| Description |
676 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Contents |
Pt. I. Victor and Vanquished. 1. Shattered Lives. 2. Gifts from Heaven -- Pt. II. Transcending Despair. 3. Kyodatsu: Exhaustion and Despair. 4. Cultures of Defeat. 5. Bridges of Language -- Pt. III. Revolutions. 6. Neocolonial Revolution. 7. Embracing Revolution. 8. Making Revolution -- Pt. IV. Democracies. 9. Imperial Democracy: Driving the Wedge. 10. Imperial Democracy: Descending Partway from Heaven. 11. Imperial Democracy: Evading Responsibility. 12. Constitutional Democracy: GHQ Writes a New National Charter. 13. Constitutional Democracy: Japanizing the American Draft. 14. Censored Democracy: Policing the New Taboos -- Pt. V. Guilts. 15. Victor's Justice, Loser's Justice. 16. What do you Tell the Dead when you Lose? -- Pt. VI. Reconstructions. 17. Engineering Growth -- Epilogue: Legacies/Fantasies/Dreams |
| Summary |
John Dower, distinguished historian of modern Japan, casts his eye on the immediate aftermath of World War II. Drawing on a vast range of Japanese sources, this new study illuminates how shattering defeat followed by over six years of American military occupation affected every level of Japanese society in ways that neither the victor nor the vanquished could anticipate. The great achievement of Embracing Defeat lies in its vivid portrayal of the countless ways in which the Japanese met the challenge of "starting over" - from top-level manipulations concerning the fate of Emperor Hirohito to the hopes, fears, and activities of ordinary men and women in every walk of life. This is a fascinating portrait of an extraordinary moment in history, when new values warred with old and early ideals of demilitarization and radical reform were soon challenged by the United States's decision to incorporate Japan into the Cold War Pax Americana |
| Notes |
National Book Award Winner |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| SUBJECT |
Japan -- History -- 1945- http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85069511
|
|
Japan -- History -- 20th century. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85069498
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| LC no. |
98022133 |
| ISBN |
0393046869 |
|
0393320278 (paperback) |
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