered from continuous abuse at the hands of men who were yakuza and these men, instead of being paragons of virtue, Japanese tradition, and honor are alcoholic, cowardly dope fiends who beat on those weaker than them and cower from those who are stronger.
   
   What Tendo gives the reader is a cathartic, honest account of a woman who is connected to the shady crime underworld and how it ostracizes her from mainstream Japanese society. Scoffed at by her teachers, neighbors, and classmates after her father is imprisoned, Tendo becomes a yanki, female delinquent and gang member, and finds herself growing addicted to a number of narcotics starting off with huffing paint thinner to injecting heroin daily all the while drifting from detention centers to abusive relationships. At times, it seems she finds peace, but eventually these fleeting moments are shattered by harsh reality.
   
   Another criticism that I have read concerning the memoir is that it is poorly written, and that it seems like a sordid tale written by a grade-schooler. Tendo herself apologizes about the writing in the book's afterward stating that she has next to zero formal education (she nearly ceased doing school work after elementary school, having become a yanki at 12). Leaving the quality of writing behind, Tendo does have the tendency to foreshadow in a sophomoric way and her moralizing is a bit weak, but the bare bones honesty of a woman opening her heart to the reader makes the overall read overcome its limitations in craft. A fine memoir that attempts to shatter some of the stereotypes associated with the yakuza, Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter makes for a quick and enlightening read on the subject of the Japanese underworld.



5. Yakuza Moon by Shoko Tendo is an excellent novel. Her memoirs kept me reading and shocked me at times. Her life is very interesting and intertwined with the Japanese mafia made it all the better. If your into true life stories, the Yakuza, and aren't afraid to be shocked then I recommend this book.

5 comments about Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II.

1. I read this book several years ago and will never be the same because of it. Darlene Deibler Rose's story is burned into my heart because it changed my view of God and how He deals with His children. Her wisdom gained through intense suffering rings true to what I read in Scripture, and how wonderful to hear someone whose faith has been severely tested come out on the other side and say to the rest of us "what the Bible says is TRUE!" A loving God sometimes allows us to suffer and yet never leaves us nor forsakes us, all the while causing our faith to truly grow and be perfected as we trust Him. Quite simply, Darlene Deibler Rose is one of my heroes of the faith, and her story is not to be missed!



2. This is an excellent book about the consequences in a fallen world of holding on to the faith. It is proof positive that faith in the one and only God sustains even through the most difficult circumstances.



3. Darlene Rose is so real in this book, just as her faith and her God are. She never pretends to be more than human, which makes her story even more amazing. This book never stays on my shelf long. I keep giving it to someone to read.



4. This is one of the BEST books I have ever read. The evidence of God's work in the lives of the people in the book is amazing and inspiring!!



5. An inspiring story of a young missionary woman and her complete surrender to the Lord under unbelievable adversity. God's tenderness and mercies are real in her life and it encourages every believer to move into such intimacy with the Lord. One biography you will not want to put down!

5 comments about Flyboys: A True Story of Courage.

1. James Bradley's book was a welcome read for me because it is about the Pacific air war, although he gives it a very different twist than you'd find in most history or military books.
   
   I picked up this book because I like WW II history and had read alot about the bombing campaigns and our beloved bomber crews. (I didn't know Bradley wrote Flag of Our Fathers nor have I seen the movie.) My knowledge, however, was mostly about the European Theater of Operations and our Army Air Corps strategy of "Daylight Precision Bombing". This book definitely "introduced" me to the Pacific air war which really was conducted differently than in Europe. Bradley, without making comparisons of the tactics and strategy between the two theaters of operation, does lay out very well how the air war was fought in the Pacific. This being... the Navy and carriers had the predominance "according to Bradley".
   
   I say "according to..." because I need to read a few other books to verify Bradley's thesis. But, I have read alot and most everything else in his book made very coherent sense. I was actually surprised he wrote about our campaigns in the Philippines. This part of our U.S./military history is so little known.
   
   Now my commentary: Even before I read this book, I knew the horrors of Dresden. I knew my dad held Gen. Curtis LeMay in high esteem. I knew about the fire bombings of Tokyo - and I accepted it as matter of fact. I know lot of us who grew up with parents that were of age during the WWII period are aware of the Japanese atrocities toward our POWs and massacre of civilians such as the "Rape of Nanking" - BUT! I have to admit that most of us must have gotten the sanitized version. James Bradley's book gives you the gut-wrenching details that made me put the book down a few times.
   
   Some of the critics of this book focus on James Bradley's sweeping accounts of U.S. militarism starting with the Indian campaigns and to the Philippines. They say it detracts or loses focus from the story. Some say this is PC or being a liberal. I went to a military school and part of my duties were to study warfare and the profession of arms. I benefited from a large library collection of old books on military subjects and on war. I remember as a cadet I read a book about the atrocities committed by our troops in wiping out entire villages in the Philippine archipelago. Truly, how many of us in America were aware of such things. Most of us can only remember My Lai of Vietnam which involved about 120+ civilians deaths. And, controversially, Lt. Calley was court-martialed. We wiped out a whole tribe of 5000 Filipinos and nothing was done but a reprimand to the general in command. But, then I realize the greatness of the United States is that we have people who aren't afraid to write about our own war atrocities.
   
   So, despite Bradley mixing in history and moralism into this riveting story of eight individual lives, I believe he is accurate as he can be. To his credit, he uses the first person such as "I" and "my" to tell you that this is the author's perspective. He doesn't try to make it like this is an impassive academic research or a government war report. {Most of us won't read those kinds of primary sources.} Whoever said his book contains "PC" is getting it backward. Bradley is laying it all out in front of us whether we like it or not.



2. When James Bradley finished writing Flags of Our Fathers, he was approached by Bill Doran of Iowa regarding a secret war crimes trial that took place on Guam in 1946. The trial was declassified in 1997 and Bill Doran, an attorney, began requesting all the documents he could regarding the trial, the American pilots who had been tortured and killed on the island of Chichi Jima, and the attempts to destroy the radio station on Chichi Jima. After he had all the documents, he began searching for someone to write their story. Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking, contacted James Bradley and suggested that he contact Bill Doran. After reading the documents, he decided he would write the story. It is a well-written and interesting book. While it concentrated on the atrocities committed by the Japanese, Mr. Bradley also admits that the American soldiers were not angels concerning their treatment of Japanese prisoners, which supports something my father once told me - "Don't let anyone fool you. The Japanese committed atrocities but we weren't any better."
   
   There is one thing that his book brought to my mind that I don't think I've given much thought to - 1/3 of the world's population died in the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1917 through 1919. A generation later, how many thousands - nay, millions - of people were killed in World War II? So, I did some research - the Soviet Union lost 23,100,000 people (the country with the most casualties), China lost 20,000,000, the total number of deaths in World War II was 72,599,600. (These figures come from Wikipedia.) This would be like the destruction of the 6 most populated cities in the world (Mumbai, India; Karachi, Pakistan; Delhi, India; São Paulo, Brazil; Moscow, Russia; and Seoul, South Korea) plus Wuhan, China. (Or almost 19 cities the size of Los Angeles, California!) That's a lot of dead people in less than 30 years! And in less than another generation, the news media was claiming the world was overpopulated? What was the world before 1917, then? What would the world be now if the Spanish Flu and World War II hadn't happened? And yet, we talk about the death rate - especially the infant mortality rate - as being "unacceptably high" prior to antibiotics and vaccinations. I confess to being confused. Are we saying that many more people were born in the years between 1945 and 1970 that we made up for 1/3 the world's population plus 72 million peoples?
   
   Dropping that point, the book is well-written and recommendable.



3. Bradley hit a grand slam home run with "Flags of Our Fathers" but with "Flyboys" he ran a triple into a double. Reviewer Starzec does a fine job of detailing and addressing some of the odd commentary and analysis by Mr. Bradley that marginally taints an otherwise great book so I will not go into detail here. Bradley's writing style engages and flows easily and takes the reader on an emotional course right to the end of the book. This is a heretofore little known story but certainly an important one. This is one for the personal bookshelf. Good read.
   Steven Bustin, Author: Humble Heroes, How The USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII
   Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville Fought WWII



4. I purchased this book for the aviation story, but received the most unbiased history lesson about the two fighting cultures. We recommend it to all our friends and fellow history buffs.



5. Absolutely marvelous jobl! Every high school student should be required to read this book. I am about to order seven of the books to give to friends and family members. My father died after being shot down while a gunner on a B-24 bomber in March of 1944. As I read the book, I realized - even though he must have experienced some terrible minutes going to his death - how fortunate he was to not have been captured. I also spent some two plus years in Japan as a member of the occupation forces and found the Japanese people to be, like most Americans, sensitive,kind and ashamed of any military personnel and the political leaders who tolerated atrocities of any kind.
   
   Michael Dunne Healy

5 comments about Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience During and After the World War II Internment.

1. Farewell to Manzanar is a novel about a girl and her family going into an internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
   This book is very well written. It explains the struggles that many Japanese people went through during World War Two and Pearl Harbor during the early 1940s. This books states how it was like to be Japanese inside an interment camp and the uncertainty of what was going to happen the next day. This book is based on one main thing, oppression. It is a novel based on oppression because there is negative power being used by the government for only one specific social group or race, which in this case are Japanese people. The main characters in this book are the father who is taken away from his family by the government and his family, who is not sure when he is coming back. The mother is a strong, independent woman during the novel and Kiyo, who is the little brother, is always trying to make someone laugh. Finally there is Martha, who is the girl telling the family's story.
   
   Overall, I think this is a good book to read because you get to see what Japanese Americans' experiences were like in internments camps and what it felt like to not know what was going on or coming next. -by Carlos
   
   Martha remembers lots of things, but this one she will never forget. She remembers it was December and there had to be about 20-25 boats bombed in Pearl Harbor. Her dad is taken away from her house, because the U.S wants to get information from all Japanese Americans to check and see if they are responsible for Pearl Harbor.
   
   In my opinion, this girl suffered more than anyone I know, because she loses everything. She loses her dad, her family, and also her house. There is nothing left for her. I've never seen my dad, but I would hate to have seen him then lose him. Her family is taken to Manzanar, a Japanese internment camp. She is with them, but not living the way she wants to. She is with her brother and mother in the camp. She loses her house, because the U.S thinks she is potentially responsible for Pearl Harbor, or has something to do with it. Overall, I think this book is very good because it gives you very good details on how a little girl experiences a traumatic event at a young age. -by Chavez
   
   A Farewell to Manzanar is a very well written book. It is about a little Japanese girl and what her family had to go through during three years in the Japanese interment camp, Manzanar. There are things she loses like her dad, her house, and her personal belongings. While she is in the interment camp, she goes to school. She has to get permission from parents to spend time with their children while in the camp. Her dad gets taken because the FBI finds evidence that the father has been giving Japan fuel and oil. They are wrong, but just like that, take him away.
   
   Its really interesting reading what the little Japanese girl has to go through in the interment camp. She stands strong even though her dad is taken away. Even though she suffers, she still keeps on strong. It's a good example that even though things might seem hard, there is always a solution for everything. -by Elsie



2. This is the greatest film depicting life in the Manzanar camp in the California desert. It should teach us all about prejudice and where it brings us.



3. i read this book when i was about 11 and purchased it for my 12 yr old son last month. he loved it as much as i did. loves to read, loves world war ii history and had no idea that the u s had holding camps for u s citizens of japanese descent. started a diolog with his g'pa, s f born and bred, about japanese americans he'd known as a child who were imprisoned. should be required reading for all



4. and my children like it. It is a great book to read with your children on one of the internment camps during wwII in America. The first person account is wonderful. I don't know why so many kids thought it was boring. No, there are no bombs going off, a lot of gun shooting, or killing with blood and guts but it is still a great book.



5. This book is required reading for my daughters freshman high school English course. Amazon didnt carry the 'cliffnotes' yet I found another seller through Amazon; of course, then the books were shipped separately.
   
   Excellent topic considering our local Japanese-American history during WWII.