- Hardcover: 426 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Press; First edition edition (1 Oct 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0593044827
- ISBN-13: 978-0593044827
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 4.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,316,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
There are times when the British Royal family doesn't seem quite so bad. There may have been the odd Nazi sympathiser in the past and the present bunch might be out of touch but they've along way to go before they hit the depths of their Japanese counterparts. The chances are that most Westerners will know next to nothing of the Yamato, Japan's current imperial family, whose dynasty began with Emperor Meiji in 1852. In which case, we have something in common with the Japanese. Most of Japan's modern history has been erased from the post-war text books and a whole generation has grown up knowing nothing of the Rape of Nanking, Pearl Harbor, the Second World War death camps and countless other atrocities. All that remains are Hiroshima and Nagasaki, symbols of Japan's eternal innocence.
Sterling Seagrave corrects these falsehoods and exposes the collusion and corruption that have been at the heart of the post-war Japanese economic miracle. And far from being symbolic reminders, atableau vivant (just), of an ancient past as the Japanese royal family is sometimes portrayed, Seagrave points out that it has been at the epicentre of venality and cruelty. Prince Chichibu, Emperor Hirohito's brother, turns out to have been the mastermind behind Golden Lily, the systematic looting of every country Japan occupied in the pre-war years. Prince Yasuhiko was the brains behind the Rape of Nanking. And dear old Hirohito was so hands-on during the war that he could have halted Pearl Harbor. Moreover, the royal family were so far in bed with the zaibatsu, the corporate ruling elite, that it made a fortune out of the war while the rest of the nation starved.
That none of this has come out before is only partly due to Japanese revisionism. We, too, have to share the blame. We had the evidence to try some of the Imperial Family as war criminals, but we chose not to. So, Seagrave's book makes uncomfortable reading for all concerned. --John Crace
Product Description
A collective biography of the Japanese Imperial family, covering five generations from the Meiji Restoration of the nineteenth century. Reveals the true nature of the dynasty that has been shrouded in myth and legend. Includes details of the imperial family's involvement in war crimes and the details of the wartime looting operations.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Well... what a fascinating book. I was hooked all the way through by the extremly readable style and obviously well researched content. My one criticism is the use of subjective comments by the author. For example, when it is stated that Hitler & Stalin would have been proud of the way that Japanese powermongers married the government, gangsters and corporations together. And I'm afraid the overuse of the 'frog in a well' metaphore.. (perhaps it's because I'm British!!) Despite these criticisms, I found that this book was fascinating for 2 reasons: Firstly, from a historical point of view - the hereto uncharted history of the Japanese royal family's involvement in the second world war, it's atrocities and the rape of nations wealth. Secondly, because it helps to explain modern Japan and it's people. I have often wondered how sociologically, the Japanese people can sometimes think that they won the war and how little they actually know about WWII. The 'invisible men' of Japan have really had a massive impact on the Japanese psyche and know I have an inkling of why and how. The book will be excellent reading for people interested in either aspect of Japan. It would be interesting to know if this book has been translated into Japanese... and if so, how it was recieved by the Japanese people. One last comment. I would love to read more about the Yakuza's history and their involvement in Japanese corporation and government.... I think Sterling Seagrave is the person to do it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Seagrave, in his introduction, claims to exploit new sources to present a fresh viewpoint on a controvercial issue - how responsible Hirohito was for WWII. This book tackles that issue, as well as many more; examining the role of the Imperial Dynasty in Japan, the extent of their power, and the secretive oligarchy that surrounds them. Seagrave follows the public and private lives of Japanese emperors from the Meiji restoration to the present, including information on their wives, children, and the people that surrounded them. Seagrave is always accessible, easy to read, and litters his text with interesting and humourous anecdotes, which make him one of the most readable historians on Asian history. I loved this book!
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