Occupation

The lives and loves of two families, the American McGlynns and the Japanese Todas, are intertwined in this historical saga exploring the rebuilding of a nation destroyed by war

This sequel to Gods of War by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, depicts Japan in the aftermath of World War II, focusing on the war criminal trials of Japan's top civil and military leaders while continuing the saga of the McGlynn and Toda families. It's less the fiction that rivets the attention here than the rich lode of historical detail, much of it used to support the view that America shares the blame for the war and that the Japanese military hierarchy received less than fair treatment in being judged by exclusively Western standards. The principal fictional characters are Professor McGlynn, special adviser to the new shogun, MacArthur (and eloquent mouthpiece for Toland's thoughts on the Japanese), and his four children: Floss, married to a Toda; Will, a lawyer for the prosecution at the trials; Mark, an ex-Marine; and Maggie, a journalist. Of the court dramas, all well done, the most stirring are those involving the trial and conviction of General Tojo, head of Japan's wartime government, who comes across as honorable and dignified, if feudal-minded.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.