Years of Infamy: The Untold Story of America's Concentration Camps

Rating:
Summary: Simply put, the best introduction to this dark storey.
Review: While the book may seem to be about old business, it is a storyas timely today as it was 23 years ago. Michi Weglyn tells a story ofterrible deeds in simple and unpretentious language. Her Kafkaesque tale of betryal and political hubris is a reminder to all of us of how fragile freedom really is. I would recommend it to anyone who seeks to understand the corrosive and immoral effects of both racism and its handmaiden, the mass media. This book should be read by all students, of any age who still believe that truth and justice are more than sound bites.

Rating:
Summary: Very informational
Review: Years of Infamy is a product of diligent research and passion. The use of words, such as "concentration camps" and "inmates" showed a strong bias. Michi Weglyn had the opinion that the internment process was unnecessary, and, rather than keep the country safe from sabotage, it only made thousands of people bitter, the author included. But though the author had an obvious bias, she represented both sides well. She noted that the government had intentions of keeping the country safe when internment began, and she also noted that, in this time of war, paranoia of sabotage and unpatriotic events caused a low tolerance in the authorities.

Weglyn supported her thesis well. She made known that many people objected to the internment, including Harold Ickes and Attorney General Clark in Chapter 2, the Quakers in Chapter 3, Norman Thomas in Chapter 7, and Ernest Besig in Chapter 10, among others. The U.S Government's want of revenge was specifically mentioned in Chapters 1 and 2, where she noted that Japan had kept Americans from returning home, and the U.S. Government decided to match (and multiply by 100) the hostage amount; it was generally echoed throughout the course of the book. She also made known that those who objected did know the true situation, which was racial prejudice.

Weglyn provided the reader with a large quantity of valid information. Approximately 25 pages of appendixes, 10 pages of photos, 30 pages of notes, a thorough bibliography, Dramatis Personae, and an index for quick reference proved a large amount of research. In every chapter, sections of personal accounts were included, and they made the book more personal, especially since Weglyn herself was interned. Also included is the perspective that many have never been given insight to: that of the internee. Before this book was published, many Japanese kept quiet, and very little of the relocation events are taught in public schools. Reading a book such as this could broaden one's historical horizons.

This book would be best suited to researchers or those with great interest in the time period. Much like a newspaper article, fact after fact is thrown at the reader. While that may derail the casual reader, one reading for informational purposes rather than enjoyment would find the book pleasurable.

Rating:
Summary: Very informational
Review: Years of Infamy is a product of diligent research and passion. The use of words, such as "concentration camps" and "inmates" showed a strong bias. Michi Weglyn had the opinion that the internment process was unnecessary, and, rather than keep the country safe from sabotage, it only made thousands of people bitter, the author included. But though the author had an obvious bias, she represented both sides well. She noted that the government had intentions of keeping the country safe when internment began, and she also noted that, in this time of war, paranoia of sabotage and unpatriotic events caused a low tolerance in the authorities.

Weglyn supported her thesis well. She made known that many people objected to the internment, including Harold Ickes and Attorney General Clark in Chapter 2, the Quakers in Chapter 3, Norman Thomas in Chapter 7, and Ernest Besig in Chapter 10, among others. The U.S Government's want of revenge was specifically mentioned in Chapters 1 and 2, where she noted that Japan had kept Americans from returning home, and the U.S. Government decided to match (and multiply by 100) the hostage amount; it was generally echoed throughout the course of the book. She also made known that those who objected did know the true situation, which was racial prejudice.

Weglyn provided the reader with a large quantity of valid information. Approximately 25 pages of appendixes, 10 pages of photos, 30 pages of notes, a thorough bibliography, Dramatis Personae, and an index for quick reference proved a large amount of research. In every chapter, sections of personal accounts were included, and they made the book more personal, especially since Weglyn herself was interned. Also included is the perspective that many have never been given insight to: that of the internee. Before this book was published, many Japanese kept quiet, and very little of the relocation events are taught in public schools. Reading a book such as this could broaden one's historical horizons.

This book would be best suited to researchers or those with great interest in the time period. Much like a newspaper article, fact after fact is thrown at the reader. While that may derail the casual reader, one reading for informational purposes rather than enjoyment would find the book pleasurable.