Agony of Choice

Matsuoka Yosuke and the Rise and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1880-1946

David J Lu author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Lexington Books

Published:13th Nov '02

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Agony of Choice cover

Agony of Choice, the life of Japanese statesman and diplomat Matsuoka Yosuke, offers a vivid narrative of twentieth-century Japanese diplomatic history. Matsuoka was an American-educated Japanese foreign minister who became a vocal advocate of Japanese expansionism in echo of the America he so admired. His promotion of alliances and relationships with countries such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, however, not only led Japan to war with the United States but also led to Matsuoka's involvement with and eventual indictment for atrocities committed during the war. Through extensive archival research and fascinating personal interviews, David Lu explores Matsuoka's pivotal role in the drama of Japan's withdrawal from the League of Nations, empire-building in Asia, and the development of interwar Japanese politics.

As a richly textured study of a pivotal figure . . . it belongs in the library of all serious students of modern Japanese history and diplomacy. As a product of the best of 'old school' sensibilities and training, it is a real gem and should be required reading for graduate and undergraduate seminars on modern Japanese history, historiography, and diplomacy. * The Journal of Japanese Studies *
. . . a standard work on the colorful Japanese leader . . . a rounded and engaging narrative. * H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online *

ISBN: 9780739104583

Dimensions: 243mm x 166mm x 28mm

Weight: 612g

328 pages