December 6

Fantastic fictional book which I happened upon and momentarily glanced through before I brought it home. Set in Pre-Pearl Harbor attack Tokyo this is a suspense filled historical novel. Not for children, this book was a great reward for putting down my last book. Great descriptions of Japan (I've never been yet) but Smith has a nice balance between the characters while integrating the West Coast of California into the story. It has a Casablanca-esque story line but his calm mastery of language puts the reader at ease and makes this a page turner. I slowed down near the end as I didn't want to finish the last of the twenty-five chapters. If you're not a reader, don't bother. If you are, this might be interesting if you have curiosity show more about Japan seen from a Westerners point of view. Worth reading twice for the drawn out descriptions which make it easy to suspend disbelief that this could have actually happened. show less

Not my usual sort of novel, but I always really enjoy Cruz Smith's writing... the Arkady Renko books hooked me, I have to admit!
December 6 (published as Tokyo Station in the UK) is a historical novel focusing on a wheeler-dealer type, Harry Niles, in Tokyo in the days leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of war between Japan and the US. Harry is the son of American missionaries, but, neglected by them as a child, he has always, culturally, felt more Japanese. But in a Japan that is increasingly more hostile toward gaijin, he is torn between the two - with both a Japanese mistress and a British one, conflicting political loyalties... and as well, a conflict between his risk-running, gambling nature, and the desire show more to save his own skin...
There's some spy action, samurai violence, betrayals and loyalty, plenty of drama - excellent characterization, but the setting really made the book, with its vivid depiction of an unusual, transitory and fragile time in Japan... show less

This was an unexpectedly enjoyable book. Set in Tokyo the day before/of the Pearl Harbor attack, it tells the story of Harry Niles, drifting between that fateful day and Harry's past as a missionary's son gone wrong. Harry rejects his parents' mission, pseudo-adopted by the characters of Tokyo's seedy Asakusa district. He learns much from his friends and his life here, along the way mastering many useful if talents, not the least of which is the art of survival in tough circumstances. He has pick-pocketed, conned, and gambled his way through life. The question is: will Harry, deeply flawed but still likable, make the right choices as Japan self-destructs and the world faces war?

Everything Smith writes is good. This one is set in Japan just before Pearl Harbor. Harry grew up in Japan with absent missionary parents, and feels more Japanese than American. Dragged back to the States in his teens, he's returned to Japan as an adult, and is struggling as a business man, and con man, as war brews.

Smith never disappoints me,(except for Stallion Gate). This book is good. Colorful, steeped in pre-war Japan, it is a novel with a murder in it, not a murder mystery, which may put off some. Harry Niles isn't a Russian cop, he is a con man, a cynic. He is a delicious character. Enjoy it.

Cruz Smith is one of my all time favorite authors. December 6th was much different than any of his others - but just as enjoyable. Harry - a con man par excellence grows up in Tokyo and thrives there as an adult ... until caught there at the outbreak of WWII. A fascinating look at pre-war Japan leading up to Pearl Harbor. A little tricky to follow because of the flashbacks ... but well worth the trouble.

A good suspense novel although with a lot of dark violence. Well plotted and with good local colour - demonstrates the author's research abilities.