5 comments about What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

1. What I talk about when I talk about running - Haruki Murakami
   
   Theme:
   Making best use of ones talents in running as a metaphor for life and especially for running is the main theme of this book. Murakami started running at 33 after realizing that smoking an average of 60 cigarettes a day wasn't doing him any good. Twenty four marathons later and well over fifty years old, he is penning his thoughts on running and the part it plays in his life as an individual and as a writer.
   
   Essentials:
   * You have some talents in any sphere - running/writing. You can just do "as best as you can", by developing endurance and focus, without which one cannot "push his possibilities".
   * Long distance running is an excellent example wherein need for endurance, both during preparation and during the race, is visibly apparent. It is ditto with writing and in general, for most activities in life.
   * You should do whatever you want to do irrespective of the talent you have, but be aware that you are only pushing your possibilities.
   * You need to be honest about yourself, honest about what you would want to achieve and paddle on to achieve it.
   * It is not possible to please everyone, but the key element is to please a few. If you run a Jazz Bar or write a book, you do not expect every visitor or reader to like what you dish out, only a few would. The measure of your success in your professional life is how many of such "customers" you have and how much joy they derive from your enterprise. Though you'd never realize the extent of it.
   
   Some thoughts
   How about walking? Doesn't it achieve all the ingredients of "pushing the limits" and at the same time permit one to enjoy the places at a much leisurely pace, it is much more natural, remember, as natural as walking! It is therapeutic and maybe meditative as well. Agreed, it is not "glamorous" or competitive as running, but it has major plus of being something natural, safe and perfectly healthy activity while permitting one to reach places at a leisurely pace.
   
   P.S
   * Somerset Maugham: "A philosophy lies in each shave": Given enough time and contemplation on single act, the act become deep, acquires a meaning and life of its own. It makes up for a metaphor, maybe a microcosm of life itself.
   * We come back to the rebellion of the existential philosophers: it really doesn't matter what one does, except the cadence one does it with. That is the revolt and that is the perhaps the philosophy that Maugham refers to.
   * "18 till I die" (Bryan Adams): Means that you die at 18!



2. I enjoyed Murakami's previous fiction work. I never realized he was a runner. So to my surprise, when I saw this book I was excited. It's a great read and inspiring - for both runners and not-so physically active readers...



3. Like many people I love Murakami. I don't have 1 favorite. It can be Windup chronicles, Kafka on the shore, Dance dance dance or even Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world. Yet, if you do like Murakami like me and don't want to be disappointed. I strongly suggest you avoid this book. It's autobiographic and has nothing of that magic of his fictional books. The only reason to read this book is when you run like he runs. If you want to read about other people preparing for a marathon this book has some insights you want to know about. If you don't run long distances and just like literature in general and/or specifically Murakami avoid this book. Don't spoil your feelings/associations/recollections by reading this book. Preserve Murakami as you know him!



4. I did not know Murakami's work at all before I purchased this book. I saw it in the running section at a bookstore and decided to give it a read. As I was purchasing the book the sales staff got very excited- turns out they were all huge fans. One person had even done her M.A. Dissertation on Murakami!
   
   I was expecting some running inspiration. What was amazing is that I found an honest exploration into why someone does what they do, written in a way that was simple, moving, and eloquent. It had been so long that I cried when a book was over because it was so good, until I read this.
   
   If you are a fan of Murakami, then the details of his life will be interesting, and are outlined very nicely by other reviewers here. If you are like me and not familiar with his celebrity, then what you will find is a moving memoir that is humble, insightful, and through its simplicities, leaves you changed. Even if you cannot relate to his perspective, you come to understand him and feel a sense of empathy.
   
   If you are a runner, you will love this book, as Murakami speaks of his running rituals and motivations as metaphor for larger life lessons. If you are a writer, you will love this book, as Murakami illustrates some of the insights he has into himself as a writer and his writing process. If you just want a nice, easy read that is entertaining and touches the heart, you will love this book, because it does just that.



5. Murakami-san books tend to be surreal and the endings could leave you in suspense. Hence, this non-fiction gives you an insight to him as a person and what goes through his mind as he runs the original marathon in reverse, his attempts in ultra-marathons and triathlon. Very interesting reading and his coming to terms that he can no longer improve on his timing and injuries resonates with runners around the world.

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

1. I bought this book for my sister so I don't know how it is but it came in good condition it took a long time to arrive though alot longer than I thought we went to the beach and back before the book got here



2. The book was very well written and you could actually put yourself in some of the incidents that happened through her life. It is very hard to belief that this discrimination happened in our country less that 75 years ago. Great read.



3. I was very satisfied with the level of customer service that I received from Amazon.com. As a student, I am always on the lookout for ways to save money and Amazon.com has become one of my new favorite websites.



4. my 14 year old daughter, who is a reading fanatic, had to read this book for english over the summer. she said the book was well written but was not entertaining.



5. I could not believe there were one-star reviews until I read them and saw they were written by kids. Obviously part of their 8th grade class assignment was to write a review of the book for Amazon.com. This book is really not for junior-high level kids, as they will find it boring. And unless they are familiar with Asian-American culture or know somebody who is Asian-American, it will be difficult for them to relate to this book at all. One kid reviewer said the book might have been better if there was violence! Those kids would have been better off watching the Made-For-TV movie that was based on the book.
   
   It is of great interest to those wanting to learn about this shameful part of American history, and for those wanting to learn about Asian American history. As a mother of a half-Asian son, this will definitely be a book he needs to read. I applaud Jean Wakasuki-Houston for writing this book, and to me, it rates up there as a must-read with "The Diary of Anne Frank." Both are important testimonies to the horrors and racism of WWII, and hopefully future generations can learn from them.

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

1. This is an amazing book and a brilliant testimony to the faithfulness of God during unimaginable times. My own faith is stronger for reading Darlene Rose's book and I'm thankful for it.



2. Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose is a beautiful story of a missionary wife who gave her life to God and through her trust witnessed His work in her life and the lives of those around her. She sacrificed her comfort to reach out to others and glorify God, and was blessed for it innumerably. Darlene's courage is challenging, encouraging, and inspiring.



3. Evidence Not Seen is one of those books that make you just go wow! This is a must read for any Christian especially with so much made for TV christianity going around. This book is about the real thing. Darlene shares with us her experiences as she and other missionaries try to survive in a Japanese prison camp. She shares her close personal relationship with God and how He is there in her times of trouble and need. When you finish this book you will know that she serves and Awesome God and so can you!



4. What amazing faith in God this young
   woman had. I could only hope to be that brave and strong.



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 Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family.

1. I was very interested in finding a book that wasn't just dry history. I wasn't born in this time period of World War II, so I was really eager to find a book relating to this topic. Possibly learning about someone who lived through this time period, something a little like Ann Frank's Diary.
   
   My initial thoughts were, this book would be interesting learning about history without any government interference with the conditions of the camps. In fifth grade I made friends with my best friend who had just moved from Japan and her family was getting aquainted with the United States. I interviewed her mom on how she was liking America and the one resp9onse that really stuck out was, I have so much Freedom.
   
   In the Book I realized that many Japanese Families experienced Racism from many nationalities. Children were taken out of school and from colleges. For a few years the students that were attending Universities were no longer able to graduate with their friends.
   
   Having a friend from Japan gave me an extra push to read the book. To my surprise, I couldn't believe that families were living in horse stalls and that people did not have proper barials if they did die while in the camp.
   
   The beginning of the book started off with how this Japanses-American Family pushed their way through life in America and tells us about their family success. At the end of the book I found that some of these Japanese American Families were actually more patriotic than many American families.



2. I had to read a memoir for my 8th grade English class. This book was about Yoshiko Uchida's Japanese American family, who were put in camps during World War II. I chose this book because I was very interested in the war, which put over 8,000 Japanese American people into old race tracks and deserts. Yoshiko was placed in two different camps, one in Northern California and the other Utah, both the same: over stuffed with people and nowhere to cry.
   
   Even though she suffered a lot while in the camps, Yoshiko learned that all the things in life, are worth living. She was a student, about to graduate from UC Berkeley, when they were taken off and disconnected from the "American's". They were stuck in the camps for a whole year, with no where to cry without someone seeing you.
   
   This book gave too much background before the war, but when the war hit, the book got much more interesting and exciting.
   
   Lori Sue
   Northern California



3. "Desert Exile" is a wonderful book that is easy to read, yet totally enjoyable. A perfect book for a family to share together and talk about.



4. Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family"by Yoshiko Uchida deals with a Japanese-American family who were sent to concentration camp during World War II as Japanese-Americans at that time were considered to be potential "spies" for the Japanese government. Uchida started off with introduction to her family, of how her parents met, and how California became their home. Even though she was raised with Japanese values and ideals, she was at the same time an American who can barely speaks Japanese. Her world was turned upside down when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

   Japanese-Americans were sent to concentration camp for fear that they could endanger the national security. This violates their Constitutional rights but there were no public support for their fellow citizens. It was indeed racist of the government as German-Americans were not sent to any concentration camps even though the United States was fighting Germany. The Japanese-Americans had to swallow their pride and dignity and were moved to barracks that were bare and ill-equipped. They were placed behind the fence, guarded by MPs and basically were treated as prisoners. Uchida's vivid descriptions of their living conditions were both horrifying and shocking.

   "Desert Exile" was used by my professor for a History of American West class. This is truly an eye-opener as most Americans are unaware of their fellow citizens' ordeal and treatment. The Japanese-American loss was immeasurable. Not only did they lose financially (from selling their homes hastily), they lost touch with friends and relatives, lost their pride and lost confidence in their government. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the ordeal of the Japanese-Americans during World War II. It is extremely well-written, eloquent and easy to understand.




5. Ms. Uchida chronicles a personal account of a dark day in American history during WWII, when thousands of American citizens were herded into unspeakable conditions, purely on the basis of their race and ancestry.

   The book is well written, portraying the bi-cultural life she led and the incarceration she, her family and thousands like her were forced into under the guise of well-sounding euphemisms. Her story must be read by all who need to know that part of American history and the desire to see that no such evil ever gets repeated.

5 comments about Flyboys: A True Story of Courage.

1. Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
   As a WW11 veteran I enjoyed this book very much. I didn't want to put it down.



2. "Flyboys" is a surprisingly even-sided look at the war in the Pacific, which is most often seen as a manichaean struggle between Allied light and goodness versus Japanese savagery and darkness. The contuining thread of the book is the story of the Naval fliers who involved with the campaign against Chichi Jima, Iwo Jima's island neighbor. Using declassified data, trial transcripts and interviews, Bradley pieces together the story of eight fliers who were captured and mistreated by the Japanese. This is the campaign in which future president George H. W. Bush was shot down, coming perilously close to sharing the fate of the men who were captured.
   
   But Bradley goes the extra nautical mile to provide needed context to this harrowing tale. Early on, we get a broad-stroked history of late 19th century US colonial aspirations, with an eye-opening portrayal of the way America flexed its muscle when it "opened" Japan via Commodore Perry's steel fleet -- an act not unlike a brutal deflowering. Bradley follows with a very harsh (if accurate) portrayal of US intentions and atrocities in the Phillipines, propelled by American greed, ambition and Teddy Roosevelt's racist, America-centric world view. Bradley suggests that it was this history that Japan emulated when expanding its own empire, only to be blocked by the pious tsk-tsking of the great Christian empires-- the US, Britain and France -- who had and were still following the same route when it suited them. Bradley gives us the story of Billy Mitchell, the military Cassandra who accurately forecast the need for developing air power for the next war. We learn about the brutal Japanese military culture, which drove its later attitudes toward American POWs. Bradley covers the Allied bombing of Japanese cities (conventional and nuclear) that destroyed the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of civilians at the end of the war. He ends with the sometimes sordid and little-known aftermath of the Pacific war and the deal-making that kept some of Japan's worst war criminals out of prison and off the gallows.
   
   Bradley's point (made over and over) is that brutality is in the eye of the beholder. Both sides saw themselves as morally superior to the other. Both were implicated in mass death and destruction. While not shying away from the fanatical bloodthirstiness of certain members of the Japanese army, Bradley attempts to show the humanity and moral conflict of at least some Japanese. By the end of this harrowing book, you will have experienced the war from many angles, and come to appreciate why so many Americans and Japanese former soldiers have become friends after the hostilities ended.
   
   Great history told with a flair for the dramatic, the grotesque and the true.



3. James Bradley is a great author. He writes very directly and flowingly. The book reveals what actually had happened to the emen who had a special mission to fulfill in WWII. It reveals the heinous details as to what had happened to the men. The information was withheld from their families by the U.S. government in order to not make the families of the fallen men be devestated. Bradley gives rich details as to what happened to the men. His first few chapters cover how Japan had risen to become a formidable force in the world at the time prior to WWII. Such historical information is crucial and informative to the history buff. Bradley, as he has done in "Flags of Our Fathers," gives biographical information about each soldier, hence, keeping their existence in high regard and esteem. President George H. W. Bush's in the secret mission as a Navy pilot is also told in this fascinating book. Generally, he has revealed what was a classified and widely believed to be forgotten phenomenon as to the real truth about the men who were to carry out a secret and important mission at Chichi Jima. I reccommend this book to all Americans to read, espeically those who like to study and learn about World War II.



4. I first heard of James Bradley's "Flyboys: A True Story of Courage" from someone who was in the process of reading it. As the person doing the recommending had not yet reached halfway point of the book, he emphasized the role of former President George Bush's flying in the Pacific and of his being shot down. This was a story about which I knew at least a little. Still, the reader was quite enthralled and strongly recommended that I read it.
   
   I ordered my own copy thinking that the book dealt primarily with Bush's flying record. Once I started reading, however, that impression quickly proved to be an inaccurate. Flyboys delivers a disturbing but definitely worthwhile look into the horrors of war in the Pacific theater during the Second World War. Despite the fact that the book deals primarily with the barbaric treatment of several US airmen shot down and captured by the Japanese, it is certainly not an exercise in Japan-bashing. Bradley brings balance to the discussion of Japanese atrocities by mentioning similar--although, clearly, much less systematic--misbehavior on the part of US and allied soldiers.
   
   You will be riveted by Bradley's telling of this story. You will also be moved. By the end of this book, exhausted, you'll learn a redeeming and terribly moving secret involving one of the Japanese captors.
   
   John Cathcart
   Author Delta 7



5. I listened to this unabridged book on audio. It was a long listen. The story loosely centers around a number of servicemen who were shot down over Chichi Jima (north of Iwo Jima) and their stories. One of those shot down was President George H. W. Bush (he obviously survived). However, these stories only take up about 30% of the book. The rest of the book focuses on the Pacific theater in World War II and the role of air power in defeating the Japanese. The history of Japanese-US relations and of military air power are also explored.
   
   I found the book to be very interesting, even considering I listened to it for about 14 hours straight. The history and background are illuminating when considering the story of the flyboys and the larger war in the Pacific. I came away from the book with an increased appreciation and understanding on the need to use the atom bomb, the very different psychology of the Japanese, and of the incredible destruction Japan endured. It was a very good history lesson.
   
   There are shortcomings. The book does spend a long time on tangents which can be distracting. It also gets a little grisly at parts. However, I believe most students of history will appreciate this book.

5 comments about Flyboys: A True Story of Courage.

1. This book should be used to teach an American reader the Japanese perspective before and during WWII. Bradley delves deep into historical Japanese views of America (many critics often confuse these views with the views of the author). Bradley cites specific American events the Japanese used and taught to justify their American hate, their militiary dedication, and their own manifest destiny. If you like to read history rarely taught in your everyday classroom, don't miss this one.



2. A book that goes into great detail about the Japanese-Korean_Chinese relationship before and during the war as well as the American_Japanese Relationship is the book 'Flyboys: A True Story of Courage ' . Yes the description says its about American Pilots, and yes it is. BUT the first 1/3 to half of the book intimately describes the Japanese-Korean_Chinese relationship and how the Japanese went from *stone age to massive war machine in only a few decades, It also explains the Japanese mentality back then and how they became like that and WHY. This is not just a book about some American Pilots. It is a (sometimes gruesome)detailed look into the origins of the pacific war and more important the Why's ...
   Edit your post:
   A book that goes into great detail about the Japanese-Korean_Chinese relationship before and during the war as well as the American_Japanese Relationship is the book 'Flyboys: A True Story of Courage ' . Yes the description says its about American Pilots, and yes it is. BUT the first 1/3 to half of the book intimately describes the Japanese-Korean_Chinese relationship and how the Japanese went from *stone age to massive war machine in only a few decades, It also explains the Japanese mentality back then and how they became like that and WHY. This is not just a book about some American Pilots. It is a (sometimes gruesome)detailed look into the origins of the pacific war and more important the Why's ...
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3. The author begins the book trashing America for its Indian policies in the 19th Century, but ignores how Indians brutalized each other when their Asian ancestors migrated to the Americas, and later. The issue is tangential to Japanese atrocities to American prisoners of war. Its an excuse to kick America.
   
   Leave this bilge at the college where you teach.



4. This book really surprised me. It was the first one I read by this author (and I will now certainly read Flags of Our Fathers), and I thought it would be a super-patriotic book about how brave the American airmen were and how awful the Japanese were to them. What really surprised me is that Bradley gives such a balanced view of the two sides in the war, and, while not favoring the Japanese in any way, helped me as a reader to understand the war from their perspective. It also pointed out how horrific and dehumanizing war is to soldiers on both sides who are fighting each other, and how they come to cease to view the enemy as human beings. I certainly came away from the book heartbroken over what happened to the American flyboys and how much their families suffered their loss. I also came away from the book convinced that one should be very wary when a government demonizes people on the other side of a conflict, and how important it is never to forget that all people are human beings with the same needs for love, family, security.



5. This book had promise of telling a story that needed to be told of Japanese atrocities during WW2. However, the author was not focused in his efforts electing instead to tell the story of airpower in the military and trying to justif the actions of the Japanese by telling of what the Japanese held as US atrocities. In fact he himself indicates thet he might have crossed the line when he stopped just short of calling one naval aviator he interviewed a babykiller as a result of a mission he had flown. Interspersed within these pages was an effort to tell in very graphic detail the story of the death of several US Naval Aviators. Overall a poor experience and would cause me to stop and think before I read another one of his books

5 comments about Citizen 13660.

1. Book was pretty much brand-spankin' new as far as I can tell, and arrived when it was supposed to. Super!



2. On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. At that moment, the terrible suffering and war that seemed so far away from America reached its shores. America was no longer safe. People panicked, and anyone of Japanese decent became the enemy, even if they were loyal U.S. citizens. Not so much unlike the Jews of Europe, the Japanese of America were sent to detention camps out of fear that they might still be loyal to Japan and betray the U.S. Among the many Japanese prisoners was Mine Okubo, who wrote and illustrated her biography, Citizen 13660, about what it was really like to live in Japanese internment camps during World War Two. Okubo's account is full of detail and elaborate drawings on every page, giving the reader an inside scoop into what internment camp life was really like.
   
   Citizen 13660 is a complete account of Okubo's life from the start of WW2 in 1939 to when she was released from the internment camp after living in several other camps over a couple of years. She was a Bay Area resident living in Oakland when she and her brother were forced from their homes along with 110,000 other Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. They had to put most all their belongings into storage and leave for Tanforan Relocation Center, which was located in what is now South San Francisco. The living conditions were poor, and the camp was a mess. It was not the ideal place for any human beings to live. She goes into great detail about every aspect of camp life, and it was startling to realize just how bad the Japanese Americans had it. For example, "the flush toilets were always out of commission," (pg. 72) "the sewage system was poor," (pg 78) and their living quarters was a "20 by 9 ft. horse stall." (pg 35)
   
   If you are looking for a book that is well written and a great piece of literature, I would recommend reading some other book. Citizen 13660 is mostly just simple sentences describing the detailed illustrations on every page. Rather than describing her life through words, she tells her story through beautiful pictures. Yet even with minimal words, she still manages to get her message across. I recommend this book to people who are looking for an easy yet interesting read, and to people who would like to know the real story behind the Japanese internment camps.



3. The novel Citizen 13660 is an exceptional graphic novel that describes the events of the Japanese internment camps. I truly enjoyed the novel by Mine Okubo because it used both illustrations and text to describe the events of the internment camps. Another reason that I really enjoyed the novel was because Okubo describes the camps the way that she experienced them. She doesn't add detail to make the events more or less atrocious. In other words, it wasn't a personal attack on the American people, which is what I expected before opening the novel. Furthermore, Okubo provides a basic understanding of what Japanese internment camps, which is something that I feel that people need to learn about. I think that it would be an exceptional novel for junior high and high school students to read since many American history books don't discuss the Japanese internment camps. Also, since cameras, video recorders, etc. were banned from internment camps and since most of the camps have since been destroyed, Okubo's illustrations illuminate what it was like to live in the internment camps. The images of the hard straw coming out of a thin covering that was supposed to be their bed and the restrooms that provided no privacy and unhealthy conditions are stuck in my head. For those that truly believe these camps were created for the protection of Japanese people, I would like you to look at Okubo's illustrations and explain to me your definition of the word protection.
   As previously stated, there are limited pictures and videos from the Japanese internment camps. However, if you are interested in viewing footage of the internment camps, the film "Something Strong Within" provides footage from ten different internment camps. Through this film, you can see the horrid conditions that the Japanese people had to live in. It also shows images of teenagers graduating high school in an internment camp. I found these images to be extremely effective because there are so many things that we take for granted that the Japanese and Japanese Americans didn't have the opportunity to experience. Through this film and Mine Okubo's graphic novel, people can learn about the struggles that the Japanese experienced during World War II.



4. I don't know how anyone could read this novel and not appreciate the text and visuals simultaneously. It would be easy to just read the text, but the visual representations created by Mine Okubo are profound and provide the viewer with a greater understanding of the events that Mine Okubo and other Japanese Americans underwent while in the camps. Unlike other graphic novels, the text and image are separate and not integrated. Some may find this difficult to read the text and than view the picture or vice versa, but the sketches were created while Mine Okubo was in the camp and than the descriptive text was added later to correspond with the visuals. These sketches were a descriptive journal for Mine Okubo, who like so many others wasn't allowed to bring in cameras or video recording devices to capture what she underwent and saw while in the camps. Personally, I found the text and visual continually playing of one another and neither one would have been nearly as successful without the other.
   
   Many of the internment camps no longer exist and what remains, "are pieces of concrete, pipes, and wire," they are but a cemetery to the past. Mine Okubo has created a piece of living history and has produced a personal memoir for herself and the United States. This even should never be forgotten and should be a key portion of history that is taught within our private and public schools. Art is an expressive outlet that provides a means of releasing tension, anger, sadness, and anxiety. During the internment other artists and writers were creating profound works of art to communicate and further understand their own circumstances. For anyone that questions the relevance of this text a film that is worth watching is called, "9066 to 9/11." This film takes a look at the secretive footage taken by Japanese American Internees in the camps and corresponds their hardships and mistreatment with our current predicaments based on the 9/11 terrorist attacks.



5. I, personally, have never been into comic books, but since reading Maus I and Citizen 13660 I have found a new appreciation for art mixed with text. This graphic novel is excellent. I disagree with the idea that we need to know the "deep insight into the feelings of the author"; that is what makes this novel so powerful. She intentionally leaves the emotions up to her audience. This is not necessarily a story about woe is me. It is a story about survival, when life hands you lemons you make lemonade and you share it.
   I do agree with the dark sense of humor within this novel. And I must say I like it. Life was hard for the Japanese. These camps were not easy and sometimes rather inhumane. The weather was extreme, the food was scarce, and there was absolutely no privacy. But Mine Okubo is able to take some terrible scenarios and laugh at her characters, which enables her audience to laugh. It also made me think about what it means to have freedom and privacy. Today, people rarely even talk to their parents and siblings, let alone, their neighbors. As depicted in this novel people were practically living on top of one another. And to be to find a sense of humor through it all shows an amazing sense of character.
   Overall, I think this novel is a thoughtful, selfless, piece of art. It shouldn't lose credit for being a graphic novel, or lacking drama. It should be applauded for the value of the factual, overall picture painted within it. It should be applauded for allowing its readers to be affected in anyway that it may, the book world is full of tear jerkers, we don't need anymore soap opera text filling our minds with junk.

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

1. Japanese Destroyer Captain by CAPT Tameichi Hara
   
   Japanese Destroyer Captain (JDC) is CAPT Hara's tale of his service in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). CAPT Hara divided his story into five parts; Born a Samurai, Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, The Tokyo Express, Against the Odds, and the Last Sortie. Each section details CAPT Hara's experiences at that time and provides insight into the Japanese naval officer in WWII.
   
   My Likes:
   Captain Hara has a take no prisoners with his writing. He's very critical of Japan going to war against the US and is very critical of other naval officers actions (both Japanese and allied). While CAPT Hara's perspective is that of a small vessel's captain, he provides excellent insight into his leaders and what he believes they should have done. This is best shown in the Tokyo Express part where he discusses Yamamoto's actions in the South Pacific and failure to develop a schwerpunkt.
   The battle descriptions are excellent. CAPT Hara provides a first person view of the actions with excellent details on what his ship (or ships) did along with significant contributions by crew members. Most (if not all) of the actions have maps showing the general movement of ships and the actions they took. Favorites for me were the Battle of the Java Sea, the Battle of Guadalcanal, and the Battle of Vella Gulf (there's an excellent tribute from CAPT Hara to the Americans during his description of Vella Gulf).
   My last like is how critical CAPT Hara is of himself and his actions. Whether it's when he's dating a geisha, forgetting to pay his tab, or mistakes he made in battle, CAPT Hara is his own worst critic. All of this is focused to making him a better officer and person. It's excellent to see a person who's telling their story of themselves and admitting they made mistakes (how many of us could learn from this).
   
   My Dislikes:
   Only one, CAPT Hara ended his book with his rescue during Operation Ten Go. I wish he would have included what he did after this point for Japan (you can read it on Wiki) and after the war.
   
   The Rating:
   Five stars all the way. CAPT Hara wrote an excellent book describing his actions in WWII and being critical of the IJN's actions, his own performance, and that of his opponent. The writing is direct and to the point, CAPT Hara doesn't mince words, if he has problems with something he calls it out. Interestingly he also is prepared to acknowledge his mistakes in character judgment and his actions. There are some excellent things one can learn from this book, particularly how IJN officers felt about going to war with the US and a little on the early actions against the Chinese. There are nice photos and good maps that support the battle sequences. I highly recommend this book to people interest in WWII naval actions or those interested in seeing how a man leads others.



2. I was hesitant to buy this book at first; war stories from the Japanese captain's eyes? He is just gonna bad mouth the Americans and say a bunch of non-sense as to why the war wasn't Japan's fault I suspected.
   
   But it turns out he is acutally pretty fair in his descriptions and most of his opinions of the war. He appears to be highly competent and realistic; traits not often seen amoung his fellow commanders. Description of the actions are very good and his career through the war is very interesting.
   
   I would certainly recommend this as an addition to your war book colection.



3. If you, like I, have an interest in WWII, this book is for you. I've read many books on submarine and destroyer actions from WWII and this is the first one from the Japanese point of view. It was riveting and hard to put down.



4. 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. 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 comments about Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman.

1. The movie made from this woman's life, The Inn of the 5th Happiness, was great. This book is even better. There are more miracles told of, and of course it is free of any Hollywood add-ons. This is the story of a parlor maid who feels a call, of all things, to go to China. She meets only discouragement and is told by a local missionary board that she is not qualified. But Gladys audibly hears from YHWH that she is to go. She saves her pennies and takes a train, alone, from England to China!
   
   On the trip Gladys just barely escapes being abducted by greedy and lascivious (to put it mildly) Communists who think she could be useful as they think a missionary is a machinist. When she gets to China - where she speaks not one word of the language - all she has to greet her is a 73 year old missionary living in virtual poverty who had prayed for a young woman to come and replace her. Good thing. The elderly lady died in about a year. Gladys became an inn keeper for mulemen, and a government foot inspector (the Chinese law was saying women could no longer bind their feet.)
   
   Wherever she went she preached the Gospel fearlessly and won many converts, including the local Mandarin who became a great friend of hers. Along the way she gave up her dream of one day marrying and having her own children. But she had plenty of children - I think about 20 officially, some abandoned, orphaned, or bought from those who were going to sell them for evil purposes. She also managed to get 100 children - 3 to 16 years old - over "impassable" mountains, mostly alone and mostly with only the meager food they could beg in their war ravaged area. They needed to reach a Christian missionary orphanage and did so - though at the cost of Glady's health in many ways. As always, people who give up all to follow Abba's call are very humbling, and when they triumph against all odds, we are inspired. What was also encouraging to me was that Gladys was not a bulwark of faith every minute. She sometimes questioned our Heavenly Father, and called out to Him in desperation like all the rest of us. And just as with us, He often answered her prayers at the very last minute!
   
   Though this little missionary had many hardships and trials, I'm sure she would not trade with those of us who sit reading her story in luxury in our climate controlled homes, with full bellies. I guess only those who live so fully dedicated to Yahusha ever really know what true adventure is, or what the truest fulfillment really is.
   
   "When the saints go marching in" I would guess this humble little lady will be among those placed at the head of the line.



2. What an amazing woman - I first heard her story as a radio drama on Moody radio, and was so facinated I had to read her life story. If only there were more like her today, what tremendous growth the kindgdom of Christ would experience!



3. 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.



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. 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!

5 comments about Nisei Daughter.

1. Great book. Classic first person narrative of the times surrounding Japanese-American "relocation" (internment) in the Seattle area during WWII by a young girl turned young woman. The book is well-balanced with humor and seriousness. Many books of this Coming of Age genre are often boring ramblings of someone's traumatic teen age years. This book is much different. It provides a good balance of eyewitness accounts and personal musings. Not only it is a must read for anyone interested in the period or topic, it is on the short list pertaining to the Pacific Northwest in general.



2. I was required to read this book for My History of the American West course, and I enjoyed the book as it was a great story written by someone who experienced the internment, but after reading Strawberry Days by David A. Newiwert, I realized that Sone left out the true feelings of the War World II time period. She only briefly touches upon the racism and the hatred towards the Japanese during that time, and the injustices that they suffered. Still I did take into consideration the time period that the book was published, and the sentiments still being felt at that time. So I would highly recommend this book but I would also suggest to do any further reading of the topic to get a true feeling of the Japanese Internment.



3. As a real Japanese daughter in Tokyo of Today, I very much enjoyed Ms. Sone's narrative. This is a story about prewar Seattle and the life of Japanese-Americans, as well as her identity struggle during the war time.
   With the eyes of an observant Nisei girl, Ms. Sone tells us about people around her, and school life, both local and Japanese, in a positive (somewhat humorous, sometimes sappy..) way.
   This is amazing. No one told me such an interesting story like this. Travel guide books only show us lovely views or baseball stadiums. Japanese school textbooks NEVER mention Japanese-American history and heritage. What a waste. We could share their feelings...
   I could have been a Nikkei(JA) daughter if my great-grand parents had emmigrated to the West Coast. (Actually, they once lived in Manchuria instead.)
   Since I found this book, I also have searched my heart and wondered where I had come from... It's so stimulating.
   ARIGATO, KAZUKO-san ! Seattle does not only mean Ichiro Suzuki.



4. Part of Nisei Daughter's charm is the way Sone is able to weave entertaining anecdotes throughout her tale, a story which is essentially about what being Japanese American in the time around wartime America meant to her. Specifically, her position as a Nisei daughter -- child of first generation Japanese Americans -- is the focus of this tale.

   The disappointing thing about this book is how obviously self-censored the book is. Sone very briefly reveals deeply felt rage and resentment at intervals during the book, only to shake them off and quickly change to a more light-hearted topic. Granted, there is an ironic tone to many of her comments and situations, and again granted, she is writing for a post-war audience that probably would not be receptive to outspoken criticism of the Internment, but still Sone seems to sugar coat the experience just a bit too much for my tastes. By the end, with the patriotic speeches that make it sound like the Internment was as much the fault of the Japanese Americans as it was the government, I was getting a little tired of Sone's carefree and apologetic tone, especially after the highly charged preface. In the book, Sone all but thanks the government for interning her and her family and giving them this character-building experience.

   If you are truly interested in the internment and the impact it had on the Japanese Americans, try a book like Joy Kogawa's "Obasan." It's written about the Japanese Canadian experience, which was even more extreme than the Japanese American one. Kogawa also experienced internment first hand, but "Obasan" is written far enough after the fact that Kogawa is able to give the story more perspective and is able to put a more honest face on what really happened.

   Nisei Daughter is not a bad book by any means ... but it did not live up to my expectations either. Sone's self-conscious editing makes the story seem much more like a novel than the autobiography that it supposedly is. I kept wishing she would drop the mask she was wearing and let the reader see what she was really thinking!




5. Very nice memoir about being a first-generation Japanese American ("Nisei"). My biggest criticism is that the flow is not quite right. I attribute that to the fact that the author is not a writer by trade. The very extensive details that pepper the story detract to the overall flow of it, but nonetheless, this book is very interesting. Monica Sone explores the dichotomy that many "hybrid" people experience: the contradictions of culture, the generational gap made even deeper because of the cultural differences. In her case, these differences were quite extreme: from the demurred and modest Japanese ways to the boisterous, assertive American. She describes many examples of where these differences were patent, and does a very god job in the process. Another excellent area of the book is her analysis of the conflicting emotions she experienced. Here she is, feeling very American, and sent to a concentration camp, labeled as "the enemy". She and her fellow camp-mates experience a collective rage, but it is during these years and after her release that she finally comes to terms with her at times contradictory cultural heritage. The end has very patriotic overtones which I thought were quite sappy, given her circumstances. I wish she could have gone further into describing her family life after camp, and the reassimilation of Japanese into American society post WWII.