A revisionist history that smashes the standard narrative of World War II in Asia and the Pacific, showing America's aim to replace Britain as East Asia's New Imperial Power. . By moving China to center stage, Robert Smith Thompson expands the traditional boundaries of the Pacific Theater of World War II and casts the conflict in an entirely new light. What is commonly viewed as a discrete military conflict between an aggressive Japan with imperial ambitions and a reluctant, passive America now becomes the stuff of Greek ...
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A revisionist history that smashes the standard narrative of World War II in Asia and the Pacific, showing America's aim to replace Britain as East Asia's New Imperial Power. . By moving China to center stage, Robert Smith Thompson expands the traditional boundaries of the Pacific Theater of World War II and casts the conflict in an entirely new light. What is commonly viewed as a discrete military conflict between an aggressive Japan with imperial ambitions and a reluctant, passive America now becomes the stuff of Greek tragedy. The overreaching British Empire is waning, yet is unwilling to relinquish its foothold in China, while an increasingly ambitious Japan is determined to dominate the region and conquer China as part of that plan. Enter the young upstart, America, with imperial ambitions of its own in Asia. The United States meant to replace Britain as the dominant power in Asia and saw Japan as a direct threat to that dominance. For Franklin Delano Roosevelt and for the United States, the war with Japan had little to do with revenge for Pearl Harbor. Japan would have to be vanquished so that it would never again be an imperial rival. This recasting of the Asian conflict profoundly alters our understanding not just of World War II in the Pacific but also of what followed in the Korean War and the war in Vietnam. Revisionist history at its best, Empires on the Pacific will provoke discussion and debate and it will alter our view of what many still consider the last "good war. "Interest in WWII has never been higher: *The summertime release of Touchstone Pictures' blockbuster Pearl Harbor-accompanied by Basic Books' own Pearl Harbor (April 19 release)-will create tremendous interest in the Pacific theater of WWII. *Timely publication: The book anticipates the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 2001. *Striking, revisionist, controversial: America's wartime actions in the Pacific were not revenge for Pearl Harbor but were part of America's larger imperial ambitions to replace the British Empire as the dominant force in Asia, and, especially, in China. *America won the war with Japan but lost the peace, which led, inevitably, to the Korean War and to the war in Vietnam. *A long overdue explanation of what America's war against Japan was all about-in a word: China. .
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Seller's Description:
This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside. This book has hardback covers. In poor condition, suitable as a reading copy. Dust Jacket in good condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item, 950grams, ISBN: 046508575X.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good + in Very Good jacket. Clean tight unmarked first print copy, front board show bump to bottom tip, dust jacket show ordinary mild shelf wear and light edgewear, 434 pages.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. 2001. Hardcover. Cloth, d.j. Light shelf-wear. Publisher's mark to bottom of textblock. Else bright, clean copy. Very Good. (Subject: Military History & Exploration).
