RETRIBUTION The Battle for Japan, 1944-45

Simon Vance brings unusual range and unerring precision to Max Hastings's saga of the last days of WWII. This vivid history draws from letters, memoirs, and interviews; the details Hastings highlights are exquisite. In Japan at the end of the war, "women were forbidden to style their hair or wear smart clothes." Malnutrition was common as the diet dropped to 1,680 calories. By comparison, the English never ate less than 2,800 calories, and U.S. Marines in the Pacific were getting 4,678. MacArthur insisted on calling Admiral Nimitz, "Neemitz," and thought FDR was a glory hound. All of this is presented in a voice that might belong to an inspired Oxford don. You feel privileged to be sitting in. B.H.C. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]