War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War

Rating:
Summary: war without bias
Review: I have read all the reviews written before me and found them interesting. War Without Mercy is a very original book because its one of the first time that the Pacific War was reduced to a common level of hate. The author make it clear that hate was the primary factor here, pure and simple hate that reduced their enemy into a sub-human level. Some Americans might be offended by that and go into denial that their fathers might behaved in such matter but in war, everything goes and everything is justified. Many of our veterans might take offense that they shot up defenseless Japanese sailors in water or took their ears for jollies (things that only our enemies would do by our propaganda) but the bias memories of today will not erase the butual elements of the war itself. Was the Pacific War a racist war? Of course it was, how can anyone think otherwise? Was American soldiers racist in nature against the Japanese? Of course, America of 1930s and 40s was a racist society in the first place. If you think otherwise, asked any black person who experienced the American dream during that period. This book is a must read for every World War II reader who wants a greater understanding. It will make any reader realized that even in the war between the "good guys" and the "bad guys", there is only a thin line of difference and that line get crossed every single second of this war. Both the Japanese and American military fought against each other with extreme hate that can only be rival by combat situation in the Eastern Front between the Russian and the German. That was race war too. It may sadden the readers today how dirty both sides were and how merciless both sides acted. Only thing that really should amazed the readers today would be how thing changed so much when the shooting stopped. See Dower's Embracing Defeat for the next step.

Rating:
Summary: scholarly, but I found it a little over the top
Review: I read this probably 10 months ago, and my memory, it not so good. It was a very scholarly and painstakingly researched study of the racial elements of the Pacific War, but I couldn't help but think that it missed the mark and overemphasized the idea of an innate bigotry prominent in all Americans that they exported with their soldiers to Japan. I might be oversimplifying, but one of Dower's contentions was that the brutality of the Pacific War, in contrast to the war in Europe, was a result of the ethnic tensions of the combating races. Sure, Americans were guilty of racism, ethnic atrocity and simple bigotry, but at the roots of the barbarity in the Pacific was a new kind of warfare and an unrelenting enemy who did not place a similar cultural value on life as did American soldiers (hence, suicide attacks).
Its justifiable to argue that Dower is one-sided. I would still recommend this book (buy it from me!) but in conjunction with other texts, such as personal accounts of infantryman and military histories such as Richard Frank's excellent, if lengthy, Guadalcanal. In this way, the reader will acquire a more balanced understanding of what GIs experienced and how they reacted, and how racism might have shaped their behavior.

Rating:
Summary: Pure Otherness
Review: In War Without Mercy John Dower's demonstrates and explains the racial side of the war in the Asia-Pacific. Moreover he deftly explains the ramification or consequences from the dynamics of "othering." Both military and reconstruction policy in the Asia-Pacific, according to Dower were informed by this sense of othering that ultimately resulted in catastrophic misunderstandings on both sides. The sense of othering may have resulted in, at least for the moment, motivation to destroy the other but it certainly did not provide true insight regarding the enemy's. Dower starts the book out by taking a close look at the phenomenon of propaganda and what was produced on both sides. Key in the examination is Frank Capra's documentary, Know Your Enemy - Japan where he pegs the notion of and uncovers the undergrid of race and stereotyping. At the core of the stereotyping on the Japanese side was a sense of the "Pure Self" vs. "The Demonic Other." Conversely, on the American side images of simians and a fluctuating sense of lesser man and superman pervaded the mindset.

As per the Japanese the pure self, may have had deeper cultural roots. Dower describes how Japanese came to experience the color white not in terms of color per se but infused with a deeper sense - one of purity. Moreover, the imagery is further complicated in the form of the demonic "Other" and as Dower outlines the Japanese also came to represent the allied powers, in general, as demons. As far as the American side is concerned most of the imagery was less about uplifting oneself but rather putting down others. Imagery of simians and subsequent visions of supermen were presented. There was also imagery of the herd and childish Japanese. With regards to the herd, Dower also examines the public images of the Japanese in American culture during World War II. What is clear is that "Despite such differences, however," Dower writes, "the end results of racial thinking on both sides were virtually identical - being hierarchy, arrogance, viciousness, atrocity, and death." (180) Dower is at his best when he argues that despite the differences in the particulars of the racial stereotyping that fed the Pacific War the functions were the same on both sides. In closing, Dower's "big" book in terms of scope speaks volumes about anti-Japanese racism and vice versa but also about the resilient, ever changing, and malleable phenomenon that is racialization and racialized thinking that all nations have found themselves involved with and the misinformation and disaster that results when we engage with the Other.

Miguel Llora

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and informative, but overstated
Review: Overall, this book presents a side of the Second World War with which most Americans are unfamiliar and may find shocking. It does a valuable service in exposing many of the prejudices of the time and especially in showing how those prejudices were at least partly responsible for the string of debacles endured by U.S. and other allied forces in the war's opening stages. It also does a very good job of giving the reader a glimpse of the kind of thinking that was prevalent in Japanese society prior to and during the war. In this sense it is an extremely important work and is highly recommended to anyone with a serious interest in the Pacific Theater. However, having said that, I will also say that the author overplays his hand and puts far too much emphasis on the role of racism, portraying it as the primary cause of the war and of the evils that transpired during its execution. As a result, it has a tendency to explain away a good many complex issues that deserve a fuller treatment. It also falls prey to one of the great pitfalls of almost all modern analyses of relations between Japan and America, namely the idea that in order to be balanced one must give equal weight to both sides in any argument. As a result, one might come away from reading this book with the idea that Japan and the United States were essentially of equivalent culpability and that their respective leaders were of a moral kind. This is an absolutely absurd notion, and one that seems to have taken root in more and more of the academic work that is being published recently. Nowhere is Dower's judgment with regard to the impacts of racism more questionable than in his conclusion, where he tries to explain away contemporary (1980's) trade frictions as the result of race hatreds. This pathetic and obvious red herring does little more than to serve as an apologia for a Japanese elite that has been doing anything its it power to prevent its very real and well documented (see Karel Van Wolferen's "The Enigma of Japanese Power," Clyde Prestowitz's "Trading Places," and Pat Choate's "Agents of Influence" for more) outrages with regard to its bilateral trade relationship with the United States from coming to light. Nonetheless, as I wrote earlier, I do recommend it for anyone with an interest in the Pacific Theater of the Second World War, but with the caveats that it should under no circumstances be treated as a comprehensive work and that its aforementioned shortcomings be kept in mind as one reads it. When Dower sticks to the subject of his book, without engaging in too much reckless speculation, he suceeds admirably in creating a readable and sometimes shocking history, boldly exposing in a way that few other books have even attempted, the dark side of "The Good War."

Rating:
Summary: Dower Provides Truth Without mercy
Review: Rarely has a book title so appropriately reflected its subject matter. Dower reminds us that, not only was the Pacific War one of the most hellish in history, but it also provided the setting for some of the most barbarous acts of racial hatred and savagery the world has ever known. One of his most important contributions is to prove that racial attitudes prevailed on both sides of the line, as two cultures steeped in racial superiority faced each other. With an abundance of graphic illustrations, Dower proves that the Japanese and American soldiers behaved in ways that would have shocked their contemporaries back home, and even in the post-Vietnam world, are still shocking. A strong case is made for the creation of a "combat culture" that develops between soldiers that determine the rules of war and what is acceptable and unacceptable on the battlefield. Dower gives fellow historians much to think about in the way he treats both belligerents, arguing that too often, studies focus on one participant, exempting the other. Hopefully, Dower's book will lead to a new way of writing the history of events involving multiple parties.

Rating:
Summary: bound to stir up spirited discussions
Review: The negativew reviews of WAR WITHOUT MERCY seem to be emotional reactions based on the belief that pointing out the racism in American policies and attitudes towards Japan somehow cheapens the sacrifices of the American fighting men who defeated Japan. History abounds with events where a noble goal and positive result was achieved as a result of very mixed motives. The Pacific war falls in that category, and Dower should not be blasted for documenting that.
I also think it is unfair to claim that Dower leaves the Japanese off the hook. He never denies the cruel methods of the Japanese armed forces. He never denies the rapacious goals of the Japanese militarists. His treatment is evenhanded.
The reviewer who denies the link between racist animosity and the 1980s trade wars cites a handful of books by tabloid hacks who wanted to make money from American fears. The truth is at the time of the uproar over Japanese purchases of American corporations and real estate, British firms were conducting a much vaster acquisition spree-but that was never portrayed as a sinister threat to the American economy. Dower is sometimes a pedantic and plodding author-but his thesis demands serious attention from anyone interested in U.S.-Japan relations.

Rating:
Summary: One-sided crap
Review: This book attempts to look at all the American "attrocities" made during the Pacific War, but seems to forget everything committed by the Japanies. The 'attrocities committed by the americans involved such awful acts as making propagandist films and capturing people alive. What is neglectfully mentioned in this book are some of the Japanese atrocities like using American and Japanesee POWs for medical experiments, and things like the Bataan Death March, which killed more POWs than died in Allied possesion in the entire war in all theaters. I have discussions with multiple history professors at college about this book, and the nicest thing any of them can say about it is that it is "one-sided." Don't read.

Rating:
Summary: average at best, fans
Review: This book claims dat America wuz involved in uh racist war during da last year o' da pacific conflict. This premise iz wrong, pure an' simple an' da book do not rpove its won thesis. The book uses examples o' American wartime propaganda ta show how `racist' da Americans wuz. But what about da Japanese? The Japanese committed genocide in Nanking China, dey forced millions o' Koreans into slavery, including massive sexual slavery. The Japanese tortured an' cut da heads off an' performed Nazi-like experiments on da POWS in they custody. The Japanese committed atrocities against every peeps dey controlled from da Phillipinos ta da Vietnamese. But deez racist doctrines iz ignored in dis here book cuz da book iz totally one sided in its `hate America' claim dat everything America did in da Pacific wuz wrong. Apparently da 15 nations dat America helped liberate didn't feel da same racism dat dis here book claims existed cuz from Haiphong harbor in da west ta Manila da peoples o' Asia celebrated da coming o' da Americans an' English an' other free peoples who pushed da Japanese back ta da Island dey had launched da war from 20 years earlier. History an' facts show dis here book ta be pure anti-American polemics rather then da `groundbreaking' ideas dat it claims ta represent. The only ground dat iz broken iz da ground o' truth an' honesty.
ya'll is mad stupid.

Rating:
Summary: Rubbish pure and simple
Review: This book claims that America was involved in a racist war during the last year of the pacific conflict. This premise is wrong, pure and simple and the book does not rpove its won thesis. The book uses examples of American wartime propaganda to show how `racist' the Americans were. But what about the Japanese? The Japanese committed genocide in Nanking China, they forced millions of Koreans into slavery, including massive sexual slavery. The Japanese tortured and cut the heads off and performed Nazi-like experiments on the POWS in their custody. The Japanese committed atrocities against every people they controlled from the Phillipinos to the Vietnamese. But these racist doctrines are ignored in this book because the book is totally one sided in its `hate America' claim that everything America did in the Pacific was wrong. Apparently the 15 nations that America helped liberate didn't feel the same racism that this book claims existed because from Haiphong harbor in the west to Manila the peoples of Asia celebrated the coming of the Americans and English and other free peoples who pushed the Japanese back to the Island they had launched the war from 20 years earlier. History and facts show this book to be pure anti-American polemics rather then the `groundbreaking' ideas that it claims to represent. The only ground that is broken is the ground of truth and honesty.

Rating:
Summary: Rubbish pure and simple
Review: This book claims that America was involved in a racist war during the last year of the pacific conflict. This premise is wrong, pure and simple and the book does not rpove its won thesis. The book uses examples of American wartime propaganda to show how 'racist' the Americans were. But what about the Japanese? The Japanese committed genocide in Nanking China, they forced millions of Koreans into slavery, including massive sexual slavery. The Japanese tortured and cut the heads off and performed Nazi-like experiments on the POWS in their custody. The Japanese committed atrocities against every people they controlled from the Phillipinos to the Vietnamese. But these racist doctrines are ignored in this book because the book is totally one sided in its 'hate America' claim that everything America did in the Pacific was wrong. Apparently the 15 nations that America helped liberate didn't feel the same racism that this book claims existed because from Haiphong harbor in the west to Manila the peoples of Asia celebrated the coming of the Americans and English and other free peoples who pushed the Japanese back to the Island they had launched the war from 20 years earlier. History and facts show this book to be pure anti-American polemics rather then the 'groundbreaking' ideas that it claims to represent. The only ground that is broken is the ground of truth and honesty.