Review by Martin Koenigsberg
The Japanese did not get long to enjoy their Empire. Try as they might to squeeze every last drop of toil and plunder they could from their ill-gotten gains- they only got to do it for less than 4 years. Jon Diamond, MD is a Doctor by trade, but a Historian and Image Curator as well, and he does a good job here. He tells the story of the Allied Victory by showing us photos mainly from 1944 and ’45, but sometimes from earlier to set up late war pics. Sections with prose introduce each topic but the pics are the star of the show. Not all images are “rare”- but all are compelling to illustrate the overall narrative. The Allied advanced on all fronts and bombarded all Japanese positions in the Pacific- even those they had deftly bypassed. No Japanese territory was safe- nor was it well supplied, for the Allied Navies had ruined most logistical organisation. My father was one of those young men in the Pacific- learning a whole new Geography for a kid from Brooklyn. It’s a bit shocking to see how young they often were- 18, 19, and 20 so many of them. But you also see the energy and drive they had to get the job done. The fruition of this new weapon air power is also bouncing off the page- not just the A-Bomb dropping- but Carrier power, and the miracle of Air- Dropped or Air delivered supplies. This is a book for the general reader to learn how wide the war really was- and for the Military history buff to see late war gear in action. Most of the adult themes are political, but there were atrocities on all fronts the Japanese fought, and there are images of corpses in the book, so the Junior Reader over 13/14 years will get the most from the book. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, a nice fit. The Gamer will see ideas for scenarios and campaigns- but not get direct help. The modeler will see many build/diorama ideas- but will need a colour resource or two as all these are black and white photos. The Military Enthusiast will be reminded of the Massive scope and breadth of the Pacific War with its clear Naval, Air, Amphibious, and ground campaigns all working toward the end of the Empire of the sun. I think the general audience reader will also find this a useful history with its compelling photos. Nice work, doc.
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