I unknowingly picked up this book at a second hand bookstore several years ago, and it turned out to be one of the best non-fiction books I'd ever read.
What makes this book is that it is the product of a journalist and not an academic. It does not endeavor to back every statement with a bibliography, rather it tells the STORY of the Japanese navy in WW2. But that doesn't mean it lacks for detail,
any battleship geek coming to this book will be well served. There is a personal viewpoint here because the journalist knew several of the figures involved (which makes for a few excellent anecdotes), and there is a bias in this book. But that does not mean there is a lack of
criticism of the Japanese side, and the conclusion of the book is a criticism of Japan's then military establishment.
Ultimately The End of the Imperial Japanese Navy is a good mix of details that history nerds love, but also a good story of the tragic arc of a pointless war.
What makes this book is that it is the product of a journalist and not an academic. It does not endeavor to back every statement with a bibliography, rather it tells the STORY of the Japanese navy in WW2. But that doesn't mean it lacks for detail,
any battleship geek coming to this book will be well served. There is a personal viewpoint here because the journalist knew several of the figures involved (which makes for a few excellent anecdotes), and there is a bias in this book. But that does not mean there is a lack of
criticism of the Japanese side, and the conclusion of the book is a criticism of Japan's then military establishment.
Ultimately The End of the Imperial Japanese Navy is a good mix of details that history nerds love, but also a good story of the tragic arc of a pointless war.