World War II laid the groundwork for much of the international system that exists today, especially in the Pacific Rim. This brief but comprehensive survey of the War in the Pacific incorporates both United States and Japanese perspectives, providing a global approach to the Asian theater of the conflict. Drawing on decades of new scholarship and written in an engaging, narrative style, this book traces United States-Japanese relations from the late nineteenth century to the war's end in 1945. It covers every aspect of the war, and gives special attention to ongoing historical debates over...

A critical look at the decisive Japanese-American episodes in "The Great Pacific War". It includes the Japanese perspective, bringing to light challenging facts - for example, that the Japanese attempted to cause forest fires in the American West by releasing hydrogen-filled balloons.