Retribution

Last year I came across Max Hastings’ book Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 in the NY Times Notable Books of 2008. I finally got around to reading it and it was a very well written and researched book. It is a comprehensive look at the final years of the Pacific Theater of war. I like the fact that he cites many sources including those culled from primary sources like journals, letters and interviews from the Axis and Allies sides. It is stylistically compelling since it was written by a former journalist, which means it has a great narrative thread.  There are several interesting chapters that describe lesser-known aspects of the war: Chapter 3-The British In Burma, Chapter 14 Australians: “Bludging” and “Mopping Up,” Chapter 17: Mao’s War, and Chapter 20: Manchuria: The Bear’s Claws. He adds extensive analysis of the decisions about tactics that seem wrong headed and theorizes that the brutal acts and stubbornness of the Japanese led to the use of the atomic bombs to bring the war to a close.