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by Courtney Browne (Author)
General, minister of war, prime minister, and unrepentant ultranationalist, Hideki Tojo (1884-1948) was the most powerful leader in the Japanese government during World War II. From October 1941 to July 1944 he held unquestioned control, advocating and setting in motion the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as pushing forward the Japanese offensives in China, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. The author examines Tojo's life against the backdrop of increasing Japanese militarism--Civil war, political assassinations, and coup d'états--and uses exclusive interviews with Tojo's wife to illuminate the spartan, single-minded, incorruptible personality of the man who chose war rather than succumb to U.S.-induced economic strangulation. From the initial victories, through the later severe defeats and Tojo's resignation, to his thwarted suicide attempt, trial as a war criminal, and execution, no other book offers such a clear and compelling portrait.
Author Biography
In addition to having served as a British major in India, Burma, and China during World War II, Courtney Browne (1915-1994) had a deep knowledge of, and many personal encounters with, Japan. He was a member of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force; a witness to the War Crimes Trials; one of the few foreigners to win the confidence of Tojo's wife; and a resident of Japan for a decade.
