Nemesis The Battle For Japan1944 1945

Author: Max Hastings

Stock information

General Fields

  • : 27.00 NZD
  • : 9780007219810
  • : HarperCollins Publishers Limited
  • : William Collins
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  • : 0.54
  • : May 2016
  • : 197mm X 130mm
  • : United Kingdom
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  • : books

Special Fields

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  • : Max Hastings
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  • : Paperback
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  • : English
  • : 940.54252
  • : 704
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Barcode 9780007219810
9780007219810

Description

A companion volume to his bestselling 'Armageddon', Max Hastings' account of the battle for Japan is a masterful military history. Featuring the most remarkable cast of commanders the world has ever seen, the dramatic battle for Japan of 1944-45 was acted out across the vast stage of Asia: Imphal and Kohima, Leyte Gulf and Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Soviet assault on Manchuria. In this gripping narrative, Max Hastings weaves together the complex strands of an epic war, exploring the military tactics behind some of the most triumphant and most horrific scenes of the twentieth century. The result is a masterpiece that balances the story of command decisions, rivalries and follies with the experiences of soldiers, sailors and airmen of all sides as only Max Hastings can.

Reviews

'"Nemesis" is a triumph...provocative, insightful ...impressive...Put all these elements together - the ambition, insight, sureness of touch - and you have a book of real quality.' Sunday Times 'Brilliantly though Hastings lays out the strategic context, his real talent lies in his account of the 'terrible human experience' that it involved...This is a book for anyone who wants to understand what happened in half the world during one of the bloodiest periods of the blood-soaked 20th century.' Spectator 'An absorbing story woven from the letters, diaries and memoires of those who fought at the sharp end, friend and foe alike. The balance is sustained with admirable skill... "Nemesis" is Max Hastings's best book...informed, lively, thorough' Literary Review 'Spectacular...Hastings makes important points about the war in the East that have been all too rarely heard...excellent...compelling...searingly powerful.' Sunday Telegraph 'As Hastings brilliantly describes, conditions for fighting men on both sides were appalling...the fire-bombing of Tokyo and the decision to drop the atomic bombs were influenced by the urge to 'get this business over with', but the argument, as Hastings explains so well with his usual exemplary judgement, is far more complex.' Financial Times 'Highly readable...absorbing...excellent...admirably balanced...the author's attitude...refreshingly modern and sensitive.' Guardian 'A delight to read...absorbing...engrossing.' Scotsman 'A delight to read...its originality lies...in the meticulousness of the author's research...an absorbing read... "Nemesis" is an engrossing book.' Evening Standard Reviews for 'Warriors': 'With this collection, Hastings is back on home territory, where he can bring his unique blend of skills as war reporter, and social as well as military historian to bear!This is one of the best and most diverting of his shorter pieces.' Evening Standard 'All [of the stories] are corking!opinions are stated firmly and with big bold swings of the pendulum. His virtues are clarity and decisiveness -- greatly to be admired when it comes to making clear, for the lay reader, roughly what is going on in the fiendishly complex and bloody engagements he describes.' Spectator 'A wonderfully eclectic selection!a marvellous book. Wry, perceptive and engaging, it lays bare the curious mix of character traits -- good and bad -- that a successful warrior requires.' Sunday Telegraph 'His brisk prose has the qualities of his warriors: clear, decisive, forceful!"Warriors" will enthral everyone.' Daily Telegraph

Author description

Max Hastings studied at Charterhouse and Oxford and became a foreign correspondent, reporting from more than sixty countries and eleven wars for BBC TV and the London Evening Standard. He has won many awards for his journalism. Among his bestselling books 'Bomber Command' won the Somerset Maugham Prize, and both 'Overlord' and 'Battle for the Falklands' won the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Prize. After ten years as editor and then editor-in-chief of the Daily Telegraph, he became editor of the Evening Standard in 1996. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he was knighted in 2002. He now lives in Berkshire.