Japan 1941

Countdown to Infamy

By: Eri Hotta

Narrated by: Laural Merlington

When Japan attacked the United States in 1941, argues Eri Hotta, its leaders, in large part, understood they were entering a conflict they were bound to lose. Availing herself of rarely consulted material, Hotta poses essential questions overlooked by historians in the seventy years since: Why did these men - military men, civilian politicians, diplomats, the emperor - put their country and its citizens in harm's way? Why did they make a decision that was doomed from the start?

Introducing us to the doubters, bluffers, and schemers who led their nation into this conflagration, Hotta brilliantly shows us a Japan never before glimpsed - eager to avoid war but fraught with tensions with the West, blinded by traditional notions of pride and honor, nearly escaping disaster before it finally proved inevitable.

©2013 Eri Hotta (P)2013 Tantor

Nisei's question "Why"?

wonderfully presented, it explains the problems of being single minded. it works if you are on an island by yourself, but can be tough on your Mate, family or country..
Thank you Eri..
Respectfully
born in camp Nisei..

Unbelievable!

If anyone thought they knew the history of the period leading up to World War II in the Pacific, this history will be an eye opener. Ms Hotta has opened up an all new chapter on the mind set behind Japan's decision to go to war. That Japanese decision makers could on the one-hand understand the futility and eventual consequences of going to war and yet allow circumstances to run their disastrous course is astounding. Another element of pre-war Japan that is revealed is the dismal state to which the Japanese economy had descended as a result of the war with China.

As I wrote, this history is an eye opener, a must read/listen to for anyone who is interested in WWII. The narration is excellent. It was hard to stop listening.

I never knew

I never really knew or understood the lead up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This book was really eye-opening, and really helped to shed some light on a subject, which is not talked about in the United States to any great extent.

Not all wanted war.

Enjoyed the behind the scenes investigation. Who really wanted war was eductional. Narration was perfect.

Thorough Examination of Japan’s Route to War

This book by Eri Hotta is densely packed with an impressively researched history of the Japanese government’s route to war against the United States, culminating in the attack against Pearl Harbor. This is the story of how the United States and Japan ended up at war in the Pacific in WWII from the mindset of the Japanese. The narration by Laural Merlington is spot on, with the right delivery for the subject matter. For those wanting a deeper understanding of what lead to Pearl Harbor and war with Japan, this book provides that history.

A Must Read for Understanding Dec. 7th

Hotta's history provides key insights to the Japanese "decision" to begin WW2 with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Filled with interesting revelations, the core point is that the Japanese leadership was far from united in the lead up to WW2 and numerous opportunities were missed to avoid war. The story, told from the Japanese point of view, but far from devoid of criticism of Japan, reads more like an unnecessary national tragedy than a closely plotted scheme to conquer the world. Mostly a diplomatic history, Hotta focuses less on the military and ideological imperatives driving Japan on than some other authors. Highly Recommended.

An Excellent And Detailed Historical Work

This is a really fine work. It is told from the standpoint of Japanese Government Officials. As an American student of history I did know the story of Pearl Harbor and World War II in the Pacific. But I truly learned a great deal when studied from the Japanese perspective. The narration was excellent. However due to the numerous Asian names of persons and places, I was really glad that I also had the Kindle. I certainly was able to get the general idea strictly by audiobook. But studying names and places required my use of actual reading on Kindle. Thank You...

Great listen

Compelling story of the lead up to the decision to attack pearl harbor.

Narrator was passable.

Excellent book

The author did a great job of building suspense! She did a great job of showing that War was not inevitable... must read for all strategic planners.

Interesting, but ultimately unnecessarily bloated.

The thesis of Ms. Eri Hotta regarding Japan's entry into the Second World War might be summarized as follows: The leaders of Japan, individually too weak and indecisive to argue for peace in the face of rising militarism, bluffed and blundered into a catastrophic war.

This makes for an interesting book, and it is thoroughly researched with memorable characters, but toward the final third of the book one begins to wonder why it hasn't ended. So much detail is given that the development of the central claim begins to feel like bludgeon work.

All in all, this is an interesting but rather bloated account of Japan's run up to war.