2 comments about Human Bullets: A Soldier's Story of the Russo-Japanese War (Kegan Paul Japan Library).

1. For those familiar with the Russo-Japan War you will be very familiar with the centerpoint of the book: the battle of Port Arthur.

   This book is the experiences of some of the soldiers who took part in the battle for Port Arthur. Originally written in Japanese for a Japanese audience, it was translated first in 1907 (?) and rereleased in 1920 in attempt to show the world what Japanese soldiers thought and felt regarding warfare at the time. Japan was being bathed with both admirition and astonishment for being first a nation that had only modernized a handful of decades previous (a mere 40 years) and second the only non-European nation to effectively defeat a modern power.

   These are the stories of men that fought in the Japanese army during the Russo-Japan war. Reading this will give the reader a look at how Japanese fighting men saw things, and can serve as a valuable contrast to how warfare was and is viewed in the west.




2. The titanic struggle between the Russian Army of Tsar Nicholas II and the Imperial Japanese Army for the fortress of Port Arthur- The Imperial Russian Navy's most important Far Eastern Naval Base- is the setting for this enlightening but troubling memoir by Lieutenant Tadayoshi Sakurai. Very graphically, the author has preserved his personal impressions, opinions, and experiences, making no attempt to produce a operational history of the war. A short introduction by Roger J. Spiller, Professor of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, nicely fills in necessary historical background information. Translated into English by Masajiro Sato, Human Bullets: A Soldier's Story of the Russo-Japanese War was first published in Japan where it became somewhat of a literary sensation
   
   Lt. Sakurai's traditional Japanese military spirit, expressed throughout the book, will seem discordant and dissonant to westerners today. Japanese soldiers of the Russo-Japanese War considered themselves to be the emperor's human bullets; to strike his enemies; unconcerned with their own needs and survival.
   
   In Chapter I: Mobilization, the author declares his anticipation of fighting for the emperor. "At this moment, we, the soldiers of Japan, all felt our bones crackle and our blood boil up, ready to give vent to a long stored energy. The huge sacrifices poor Japanese families gladly made when these men were called to arms seem unenlightened to western readers. Lieutenant Lt. Sakurai proudly states, "Some of them were so poor that their wives and children seemed likely to starve without them, others came from the sick beds of old, dying parents." Their spirit is summed up by Lt. Sakurai, " What a privilege, they all thought, for a man to be permitted to give his life for the nation's cause!"
   
   In Chapter 4, Lt. Sakurai verbalizes the Japanese contempt for the Chinese, "Stupid looking old men and dirty faced boys gathered round us like ants and looked at us with curiosity... they seemed utterly unconcerned or ignorant of the great trouble in their country... The filth and dirt of the houses and their occupants were beyond description; we newcomers to the place had to hold our noses against the fearful smells ...They are a race of men who would risk even their lives to make money, and would live in a pigpen with ten thousand pieces of gold in their pockets. How our army suffers from the treachery of these money-grubbers..."
   
   Several chapters follow in which Lt. Sakurai's unit marches joyfully toward the front, but soon learn they have arrived too late to fight in the battle of Nanshan. Later, surveying the battlefield, Lt. Sakurai is shocked by the great heaps of bodies and their loathsome smells. Curiously, a much larger section of the chapter is dedicated to his admiration and pity for suffering warhorses. He pays tribute to a volunteer nurse who gathered shell fragments to build a shrine to comfort the spirits of horses that died in the war. A Red Cross for horses should have been instituted laments Lt. Sakurai.
   
   In Chapter 10: The First Captives, Lt. Sakurai relates his first impressions of Russian prisoners of war. Lt. Sakurai is puzzled why some POWs gladly except kindness while others bitterly refuse to cooperate and vow to strike back if given the opportunity. He is saddened that many Russians have sacrificed their lives without knowing why.
   
   In Chapter 14: Life In Camp, we are introduced to another curious Japanese institution: Bunkichi Takao, Lt. Sakurai's devoted servant. Takao cooked, served food, carried water, nursed, and gave hot baths and massages with "faithfulness, sincerity, and zeal."
   
   Very serious fighting for the strongly fortified Russian position at Taipo-Shan is graphically described in chapters 11, 12 and 13. . With Japanese firearms failing, the Human Bullets are summoned to storm the Russian positions. The attackers are soon baffled by the effectiveness of well-hidden Russian machine guns. A frustrated Japanese officer states "I have made up my mind to die beautifully today." In the night, stirred by military bands, the Japanese at last stormed the forts by hand-to-hand combat. Later, Lt. Sakurai visits the battlefield and gruesomely recalls the bizarre and ghastly death scenes.
   
   Somewhat embarrassed by his survival, Lt. Sakurai vows to fight desperately and sacrifice his life. In preparation for his death, he fabricates a box for his ashes and a lock of hair to be sent home. The night before going into action, he composes a letter to his brother explaining that he is determined to die in battle.
   
   Lt. Sakurai narrates in vivid detail the general night assault. In the tradition of yamoto-damashii, Lt. Sakurai reassures his men that any position can ultimately be taken if they trust their bayonets, fists and blood curling war whoops. Again and again, the Japanese combat engineers are annihilated trying to cut openings through the electric fences. Searchlights and star shells suddenly expose the storming troops as they rush the Russian fortifications.
   
   In later chapters, Lt Sakurai realizes their probable fate, and proudly bids farewell forever to his assembled attack force. The determined soldiers crawl upward through narrow ravines over heaps of their own dead and dying men to reach the Russian positions. As supporting gun carriages are manhandled through, the unfortunate fallen soldiers are cut to pieces and mashed under by heavy iron wheels. Joining the desperate fight for the top, in a furious storm of grenades, machine guns, swords, and fists, Lt. Sakurai is badly wounded.
   
   After the battle, wandering Russians begin to methodically execute fallen Japanese soldiers. Lt. Sakurai awakens, badly wounded, in fear of capture. Yet, he is rescued by an unselfish survivor, Kondo, and eventually is evacuated to the first aid station that night. Later, during his recovery, he witnesses a man walking by suddenly struck-down by a stray bullet. Lt Sakurai is crushed to find the dying man is Kondo, his rescuer.
   
   Upon finishing, the reader is struck by the realization that despite scores of western military observers on both sides, the bloody lessons of this war were not remembered. The Russo-Japanese War can now be seen as a preview of the horrors of World War I trench warfare complete with barbed wire, machines guns, murderous artillery barrages and futile massed infantry assaults. Sadly, the distressing experiences in Manchuria were all tragically replayed shortly on the battlefields of France. Readers will be surprised to read how Russian POWs were very well cared for by their captors in the Russo-Japanese War, totally unlike the inhumane treatment Allied troops were subjected to later in World War II.
   
   This edition of Human Bullets: A Soldier's Story of the Russo-Japanese War is published in paperback; 27 chapters in 270 pages with large print using 5-1/4" x 8" format. Regretfully, no maps or illustrations were included. They would have been very useful. Just one photo is included - a portrait of Lieutenant Tadayoshi Sakurai.

No comments about The Tide At Sunrise - A History of the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905.

1 comments about The Origins of the Russo-Japanese War (Origins of Modern Wars).

1. Ever since his seminal work on the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, Professor Nish of the London School of Economics has been a historian of the Far East whose books have given much new information and helpful analysis to many students, myself included. This book is no exception. Great detail and understanding inform this exceptional tour de force!
   
   Ian Ruxton, editor of Sir Ernest Satow's Private Letters to W.G. Aston and F.V. Dickins: The Correspondence of a Pioneer Japanologist from 1870 to 1918 (Paperback), also available on amazon.

2 comments about Much Recorded War: The Russo-Japanese War In History And Imagery, A.

1. A Much Recorded War: The Russo-Japanese War In History And Imagery could just as easily have been featured in our 'Art' review section: it's that packed with lovely woodblock prints, postcard reproductions, and other visuals which represented the first fully reported struggle. It's featured here so that no history student or student of Japanese or Russian history will miss the lovely blend of art and history represented here in full color. From photography's evidence during the war and how news filtered to the West to the lasting impact of visual images and chosen perspectives, A Much Recorded War is an exceptional testimony to both art and reporting.



2. A Much Recorded War examines the experiences of the Russo-Japanese War specifically through art and journalism. Entertaining photographs, films, illustrations, cartoons, postcards, paintings, lithographs, and woodprints are all presented and discussed.
   
   The book, A Much Recorded War, was published in combination with the exhibition "A Much Recorded War: The Russo-Japanese War in History and Imagery" at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. This exhibition marked the one hundredth anniversary of the Portsmouth Treaty, ending the Russo-Japanese War.
   
   Fredrick Sharf opens with an introduction to the Russo-Japanese War- its origins, operations, and outcome. Of special interest, Mr. Sharf discusses the interesting experiences of various western observers and journalists attempting to cover this faraway war. He describes how they completed lengthy, frustrating journeys to the theater of war, and battled bureaucracy and censors.
   
   Anne Morse presents "Exploiting a New Visuality: The Origins of Russo-Japanese War Imagery." Here, lithographs, woodblocks, paintings, illustrations, and garments about the war are examined. Ms. Morse reveals the deliberate control of imagery by Japan for propaganda purposes. Even woodblock prints were created in a way that would specifically interest and influence western opinion.
   
   "Reflections of Conflict: Japanese Photographers and the Russo-Japanese War" by Sebastian Dobson follows. For the first time, the Japanese public was saturated with newspaper photographs, magazine illustrations, postcards and films examining the war. Readers will be amused by Mr. Dobson's description of the Kineorama show. This play featured model warships floating in large indoor water tanks in front of painted backdrops. Simulated thunderstorms and sea battles incorporated colored lights, indoor fireworks and backstage sound effects.
   
   Highlighted by colorful artwork and quaint photographs, A Much Recorded War will be of interest to graphic arts enthusiasts as well as historians.

No comments about Rethinking the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-05: The Nichinan Papers.

No comments about A Staff Officer's Scrap Book During The Russo-Japanese War.

1 comments about The African American Encounter with Japan and China: Black Internationalism in Asia, 1895-1945.

1. I'll be brief. This well researched and well written study of Japanese political agendas meant to further and exploit the racial divide in the United States. The outcome of this endeavor and the impact on American blacks is one of the untold stories of World War II. I won't spoil the story for those who have not read the book. I have an extensive library of World War II books and texts. This particular book is one of my most cherished.

5 comments about The Tide at Sunrise: A History of the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-05.

1. The RJW was an extremely comples war. It was the most deadly 1 year war of its time, and Japan nearly lost. The book itself is perhaps the most comprehensive collection of info on the war. But, do not assume that a single reading of this book will bring everything you need to know about the war into place. In fact, despite the great amount of information and good writing style, the authors do an awful lot of bouncing around the clock and calendar. It becomes difficult to know just when the author's passages occurred, and the skiping around can get frustrating.
   
   Still, do get this book and do read it. It will really help understand the developments that occurred in that part of the world from 1850 to 1950.
   
   (Also, consider this -- what would have happened if Russia actually had prepared for war with Japan in the later part of the 1880s and 1890s? What if Japan's intel had been flawed? Could Russia have actually mobilized its 1.1 million soldiers to defeat Japan? The what ifs are fascinating, but in reality, Imperial Russia was a basket case, missing out on the industrial progress other countries in the world were discovering.)



2. The book is a very detailed history of a important war that few Americans know about. Sometimes it might pop up in the History books because Teddy Roosevelt helped bring it to a close. But it is important, because it shows Japan not just as an Asian power, but a WORLD power. True, the peace that came afterwards was not to its advantage - it didn't get as much as it wanted, it was in debt, and nations that had been friendly to it before the war were now anti-Japanese - but it had proven itself a match for European powers by defeating Russia on all fronts.
   The book also enlightened on some facts I did not know of. The Japanese, for example, helped fuel the unrest within Russia, helping bring the revolution closer to reality. The interaction between the Russian Generals seem to be, to me, almost childish but not as childish as that between the Kaiser and the Tsar. The Battle of Tsushima, in which ANOTHER Russian Fleet was destroyed by the Japanese, becomes the climax of a war fought with machine guns, spies, mines, thousands of men moved by ships and trains, and,it seems, tons of luck.
   This is a major turning point in Asian and World history and a great book too.



3. (This would be 5 stars if the maps were better.)
   
   This is a very well researched book on a subject much under-rated in the West. The R-J War was in many ways a prelude to WWI and was fought on the same relative scale and with many of the same novel tactics and weapons that would be brought to bear by the much richer European powers to their mutual exhaustion in 1914-1918. Since the R-J War was partially responsible for the Russian revolution of 1905, perhaps Russia could have avoided the Bolshevik revolution of 1918 if it had heeded its own recent histroy in 1905.
   
   The Warners had extensive experience with Japanese and Chinese culture and history which shows up in their excellent introduction to the diplomatic and historical lead up to the war so that it isn't until page 155 that you actually see the beginning of the war. By that time it actually makes sense to you, in its own twisted way.
   
   Tha R-J War saw the use of trench warfare, the machine gun, and massive infantry assualts on fortified positions. If the European powers had learned anything from their observers in the war they might have avoided many of the same problems that made WWI such a disaster.
   
   The book has one maddening flaw which is no map index. In addition, the maps are not in context so it is hard to tell where on the larger area of conflict a particular battle is taking place. Other than that the sources are extensive and well annotated. There also seems to be a typo in that early on they mention a Japanese 14 centimeter gun as being massive when they had many larger guns available on all their ships.



4. This is how history should be written. The Warner's have perfected the historical narrative to a fine art. They have the perfect combination of the attention to detail, the global view, biographical details on the major participants, and proper attention to military and political events.
   
   There area also the explosion of a few myths: of course the Japanese were daring and intelligent, the Russians were largely incompetent and out-generalled by the Japanese. Basic trends in the Japanese descent in eventual barabarity in their treatment of prisoners was here as well. Japanese DID treat their prisoners well once they were captured, but in the heat of battle they were not so generousl. Many of these myths about the "gallant little Japanese" were purposefully fostered by the British press and butressed by interesting supportive stories from the British military liaison officers.
   
   Japan was not as efficient as she is often protrayed. There was serious lack of fast manuevre warfare in many cases. General Nogi was a pain to not only his troops, but the entire effective Japanese military hierarchy. Generals Oku, Kuroki, Kodama and even the plodding Oyama were much more effective in accomplishing their tasks and regarded Nogi as a pain to be disposed of.
   
   The Japanese did not really effectively bottle up the Russian Fleet in their initial attack. In fact no ships were sunk in the initial attack on Port Arthur. The Russians were really bottled up only in their own mind, but they still managed to effectively throw a continuous scare into the Japanese and Togo did avoid seriously pressing the Russians until he allowed the Army bombardment to effectively sink the Russian Far Seas Fleet.
   
   Togo found his backbone when the Baltic Fleet steamed to its doom at the straits of Tsushima. The Warner's dedicate a lot of time on the travels of the fleet: its firing on British fishboats at Dogger Bank, its time spent in Madagascar and its eventual journey to be seriously out-maneuvred and sank at Tsushima. The maps on this part of the battle are however sparse and I could not help but to have wished that they included more narrative on the sea battle.
   
   I very much enjoyed this book and looked forward to reading chapters every night. Very much a top-rated study on this war. Sources are balanced with very much original work translated from Japanese and Russian and Chinese. All done in a way that engages the reader with a lively and well-paced style.



5. I don't care if this book tells you the secret of the meaning of life, it costs too much for a print-only history book. Try "Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear: Russia's War with Japan" by Richard Connaughton for an excellent (and affordable) account of the Russian-Japanese War. Aside from that, much of the vast text is pointless gossip that is not really germane to the topic. In short: not very good and certainly not worth the price.

5 comments about The Russo-Japanese War 1904-05 (Men-at-Arms).

1. Lately, it seems as if Osprey's Men-at-Arms series has degenerated from its previously decent summaries into a series devoted to explaining obscure military buttons and uniform features. Alexei Ivanov, a former Russian army officer, appears to have actually produced a Men-at-Arms title that is fairly fresh and original, featuring the oft-neglected Russo-Japanese War. Ivanov has not only done excellent research on the Russian side (and readers will enjoy his collection of Russian military photographs), but he has provided good insight into the Japanese side as well. Although Ivanov does discuss uniforms as well as organization, he does not get wrapped up in minor details; instead, he offers a soldier's perspective on why this piece of equipment or uniform item was important. In sum, this little volume on the Russo-Japanese War is a gem.
   
   After a decent introduction and a fairly detailed chronology, Ivanov provides a very interesting section on military innovations in the war (machineguns, communications, trench warfare, observation balloons and guerrilla warfare). For example, few other histories mention that the Russians introduced two wireless radio companies just before the end of the war. Similarly, Ivanov spends the time to discuss how the Russians and Japanese used machineguns differently. For once, a Men-at-Arms title has been written for military specialists and not just model-builders or re-enactors. Ivanov then provides a succinct but detailed summary of the Russian army in 1904, providing details on order of battle, organization, equipment and morale. Although Ivanov spends about seven pages discussing Russian uniforms, he does not beat the reader to death with minutiae. The sections on the Japanese army are noticeably shorter, but quite decent.
   
   The heart of the volume of course is the color plates, which are well worth the cost of this title. The color plates are Russian staff; Russian summer and winter uniforms; Russian Cossacks; Russian Frontier and naval troops; Japanese early war uniforms; Japanese Khaki uniforms; Japanese winter uniforms. The photographs are also quite good, including many from the author's collection.



2. This is what I was looking for about the Russo-Japanese War! Complete research, plenty of rare pictures and detailed artwork about this important and little known conflict between a decadent and an emergent empire, which defined the power distribution in the Pacific until WWII.
   
   Unless it is focused on the land forces, it doesn't avoid talking about the maritime battles which were decisive. Osprey should work in a complementary title regarding these sea battles and navies, as in their Falklands War collection.
   
   Congratulations to Mr. Karachtchouk, he really made an impressive job!!!



3. One of the best Osprey books to come along. It is the perfect, compact introduction to all aspects of the land armies. Unlike some Osprey titles which focus on one area, usually uniforms, the authors have covered everything from weapons and tactics to organization. The photographs here are excellent and I rank the color plates as among the best to appear in this series.



4. With Osprey's Men-at-Arms series, it is always hit or miss. At times, the series books can be really painful to read. The series has a penchant for attracting well intentioned authors who will drone on concerning the most obscure uniform details. Other times, the uniform plates look almost cartoonish in their execution. It seems as though there is no quality control at Osprey Publishing.
   
   So it was with great pleasure and not a little bit of surprise that I read, "The Russo-Japanes War 1904-05". The book starts with a nice chronology of the war and then passes on to the technological innovations that took place in the first major war of the Twentieth Century. The book finishes with a well written overview of the uniforms and equipment of the Russian and Japanese armies. Fortunately, the ilustrations of Andrei Keachtchouk are first rate and complement the text. This book is a fine example of what all Osprey Men-at-Arms books should aspire to achieve. Highly recommended.



5. A very detailed work on a subject with very little English language coverage. I have over 150 MAA titles, and this is one of the top 10. The text and the accompanying photgraphs from both Russian and Japanese archives make for an outstanding detailed read. The illustrations are first rate.

5 comments about The Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905.

1. This book does give an alright over view of the war, however it lacks any meat. The only battle that has any depth is tsushima. The land battles were not described very well, and it was hard to see what tactics led to sucess or failure. The book is good for information, or if your writing a paper, but not a whole lot of content for the military historian. The author does explain some of the flaws of the rusian army, and some of the after effects of the war, however the book seems to be too short for anything more. The book also was a little on the dull side.



2. Almost like the Spanish Civil War which became the precursor to the Second World War; the Russo-Japanese War was the prelude to the First World War. Many of the weapons (machine guns, breach loading guns and artillary, metal warships) were first used in this war. Most of the nations of Europe had observers on both sides of the battles and were able to study the use of these new weapons (which didn't do anyone any good once the shooting started).
   
   The main results of the war were, the first defeat of a European state by an Asian State in one thousand years, the ultimate truth that the Russian fighting forces were more paper than tiger, that the Japanese were to be respected as a European caliber fighting force.
   
   Sadly, it contributed to the continued failure of the Tsarist system to look at reality and the subsequent revolutions of 1905, February and October 1918; and led to the takeover of the Japanese government by militarists after WWI.



3. The book was never delivered. On July 25, 2006, Amazon unilaterally elected to cancel the order that it could not fill since June 4, 2006. I was then asked on August 1, 2006, to provide comments on a book that was never delivered. Brilliant, wouldn't you agree? I am sure it must be a wonderful text, if only I could read it....if delivered, I would probably raise my rating by several stars...



4. 
   
   Not all books by Osprey Publishing are created equal. This book, however, is one of the better ones in the Essential Histories series. The book is well organized and follows a clear chronological path. The largest chapter in the book deals with Russian and Japanese maneuvers. Although the last four chapters are very short, they fit perfectly into the chronological order of the book. They also provide information on the less well covered areas of the war such as its impact on Chinese civilians, Russian diplomacy at the peace talks, and the domestic impact of this conflict in both Japan and Russia.
   
   As with all Osprey Publications, this book has color maps of the major battles, such as Sha-ho, Mukden, and Tsushima. These maps contain just the right amount of information. Unlike maps found in other books, these are not cluttered with extraneous and confusing details. The book also has a nice selection of photos and drawings to compliment the narrative.
   
   The author does a good job of illustrating how a professional and well disciplined Japanese military was able to soundly defeat the overconfident, and thus unprofessional Russian military. In the Battle of San-De-Pu, the Russian 14th Division launched its attack a day late and at the wrong village. As a result, its men were mown down. At another battle, the Russians failed to dig defensive entrenchments. The Russians preferred to wait and use conscripted Chinese labor for these duties. The Japanese, however, made their own entrenchments and were thus, much better at surviving defensive battles. The Japanese appear to have held an enormous advantage over the Russians in the area of espionage. This war was fought in China. As occupying armies go, the Japanese were far less onerous than the Russians. The Russians alienated the Chinese population by destroying their homes and stealing their livestock. This resulted in far greater human intelligence for the Japanese. The Russian navy had its share of problems as well. Japanese spies in Singapore knew the Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron was on its way. However, any sense of speed was lost at Cam Ranh Bay when Admiral Rozhestvensky found that one of his ships, the Alexander III, did not have enough coal. He had to wait several days for the arrival of the 3rd Squadron and its coal supplies. Thus, Admiral Togo had even more time to set a trap. Clearly, the Japanese were able to routinely beat the Russians in both speed and tempo.
   
   Bottom line: the book is an easy read that tells the story of the war in a clear and chronological fashion. The narrative is complimented by excellent maps and good quality photos. The book also provides insight into how this war affected future conflicts. The military observers of the western powers were too biased in favor of the Japanese. They drew the wrong lessons from the war in their after action reports. The French learned to favor the "offensive." A tactic that yielded catastrophic losses in World War I. For their part, the Japanese began to believe in the superiority of the "spiritual" aspects of war over "material" matters. No doubt, this was a precursor to their overconfident attitude in the early days of World War II.



5. This book is a good introduction to this conflict for its 96 page length. Not very in-depth but for 96 pages what can you expect. If you are looking to get up to speed on this conflict in about 90 minutes of reading this book is excellent.