Hirohito And The Making Of Modern Japan

图书标准信息

• 作者 Herbert P. Bix 著
• 出版社 HarperCollins
• 出版时间 2000-08
• ISBN 9780060193140
• 定价 296.80元
• 装帧 精装
• 开本 其他
• 纸张 其他
• 页数 816页
• 正文语种 英语

【内容简介】

WinnerofthePulitzerPrizeInthisgroundbreakingbiographyoftheJapaneseemperorHirohito,HerbertP.Bixoffersthefirstcomplete,unvarnishedlookattheenigmaticleaderwhosesixty-three-yearreignusheredJapanintothemodernworld.Neverbeforehasthefulllifeofthiscontroversialfigurebeenrevealedwithsuchclarityandvividness.Bixshowswhatitwasliketobetrainedfrombirthforalonepositionattheapexofthenation'spoliticalhierarchyandasareveredsymbolofdivinestatus.InfluencedbyanunusualcombinationoftheJapaneseimperialtraditionandamodernscientificworldview,theyoungemperorgraduallyevolvesintohispreeminentrole,aligninghimselfwiththegrowingultranationalistmovement,perpetuatingacultofreligiousemperorworship,resistingattemptstocurbhispower,andallthewhileburnishinghisimageasareluctant,passivemonarch.HereweseeHirohitoashetrulywas:amanofstrongwillandrealauthority.Supportedbyavastarrayofpreviouslyuntappedprimarydocuments,HirohitoandtheMakingofModernJapanisperhapsmostilluminatinginliftingtheveilonthemythologysurroundingtheemperor'simpactontheworldstage.FocusingcloselyonHirohito'sinteractionswithhisadvisersandsuccessiveJapanesegovernments,BixshedsnewlightonthecausesoftheChinaWarin1937andthestartoftheAsia-PacificWarin1941.Andwhileconventionalwisdomhashaditthatthenation'sincreasingforeignaggressionwasdrivenandmaintainednotbytheemperorbutbyanelitegroupofJapanesemilitarists,thereality,aswitnessedhere,isquitedifferent.Bixdocumentsindetailthestrong,decisiveroleHirohitoplayedinwartimeoperations,fromthetakeoverofManchuriain1931throughtheattackonPearlHarborandultimatelythefatefuldecisionin1945toaccedetoanunconditionalsurrender.Infact,theemperorstubbornlyprolongedthewareffortandthenusedthehorrifyingbombingsofHiroshimaandNagasaki,togetherwiththeSovietentranceintothewar,ashisexitstrategyfromano-winsituation.Fromthemomentofcapitulation,weseehowAmericanandJapaneseleadersmovedtojustifytheretentionofHirohitoasemperorbywhitewashinghiswartimeroleandreshapingthehistoricalconsciousnessoftheJapanesepeople.ThekeytothisstrategywasHirohito'salliancewithGeneralMacArthur,whohelpedhimmaintainhisstatureandshedhismilitaristicimage,whileMacArthurusedtheemperorasafigureheadtoassisthiminconvertingJapanintoapeacefulnation.Theirpartnershipensuredthattheemperor'simagewouldloomlargeoverthepostwaryearsandlaterdecades,asJapanbegantomakeitswayinthemodernageandstruggled--asitstilldoes--tocometotermswithitspast.UntiltheveryendofacareerthatembodiedtheconflictingaimsofJapan'sdevelopmentasanation,Hirohitoremainedpreoccupiedwithpoliticsandwithhisplaceinhistory.HirohitoandtheMakingofModernJapanprovidesthedefinitiveaccountofhisrichlifeandlegacy.Meticulouslyresearchedandutterlyengaging,thisbookisproofthatthehistoryoftwentieth-centuryJapancannotbeunderstoodapartfromthelifeofitsmostremarkableandenduringleader.

【作者简介】

HerbertP.BixearnedhisPh.D.inHistoryandFarEasternLanguagesfromHarvardUniversity.For30years,hehaswrittenextensivelyonmodernJapanesehistoryinleadingjournalsintheU.S.andJapan.HehaslecturedonJapanesehistoryatanumberofAmericanandJapaneseUniversities,mostrecentlyatHarvard,andiscurrentlyaprofessorintheGraduateSchoolofSocialSciencesatHitotsubashiUniversity.