RETRIBUTION: THE BATTLE FOR JAPAN, 1944-45
Ernie's Take:
RETRIBUTION, Sir Max Hastings’ sequel to ARMAGEDDON, covers the last year of WWII in the Pacific Theater. Utilizing his trademark readable narrative style, Hastings is able to bring an immediacy and interest to the subject matter while not sacrificing historical accuracy. He is able to interweave the experiences of average civilians and soldiers caught up in the events with the high level strategic decisions in a way that is most revealing. As the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII approaches, this book will make for a great gift for any historical enthusiast you might know.
Description:
By the summer of 1944 it was clear that Japan's defeat was inevitable, but how the drive to victory would be achieved remained unclear. The ensuing drama—that ended in Japan's utter devastation—was acted out across the vast theater of Asia in massive clashes between army, air, and naval forces.
In recounting these extraordinary events, Max Hastings draws incisive portraits of MacArthur, Mao, Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and other key figures of the war in the East. But he is equally adept in his portrayals of the ordinary soldiers and sailors caught in the bloodiest of campaigns.
With its piercing and convincing analysis, Retribution is a brilliant telling of an epic conflict from a master military historian at the height of his powers.