This is an excellent analysis of the Japanese occupation of Manchukuo, which Mitter uses as a window into nationalism, resistance and collaboration. His primary argument is that the myth of Manchurian resistance was largely manufactured by exiles from Manchuria in China proper. They appealed to the nationalist urban elites to inspire resistance to Japanese aggression . Mitter argues that the construction of the myth of resistance helped contribute to the Chinese nationalism both during the war and afterwards.

Mitter uses three groups of Chinese to analyze the Japanese occupation: collaborators, resistors and expats supporting resistance from abroad. This third group plays a crucial role in constructing the myth of resistance in Manchukuo, but Mitter makes an interesting case for the fluidity of occupation and the response to it by the two other groups. Only for the external group did occupation maintain a concrete form.

Mitter's most interesting conclusion is that there was a positive side to Japanese occupation. External forces are generally required for the growth of nationalism. Mitter suggests that the Japanese occupation provided a trope for nationalist to establish unity.

This is a very interesting book. Mitter's analysis is useful both for understanding of China and for delving into nationalism on a broader scale. ( )