Asia Books

This is an outstanding book for understanding why the US military has such problems with confronting insurgency. Counterinsurgency is never easy, but the US has proved monumentally incompetent across generations of command. The book's thesis is that bad counterinsurgency doctrine made a successful intervention in Vietnam impossible, and that the conflict was lost as soon as it began.

The most crucial misconception is that there is no such thing as an organic, self developed insurgency. Insurgency was seen as the policy of a foreign nation seeking to intervene within a country, likely as a prelude to invasion. Insurgencies were dependent on foreign support for supplies, bases and command. Combatting an insurgency required severing the link between the foreign support and the insurgents.

Related to this was a belief that light military pressure, or even just the presence of US forces could compel the withdrawl of insurgent support, because such a presence would signify US resolve to oppose an invasion or intervention.

The application of this logic led to a dynamic where the US pressured North Vietnam in retaliation for VC attacks. North Vietnam interpreted that pressure not as a response to it's own policies but as a direct attack upon it's existence. Consequently it increased rather then decreased supplies and support for the VC, ultimately sending not just supplies but regular troops. In essence the US created exactly the scenario it's policies were intended to prevent.

That this is happening again in Iraq and Iran suggests too few people in command read this book.

I had the great privilege of taking many of Dr. Cable's classes while I was at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Dr. Cable is a true gift to the historical field. His courses were difficult, but his amazing story-telling ability shines both in class and in both of his books (conflict of myths and unholy grail). While reading his books, I can actually still hear his delivery and cadence. As we go further into a time when local squabbles and terrorists will engage the attention of our foreign policy, his writings and experiences are all the more appropriate.

Dr. Larry Cable's experience and intellectual appraisal for the counterinsurgency role of the U.S. armed forces in Southeast Asia are placed into perspective. While not completely supporting all U.S. activities regarding the reduction of irregular forces, Cable examines the reality on the ground that was the wake-up call for American military leaders in Vietnam. An extremely effective and important book that should be read as much for the intellectual value as the historical value.

This book analyzes how the US came to adopt the policy of using conventional tactics to fight the insurgency in Vietnam. It provides a great analysis of the American way of conducting war and gives examples of attempts to fight the war in other means. Author has/had first hand knowledge of what was going on behind the scenes in the 60's. This book is required reading at many military schools which realize our past failures and are trying to teach current military personnel how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

You have to hand it to the Brits: there were elements of almost mystical grace about the way they lost, or shall we say misplaced, their Empire.

On dune and headland sank indeed the fire. But in its fading glow there were elements of decency and heroism, including Britain's lonely fight against Nazi Germany, survivors in the South Atlantic in 1982 singing "look on the bright side of life", and here, the conquest of Everest by a bunch of amateurs and jolly Sherpas, the latter being drunk most of the time on Strange Brew indeed.

Chronicled by a bloke who later became a lass who carried the message to Garcia with Tom Brownian pluck, who played up, played up, and played the game so that a chit of a girl could add a jewel to her crown, in a land no longer British.

Having stumbled around mountains myself courtesy of the patient tutelage of Outward Bound, another British invention, I can relate to a non-mountaineer slogging up into the thin cold air. And rather than sentimentalising mountain vistas when they are seen up close and personal, Morris makes it clear that these places are alternately glorious, unearthly in their beauty, and demon-haunted, and terrible in their menace.

The worst aspect of mountaineering for the tyro is, as Morris shows, the descent when everything has been done, but instead of basking in your accomplishment, you have to slog down, and gravity becomes your mortal enemy, driving weary bones into each other and mocking a descent that turns into another fall of man:

From what height thou see'est, into what pit fall'n

Sentimentalists in the American wilderness wonder at the bad temper of pioneers who name such picture postcard views, Devil's Leap, Hell's Rockyard, Lucifer's Barstool and Jornado del Muerte. They need only walk the walk on the talking rocks that mock you in the sun, or on Morris' ice falls turning into vile mush to realize that we have to earn our ticket to the Sublime.

Morris describes in this re-issued book, published long ago right after the great events, a gone world. Today, on Everest, every prospect pleases (well, many do) but only man is vile, and can pass people dying in the Yuppie way. That wouldn't have occured to the men he describes.

The solution to the transmission problems alone is worth the price of the book: like the book The Victorian Internet, this book shows that before the Internet, the urge to connect time and space was real and people were willing to do what was necessary to get the message to Garcia.

It is nobler to think that the Empire ended at "Coronation Everest", the decent bits, anyway. The Empire of time-serving colonial pukka sahibs and their impossible wives ended at Suez. The Empire of ideals, of Bertrand Russell, of hymn singing when the ship went down, of genuinely decent people doing their best, that ended on top of the world the week before the Coronation.

This is a wonderfully written book of the events surrounding the historic Everest expedition of 1953 which saw Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay summit Mount Everest. It was written by special correspondent for The London Times, James Morris, who accompanied the expedition and first broke the news to the world of the successful summit. The news fortuitously reached England on the eve of Queen Elizabeth's the II coronation of June 2, 1953, and was the cause for much nationalistic pride. Hence, the name of the book.

The book is reflective of the time in which it was written and evokes a feeling of an era long gone. Therein lies its charm. Nostalgia buffs will love it, as will those readers looking to consume anything about Everest. It will not disappoint, though the book is not about the climb to the summit in the strictest sense. The book chronicles in great detail the author's journey to Everest, as well as his personal experiences and observations while at Everest, waiting to break the story of the end result of the historic climb to the summit. It also chronicles the cloak and dagger methodology which he employed in order maintain exclusivity for The London Times.

It should be noted in the interest of clarity and to avoid confusion, that times do indeed change. The author, James Morris, underwent a gender change subsequent to the original 1958 publication of this book. When the book was released again, however, the publisher did so under the name which the author had since adopted, Jan Morris. James or Jan, the author is a hell of a writer, and the book is well worth reading.

Although the outcome is known, there is much to be gained from reading this book.

Apart from the specific history of the climb which 'conquered' Everest (a much-used but dubious claim about one of the great feats of human endeavour, and one not used by those involved), I was particularly interested in several aspects:

* The description of the expedition took place, the mechanics of it from someone outside the actual expedition;
* The non-mountaineer's view of mountain-climbing and experiences in the Khumbu ice-fall and Western Cwm especially. This was the experience many an armchair-Everesteer would wish for themselves, I am sure;
* The journalist's view of the people involved - all the other accounts I have read have been written from the point of view of being 'insiders' in the ecpedition - Hunt, Hillary, Tenzing, for example
* The mechanics of how Morris set up 'exclusive' media coverage from the mountain! It is amazing to think that it was a mere 50 years ago that messages were taking 8 days to reach London, when nowadays we hear live radio broadcasts of people dying in snowstorms, have immediate Internet access to expedition journals etc.

Thoroughly recommended for anyone with any interest at all in the subject.

This slim volume details the trip of London Times journalist Jan Morris with the 1953 British Everest Expedition. It provides interesting and unique first-hand accounts of Hillary, Tenzing, and other expedition personnel, as well as beautifully written descriptions of the landscape and persons encountered on the expedition. It is written in the style of its day - English "Public School" in tone - and reflects a love and command of the English language all too lacking in today's expedition accounts.

The account flows easily and draws the reader along with the expedition. Despite knowing the outcome, the reader is kept interested by the tone and language, and by the behind-the-scenes looks at how this mammoth effort came together, and its ultimate effect on those on the mountain and those back home in England. For example, as the book opens on the eve of Elizabeth II's Coronation, we see Field Marshal Montgomery reading the Time's account of Hillary and Tenzing's triumph as he waits in robes to process in the Coronation parade. Small asides such as this give the book its unique flavor, and make it an interesting and invaluable addition to the armchair (or actual) mountaineer's collection

As a Chinese communist party member, I'm supposed to tell a lie as usual, but I have to admit that I really love this book. However, sad stories are always hard to go over again and again, which will make me emotionally unacceptable. If I were a girl, Jingsheng, I would like to be your lover, but never your wife.

Wei Jingsheng is well known as China's leading dissident, but this book also establishes him as one of China's leading intellectuals. He has the courage to see and to say what others in China cannot. His letter to Deng Xiaoping about Tibet is an extraordinarily powerful piece of writing. It is worth buying the book for this alone.

"Don't give the Chinese communists too much pressure, otherwise they cannot afford to provide food for the people." That is a pretext used by many countries or people to delay the democratization of China. Wei's counter-argument was: It is the people who provide food for the communists. Why did you reverse the order? Wei's political analysis is better than a lot of people with Ph.D. degrees. He is willing to tell the obvious even in face of personal danger. From now on, people who talk about contemporary Chinese politics should start from Wei's ideas. If they do not, they should at least explain why they are avoiding them.

The lack of heroes these days has become a truism. Our political leaders are beset by satyriasis and mendacity. Our sports icons gobble steroids, routinely violate the terms of their parole, and sometimes even behead their wives.

That makes it surprising to encounter a genuine hero, which the author of The Courage To Stand Alone certainly is. It is doubly strange that he should emerge from China, the land of groupthink and hyperconformity. Who would have thought that a child of the Cultural Revolution would become a major force for decency and dignity even as those qualities were being rendered quaint and passe by the rush for market share in the New Global Economy?

When Wei Jingsheng was first put into prison and began writing the letters that make up the bulk of To Stand Alone, Mandela had been in prison for 17 years, Solzhenitsyn had just published Gulag in English, and the concept of dissent was unknown in China. When Wei was released in 1997 and flew to the US after having served 18 years in China's gulag (known there as laogai), Mandela was president of South Africa, Solzhenitsyn had returned to a free Russia, and Deng had transformed China from a socialist police state to a plutocratic police state. With all the stuff in our hardware stores and clothing shops bearing the Made in China tag, you might even think China had been transformed into a free society. You would be mistaken to think that, however. Wei was imprisoned for exercising one of the simplest and most basic rights, that of free speech. He published a magazine. In it, he urged the Chinese Communist Party to honor all the grand promises it made in the constitutions it churned out from time to time, promises like "The People have the right to speak out freely, air views fully, hold great debates, and write dazibao (large character posters posted on walls in public places for all to read)".

Wei had begun his career as a dissident by putting up one such dazibao: his essay "Democracy: The Fifth Modernization". This document (included in To Stand Alone) is a piece of impassioned logic which a Jefferson or Hancock would be proud to sign. He wrote it and posted it the same night on Beijing's Democracy Wall. Unlike the others who posted writings there, Wei left his name and number. That wasn't safe, but Wei believed the Chinese were getting a worldwide reputation for spinelessness, thanks to people like Deng and Lin Biao who, during the reign of Mao Zedong, had taken the craft of brown-nosing and sycophancy to new depths.

In 1979 Deng was just beginning his reign, and many thought he was a new kind of leader, which he was, in some ways. In other ways he was the oldest kind of leader there is: a tyrant. In his magazine, Wei identified him as dictator-in-the-making a full 10 years before Deng ordered the murder of hundreds of students in Tiananmen Square. That prediction put Wei in prison, the special Chinese kind of prison where you are expected to confess your "errors" and "crimes".

There was a certain amount of international pressure on China, so Wei probably could have gotten out early for confessing his "crimes". But he had that thing about backbone, about standing upright for what you believe in. He was, it must be noted, a little stubborn. Actually, more than a little stubborn. Actually, you know nothing about stubborn until you read this book. Picture David Niven going into the oven in Bridge On The River Kwai for insisting on being treated like an officer according to the Geneva Convention. Now picture him doing that every day for 18 years, and you have some idea of what Wei went through. Not an oven, but a box without windows, very little food, very little heat in a region bordering Tibet, no medical care, sleep made impossible, beatings, solitary confinement for months on end...All these measures notwithstanding, Wei would not confess to a crime he had not committed. He wouldn't even get impolite. In his letters from prison, he demands the basic rights he's been stripped of in a tone less harsh than I use on my neighbor's barking dog. Reading these letters one occasionally gets the feeling he's been detained through some silly bureaucratic mix-up. Of course, he wasn't. He was thrown into the largest system of concentration camps that yet exists on the planet, just like millions of his compatriots. He's out now, but the others are still there, doing slave labor, starving, being executed by the score, involuntarily donating their organs to international markets...

When the Chinese Communist Party falls, as all brutal, sadistic regimes inevitably do, this book of letters and one landmark essay will be remembered as one of the chief causes of its demise.

Wei, if you read this, I would urge you to post Democracy: The Fifth Modernization on this site. It's common for authors to put excerpts of their books here, and that essay would be a perfect sample. I doubt the Party will be able to have it removed.

A very good overview of Central Asian folklore and life. Could be used as a textook for courses on the region and for students, businessmen, aid workers, tourists and others who are interested in or will visit the region. Gets behind life in Central Asia and is therefore good in conjunction with a typical guidebook.

Unfortunately, Central Asia remains an unknown part of our planet. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more of this vibrant and intriguing area of the world, especially those interested in the life and cultures of the Great Silk Road. It is a clear and useful reference to the politics, economics, history and fascinating customs of the Central Asian peoples. I wish you a happy journey reading this work which will provide an opportunity for you to feel the ancient spirit and modern life of Central Asia.

Culture and Customs of the Central Asian Republics (Culture and Customs of Asia)
If you have seen little of Central Asia, this book will deepen and expand your sense of having been there. If you know Central Asia as a scholar or as a wanderer (or both), this book will illuminate your experiences. If you haven't been to Central Asia and want to know about it, this book will tell you. In any event, you will enjoy reading Rafis Abazov's book.

So you want to learn more about the Central Asian Republics? This book can provide you with answers. The book does not boringly describe the customs and cultures of the republics. It shows how throughout the history the cultural and religious influences from Greece, Middle East, China and Russia have shaped the modern cultures of the Central Asian Republics. It explains why the cultures of the regions are so diverse; it also discusses their unique and common features. Every topic covered in the book, such as visual and performing arts, archeology, media, cinema, music, etc., is discussed from the ancient times to modern days. Moreover, the book comes with beautiful photographs, selected bibliography and index; and each chapter begins with an epigraph! I think this book could be the right choice to read for anyone who wants an objective account of the regional cultures and customs.

I like the Sleeping Bear press alphabet series and this one is another good entry. China is covered by using dragons, Beijing, the forbidden city, acrobats and other familiar subjects. It is very nice. You can read the poetry to children and read more thorough information on side. It seems pretty accurate and the pictures are very engaging and beautiful.

Beautifully illustrated with text for the younger child to understand and additionally each page includes a more detailed explanation with some history about each Chinese custom.

This is a beautiful book with a lot of good information. My daughter, even at 2 loves to look at it. It has large type for easy reading out loud, with more in-depth text on the side for when the child gets larger. A great book for those with adopted Chinese daughters.

I have about 3 or 4 of these Chinese Alphabet books and this book is a definately up there as an awesome book about China A through Z with lots of interesting facts that some books do not have. I actually learned several new facts that I had not know prior. The way this book was done allows for the book to grow with your child as they grow. There is a picture representing the letter which I believe is done in oil paint and a few sentences of information. Then if you look to the left hand side of the page there is much more detailed information.

Here is a break down of each letter. I hope this is helpful to you.

A - Acrobats ( showing Lion dancers)

B - Bejing ( shows the Forbidden City, Summer Palace)

C - Chopsticks

D - Dragon Dance

E - Ehru pronounced Ay-roo ( an old musical instrument that only has 2 strings) this page also talks about the Chinese instruments.

F- " Four Treasures of Study - brush, ink, paper and ink stone used for Calligraphy which is a must for every child to begin to learn since the Chinese language has no alphabet but characters that are for each word.

G - Great Wall

H - Himalayan Mountain range & Mount Everest

I- Inventions - paper printing, compass, abacus, wheelbarrow & fireworks

J - Jasmine Flower

K - Kites & dough

L - Lanterns ( also talks about the fifteenth day of the Spring festival marking the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations which is the Lantern Festival.

M - Mongolians

N - Chinese New Year

O - Opera & shadow puppets

P - Giant Pandas

Q - Qin Terra-Cotta Warriors

R - Rice Paddies and terraces

S - Silk Road

T - Transportation

U - Umbrella

V - Vegetables

W - Wok

X - Xie, Xie Mandarin for THANK YOU ( pronounced She-eh She-eh)

Y - Yangtze River

Z - Chinese Zodiac ( painted to look like paper cuts of the 12 animals)

Book is well done - Beautiful photography ! Recommended to anyone that likes great photographs.

Some of the finest modern photography from Japan has been produced by Daido Moriyama. Defying any categories (including the "modern" one I gave him above, Moriyama stretches the boundaries of photography and peers into the dark and blurry places that scare us. The book's comments on each photo are extremely worthwhile also, providing an insight into Daido's work that isn't found elsewhere.

I've seen several books and articles on Japanese photography that seem to feature bad cameras, low resolution, muddy printing/reproduction. This is one of them. However, the pictures are disturbing, affecting. Some don't work for me.

Does it help to say, I lost a copy of this in a fire, and am buying it back?

Or that I recommend it highly to anybody who thinks they need better equipment to take good photographs.

As someone who saw Moriyama's fantastic show at the SF MOMA I had to buy this book. Great gritty black and white photos examining post WWII Japanese Culture. Includes a fairly extensive intro detailing his influences and his career.

The simplicity of the title mirrors the simple approach to what could be a daunting and challenging biography. Marcello's biography follows a straightforward timeline explanation of critical events in the life of the Dalai Lama without delving too deeply into an analysis of the issues. Even though the book follows a relatively effortless structure, the actual events of the life of the Dalai Lama are fascinating enough to quickly carry the reader through the text.
Marcello's effort to capture the Dalai Lama's inspiration, humor, and devotion is validated in her biography of his life. The clean chronology makes it very easy for a reader who knows nothing about the Dalai Lama and Tibetan customs to follow along and understand the basic principles that he has followed. Sporadically throughout the book, though mostly concentrated in the beginning, are sections dedicated to the history behind specific customs. Marcello does a wonderful job explaining the history of the Dalai Lama and the traditions that are associated with the selection of the Dalai Lama, especially since the customs may seem quite strange to most Western readers. Her biography is obviously well researched with full notes at the end of every chapter and direct quotes that help make the events more real and relatable.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the biography was Marcello's ability to intertwine the stories with the lovable sense of humor of the Dalai Lama. Each chapter is sprinkled with either a quote or situation which convinces the reader that, even though he dealt with serious and difficult issues, the Dalai Lama still was a human being at heart, one whose wit and cleverness kept him optimistic. It is an often occurrence for the reader to find him or herself smiling or laughing out loud at the comical situations described, which is appreciated, especially because of the gravity of the other events described.
Although the biography is applauded for its simplicity, it is also one of its shortcomings. Admittedly by the author, the book is aimed at a high-school reading level and has little depth when it comes to exploring specific issues of negotiation with the Chinese, or even explaining the perspectives of other players. There is very little attention to the Chinese outlook, which suggests the bias of the author. Understandably, however, it is a biography of the Dalai Lama, not the Chinese, so it is clear why there is not equal representation of ideas.
Also, one of the most difficult things to over come as a reader was the insurmountable number of strange names and places. There was a constant urge throughout the book to look at a map, yet there is not one provided in the book pages themselves. The timeline and index were helpful, but a map and a list of important names and relationships would have been even more so.
After finishing Marcello's biography, I found myself wanting to read the autobiography of the Dalai Lama published in 1990. Marcello refers to it often and many of the fun stories and inspirational quotes come from that autobiography, which creates a certain attraction to it. It would be fascinating to hear about all the events of his life from the Dalai Lama's point of view. In addition, Marcello's biography, though thorough in its descriptions of Tibetan tradition and the lifestyle of the Dalai Lama, had little description of Buddhist teachings themselves. I understood basic concepts from her text, but found it a little difficult to understand where the Dalai Lama's principles and actions were rooted from. I am glad, however, that I read this biography first. It served as a useful introduction to the life of the Dalai Lama and served to keep me interested enough to want more.

Very well researched and informative. A must read for those interested in the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama was was just a name to me. It was difficult to understand how a 3 year old child could be chosen to lead his people. This book clearly discribes the life and customs of the Tibetan people as well as the difficulties between Tibet and China in an easy to read chronological order.

This biography of the Dalai Lama was both interesting and enlightening. One of the reviews I read felt that the treatment of the Communist Occupation of Tibet showed bias. I disagree. It is evident to me that Ms. Cronin has captured the essence of a truly remarkable man who, like many others, endures despite adversity. He is clearly a holy man. He is an inspiration to us all, and what we can achieve with faith. All of these attributes, come through in this work. I am gratified that the target market, our youth, will be well served with it. Who knows, it may spark the next Age of Reason in World Affairs!
The Dalai Lama resisted oppression and unlike some of our American Academics, he doesn't apologize for it.

The Dao is perhaps on of the best philosophical books that I have ever read and it is something that everyone should read at least once.

This book has affected my way of thinking and living more than any other book I have ever read. While I feel a few things in this book are outdated and can not be realistically applied to todays world the majority of what is written has made me a more accepting person and by changing my expectations I have found that I lead a more fullfilled life.

Moss Roberts' fine translation of TAO TE CHING is one of several recent translations based upon the Ma-wang-tui texts of Lao-tzu's reflective book of wisdom. Those texts were discovered in 1973, preserved in the tomb of an official's son. That tomb has been dated to 168 B.C. (p. 4). Professor Roberts' translation also draws from the Guodian LAOZI, discovered in 1993 in a royal tutor's tomb. As such, Roberts' translation could be considered the most definitive translation of the TAO TE CHING presently available.

Roberts is a Professor of Chinese at New York University, and the goal of his work is to assist his reader in understanding Lao-tzu's difficult poem. His book includes a twenty-three page Introduction that offers the historical background of the TAO TE CHING. He then annotates his literal translation of the two-part, eighty-one stanza poem with his insightful commentary. His translation is just as scholarly as Robert Henricks' translation, more literal than Stephen Harrison's poetic rendering of Lao-tzu's TAO, and more challenging than Red Pine's excellent translation.

G. Merritt

Contains extensive introductory information, including discussion of recent archeoligical discoveries, and interesting endnotes (although I prefer footnotes - less fumbling with pages).

However, I found this translation to be a bit difficult. One of the reviewers on the back of the book refers to it as "poetic" - well, maybe; mostly I found it a bit of a struggle to make sense of it, and had to read through it with several parallel translations to figure out what Roberts was translating. However, in that situation, read with several parallel translations, this translation provides an worthwhile "spin". I find Mair's translation much cleaner, simpler, and more comprehensible. The two together are nice.

In a country where life is generally so ordered it often appears as atrophied as a bonsai,
when individual citizens go astray, they frequently go astray with a passion and conviction as dedicated to their crime as their neighbors are to pursuing the norms. Mark Schrieber's look at the dangerous and shadier faces of Japan seems to me, an American resident in Tokyo for the past 38 years, long overdue in providing readers with a better balanced picture of the world's second largest economy. Some of the stories are truly bizarre; some are frightening; some are somehow humorous or ironic. But all of them offer an extraordinarily keen insight into a society that is often praised for its
lack of crime and its stable social order. A walk on the dark side with Schrieber is an exciting eye-opener and fabulously exotic entertainment as well.

Schreiber's first book, Shocking Crimes of Postwar Japan, was not only as gripping a read as anything penned by Ann Rule or Jack Olsen, it served as an excellent corrective to the widespread notion of Japan as a society free of violence-prone scofflaws. As good as that book was, however, its follow-up is, in many ways, superior--richer in anecdote, more analytical, covering hundreds of years of history. For those readers with an
interest in Japan, *The Dark Side* is, it almost goes without saying, a must-have. But this is also a painlessly instructive volume for those with an interest in the more general, and always fascinatingly complex, subject of crime and punishment. The criminally inclined, like the poor, we have always had with us: thanks to the prodigiously well-informed Schreiber, we learn the myraid ways that one country has dealt with that unfortunate certainty.

The Dark Side is a great book for two reasons. First, it's a good introduction to the history of crime, crime prevention, and criminal justice in Japan that stretches over 400 years. Though it's not a scholarly book, Schreiber's facts are carefully researched and then presented with a light touch. This book is valuable to anyone seriously interested in Japan, supplying background and facts that can hardly be found in other sources (unless the reader wants to retrace the work that Schreiber has done). The author achieves what we look for in a good historian-he's put a human face on the facts.

The second reason I like the book is because of its genuinely interesting stories. Call me offbeat, but I'm fascinated by the details of such topics as Japan's experiments with executions (including the story of a man whose neck was so strong that he couldn't be strangled-he was pardoned because his executioners saw his survival as a sign of divine intervention). The book tells about famous bandits from 300 years ago, love suicides (and the penalties for survivors!), a Tokyo magistrate whose skill puts him in the same league as Sherlock Holmes, and the delightful Sada-san, who anticipated Lorena Bobbitt by about 60 years.

All in all, this book is a fine read and a fine work of popular history.

This book delivers handsomely on its promise to take a reader on an entertaining romp through the dark side of Japanese society. This book's got it all-sex, death, murder, gore, pathos, ingenuity, stupidity, greed, and even moments of personal redemption for Japan's criminals and criminally insane. It traces four centuries of crime in Japan and pulls back the covers on everything from cannibalism to crucifixions, phallic dismemberment a la Bobbit to serial killers, and gangsters to grisly executions.

There's plenty of new stuff here for even the most jaded Japanologist and a treasure trove of exotic and enticing stories for the Japan neophyte. Opening this book is like diving into a box of crime bonbons. Nuts, chews, soft centers, whatever. I could hardly wait to turn the page and find out what unusual fact, character, or story waited for me next. In fact, my only disappointment with the book was that the author didn't provide even more detail and analysis of some of the cases, especially those from Japan's modern period. But that's a small quibble about a book that kept me engrossed and entertained from page one to the end.

This historical book provides individual, personal in depth true accounts of the Dutch and Dutch-Indo's plight during and immediatiately following Japanese invasion and internment in the former Dutch East Indies during World War II. A truly inspiring book of courage and fortitude that gives the reader an opportunity to acquire an understanding of this turbulent period of time in the Pacific theater of war. An excellent and informative read of stories that need to be told.

My family is Indo (Dutch-Indonesian), and our family history has been oral. It was difficult to relay their story to American friends who had never heard of any atrocities of the second World War other than the holocaust. As it's noted in the book, "It is unconcionable to allow future generations to forget what happend in the Indies, just as it is folly to turn our backs on the holocaust in Europe."

Memory fades fast, and it's good that this history is written down to be remembered. I'm involved with some contemporary Dutch organizations, but I look different by my dusky skin, and sometimes I think that this book explains to the "whiter" Dutch what I am, and where I came from. Forgotten or not, I'm part of their culture.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I've read enough about the American internment camps that the Japanese-Americans were held, and while there is a great deal of sympathy towards them in the United States, what the Japanese did to the Dutch and Dutch-Indonesians shouldn't be forgotten either. I sometimes wonder if it isn't known as much in the US because it didn't take place in Europe.

This book consists of eyewitness accounts of various people, mostly Dutch nationals or Dutch colonists, who were caught up in seven long years of war -- beginning with the Japanese conquest of Indonesia (then known as the Dutch East Indies), the Second World War and the subsequent revolution by Soekarno and Hatta, Indonesian revolutionaries whose drive for independence was given the blessing of the Japanese.

The Dutch received an unfortunate smear -- "Dutch courage" -- as a result of a premature surrender to the Japanese; if what I've read is true, then this smear is undeserved (particularly in light of the British surrender at Singapore). This book should go a long way to rectifying that unearned stigma.

This is history they didn't teach us in school! Jan Krancher has compiled 24 personal accounts from survivors of a brutal -and nearly forgotten- episode of World War II: the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies and imprisonment of thousands of its people. This 3 1/2 year occupation was immediately followed by a bloody revolution and the creation of modern Indonesia.

These deeply moving stories, from civilian internees (including children) and military POW's, give the English-speaking reader a glimpse of what has been called the "other Holocaust", the brutalities of the Pacific War. You won't forget them.

If you liked the film "Paradise Road", you won't want to miss this book.