Japan's War

Hirohito’s Holy War Against the West

Stewart Binns

$59.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Wildfire
29 July 2025

Asian history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Second World War

'A superbly revealing account of a dreadful and profoundly sad war' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL

'This extraordinary book gives us a unique insight into why and how Japan fought such an appalling war' NICK HEWER

A new perspective on Japan during the Asia-Pacific War, using remarkable first-hand Japanese source material.

Even after eighty years since the end of a conflict that killed thirty-five million people, there remains deeply-felt bitterness and anger about the way the Asia-Pacific War was fought, especially by the Japanese.

The war in the East stretched from Hawaii to India - with Japanese forces attacking Singapore, China and Malaysia, as well as bombing the north coast of Australia. The Allied forces, led by the US, waged an island-by-island counteroffensive that eventually saw the invasion of the Japanese homeland.

Japan has been vilified for the countless examples of its cruelty to civilians and prisoners of war. These criticisms have led to a backlash in Japan, where many deny that the accusations are true.

By going back to the origins of modern Japan, and by using only Japanese accounts, Japan's War: Hirohito's Holy War against the West offers a powerful account of the conflict and explains in detail why the Japanese conducted the war in the way that they did.

By: Stewart Binns
Imprint: Wildfire
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 34mm
Weight: 558g
ISBN: 9781472295217
ISBN 10: 1472295218
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 29 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Stewart Binns began his professional life as an academic, before becoming a teacher and a soldier. Later in life, he trained at the BBC and began a successful career in television, during which he won many awards, especially for his 'in-colour' documentary series, including a BAFTA for Britain at War'. Stewart has since published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Barbarossa, the story of the battle for the Eastern Front during the Second World War. Japan's War is his fourteenth book and seventh work of non-fiction.

Reviews for Japan's War: Hirohito’s Holy War Against the West

A superbly revealing account of a dreadful and profoundly sad war -- ALASTAIR CAMPBELL The witness material in this extraordinary book gives us a unique insight into why and how Japan fought such an appalling war -- NICK HEWER, former advisor to LORD SUGAR on THE APPRENTICE