Line of Advantage

This is a detailed and thoughtful analysis of the strategic ambitions of one of Japan's most important postwar political leaders. Its strength lies in its identification of Abe as one of Japan's most important foreign policy thinkers and its detailed account of how Abe capitalized on foreign policy opportunities to better position Japan in a world that is increasingly challenging its postwar strategy. -- Sheila A. Smith, author of <i>Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power</i> For a time, the United States was AWOL from our traditional duty as leader of the West. Michael J. Green thoughtfully and professionally chronicles the ascent of Abe into that void. Academically rigorous yet guided by a master policy maker's feel, this is a book that Asianists will use as a resource well into the future. -- Richard L. Armitage, former deputy secretary of state and president of Armitage International In this extremely timely book, Michael J. Green sheds light on Japan's emergence as a leader in its strategy on China, as well as in Abe's politics and diplomacy. Green, a highly experienced scholar-practitioner, demonstrates formidable knowledge and profound insight on Japan's history, geopolitics, and statecraft, peppering the text with many personal and intimate conversations with top U.S. and Japanese decision makers. He envisions the U.S.-Japan alliance as the twenty-first-century equivalent of the Anglo-American alliance, wearing the mantle of the Pacific mission and maritime strategy of John MacMurray and George Kennan. -- Yoichi Funabashi, author of <i>Meltdown: Inside the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis</i>