War in the Far East: Japan Runs Wild 1942-1943

 

War in the Far East: Japan Runs Wild 1942-1943 by Peter Harmsen

Volume 2 of a three volume series. Volume 3 is scheduled to be released in July 2021 (8 months from when I wrote this review).  These volumes are quite concise and compact.  The first two run about 250 pages; excluding end notes, indices, etc.  Serious students of history may rightfully want more, but I found this to be the perfect length.  Once the third volume is complete, it wouldn’t surprise me if all volumes are compiled into one lengthier tome. It would be just the right size for such subject matter.

This book focuses on the nation of Japan during World War II in 1942 and 1943.  As the subtitle implies, the nation found themselves at a strong initial advantage after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Although the momentum would continue during the early months of 1942, Japan found that they had highly miscalculated how the United States would react to their attack.  Rather than a country that would quickly capitulate and attempt to sue for peace, the people of America quickly rallied behind a ferocious jingoistic spirit, and the tide slowly began to turn.  Although one could argue that Japan still had the upper hand during this time period, one can see the many cracks in their military foundation.  Japan had, in fact, had awoken a sleeping tiger.

This book isn’t all about the conflicts with the U.S.   Those more astute know that Japan actually began trying to flex its muscle by subjugating neighboring China several years before the U.S. entered the conflict, and even before the “war” was actually declared when Hitler invaded Poland.  So we read about plenty of these horrid adventures and conquests of their Asian neighbor as well.  Again, though, the main focus here is on Japan.

Since the book is somewhat short, I confess that there were portions where I would have liked to have more information about the particular event or battle.  Example: the story of the battle of Midway is a wonderful tale that is magnified by the fact that the U.S. had actually “broken” the Japanese code.  The challenge, though, was how to you take action once said code is deciphered without the enemy realizing that their code was now compromised?   It’s a great story in and of itself, but due to page limitations with this volume, the event is only briefly touched.  The same thing can be said of the battle of Guadalcanal.  There have been a plethora of other books and movies about one of the most crucial Pacific conflicts, so curious readers can certainly go elsewhere.  One shouldn’t expect, though, a lengthy account here.  There are just too many other events that need attention in order for the book to summarize the two years of conflict.

I would highly recommend this book (and the first) for those with only a limited knowledge of the war; especially the Japanese involvement.  It serves as a great primer and gives the reader just enough information to understand the key people, motivations, and strategies that would shape the outcome.  Yes, there are tons of other books out there, but this one is good for one who wants to learn the basics.