The Emperor's General

This is a ripping good historical novel about General MacArthur's leadership of the American occupation of Japan--the first time in over a thousand years that the "nation family" of Japan suffered defeat and conquest. The author tells the story from the perspective of one Jay Marsh, a young Japanese-speaking American captain and aide-de-camp to General MacArthur. Seen from Marsh's perspective, we see MacArthur from what seemed to me to be an authentic portrayal of a complicated man who was vain, brilliant, ambitious, and charismatic.The essential theme of the novel (no spoilers here) is that in 1945 although MacArthur represented the victor and the Japanese were in fact utterly beaten and indeed devestated by war, the interaction between occupier and the Japanese power structure was complex. The Japanese ruling class, although forced to endure American-inspired democratic reforms, remained the ruling class, at least for a time. In particular, the novel shows how, in exchange for the Japanese establishment's cooperation for a remarkably tranquil and calm occupation, most of the truly culpable Japanese war criminals escaped prosecution. The infamous Rape of Nanking, in particular, largely went unpunished.Although the novel is wonderful history, it never loses sight of its first mission--to entertain. The story is beautifully told, with compassion and humor, as we follow Captain Marsh through his love affairs with beautiful Phillipine and Japanese girls, and his interaction, friendships, and ultimately his outmaneuverings of key Japanese government figures. The most rivetting part of the novel, and its central story, is the trial and hanging of Japanese General Yamashita. Author Webb does an excellent job persuading the reader that this was in fact a travesty of justice in which MacArthur essentially made Yamashita a scapegoat for war crimes committed by others--others in the Japanese power establishment whom MacArthur was shielding from prosecution in exchange for the establishment's cooperation in the occupation and democratic reform process.An unforgettable novel that I have read more than once, each time with added insight and enjoyment.

The Emperor's General is set at the end of World War 2 in the Pacific and centres around the American occupation of Japan following the surrender of the Japanese. It tells of the political chess game played out between the Japanese Emperor and General MacArthur, Supreme Commander of the allies in Asia. The story is told through the eyes of Captain Jay Marsh, an aide to General MacArthur. The three main characters in the story are Jay Marsh, General MacArthur and number one advisor to the Emperor, Lord Privy Seal Koichi Kido. Although the surrounding events to the story are based on historical facts and the major historical figures did exist, the author James Webb tells us the story is otherwise one of fiction, and the interplay of the characters is drawn from his surmise and deduction. Nonetheless, one can't help but ponder how much Webb has accurately deducted from his research. I thoroughly enjoy historical novels, but tend to lean towards ones that have a deal of action in them. The Emperor's General has no battlefield fighting and no action in the normal sense of the word contained within the story, so it was going to be a test for me and I think a test for the book to see if it could hold my interest. I wasn't disappointed. This is a beautifully written book. It draws you into the story in such a subtle way that it has a mystical quality to it. Webb has masterfully created the atmosphere of the Asian cities where the story unfolds. Reading about the Philippines, one can feel the prickly heat and the rain soaked roads leading from the capital Manila. The destruction of Tokyo is contrasted vividly with the elegance of the few remaining buildings deliberately left untouched by allied bombing. Webb has portrayed Japanese culture and tradition in a very convincing manner and has woven it into the story intricately. This aspect plays a lead part in the crafting of this story and from this perspective the book will appeal to those with an interest in Asian cultures and is a wonderful introduction to those interested in knowing something about the Japanese psyche. Running parallel to the political mind game being played out in Tokyo, where Captain Jay Marsh is stationed for most of the story, is the romance between Marsh and his Philippine lover Divina Clara. Marsh is torn between his love for Divina and his love for the diplomatic role he plays in the shaping of Japan. The relationship between the young American Captain and the beautiful Philippine woman is a swirling mix of romance, clash of cultures and a surreal Asian atmosphere which is all marvellously rendered by Webb. The unfolding relationship between Marsh, MacArthur and the Lord Privy Seal Koichi Kido is where the obvious drama in this story takes place, but always hauntingly in the background is this yearning romance which culminates the book. My hat is off to the author. This is an engrossing and stunning stage-show penned in the highest calibre. I know these words have been used befor

Not everyone went home to the USA from the Pacific when World War II ended. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur went on to become the virtual ruler of Japan from 1945 until the Korean War broke out and focused his attention on other areas of Asia. This story is the story of Jay Marsh, a minor member of MacArthur's staff at the invasion of the Philippines and his rise in the pecking order that was MacArthur's staff. Marsh begins a relationship with a woman he meets in the Philippines and while professing love for her goes on to Japan and gradually becomes immersed in the politics and history of being at the right hand of MacArthur. Mr. Webb offers us an exceptional book that is hard to detect fiction from fact, the two are so seamlessly meshed. Marsh finds himself, through his ability to speak Japanese, a companion of Emperor Hirohito's closest advisor and a witness to the dramatic meeting between MacArthur and the Emperor of Japan. There is a price that is exacted from Marsh for his close proximity to the unfolding of the drama that was the American occupation of Japan in 1945-46. Mr. Webb's treatment of the trial of General Yamashita is absorbing and sobering and gives a rather different picture of MacArthur. This is a book that I didn't want to put down. I heartily recommend it to anyone with an interest in Japanese-American relations following World War II.

This book has two main stories. The first is the "inside story" of McArthur's reconstruction of Japan, as seen by a young aide. The tale told there is one of deception, betrayal and manipulation, where the "old order" in Japan emerges unscathed in the guise of the "new." The monsters that were responsible for the horros of Nanking and Manila are left untouched and an honorable man is hanged in their place.The other story is the coming of age of the young aide; his love of a woman he cannot, in the end, have; and his inner turmoil as he watches -- and participates in -- the sham that is the General's New Japan. Jay's story is made more interesting in contrast to the historical events. That his story manages to overshadow the politics of victory and occupation makes it all the more potent.A great book, highly recommended.

In the Emperor's General, James Webb proves that he is as good at bringing real historical figures to life as he is in portraying the harsh life of combat from the eyes of fictional soldiers. The general in question is Douglas McArthur, great man and great ego, and the emperor is the emperor of Japan following WWII. McArthur was the military governor for the period of occupation and the history books tell us mostly that he was loved by the Japanese and brought them order, a new constitution and rights for women. What the history books (at least in schools) don't dwell on is the cost of those reforms and how they were achieved. This book does, among other themes, concern itself with the settling of blame for the war and atrocities, the struggle of the emperor and his supporters to protect him from punishment or embarrassment, and the compromises tha McArthur made in order to achieve his ends - and his 'place in history'. The most startling premise of the book is that McArthur allowed the Japanese general who commaned the last troops to surrender in the Philipines, to become the scapegoat for the empreror's (and his friends and family's) sins. This figure, presented as a noble warrior who engaged in no atrocities and fought against all odds until ordered to surrender by the emperor, is tried and condemned to death - partly to satisfy McArthur's desire for someone to punish because of the rape of he Philipines and partly to shift blame from the emperial household.Whatever one believes about the actual history involved, the picture drawn of McArthur and the other characters, is so believable and detailed, that one cannot but be moved by the story. The reader's sympathies are, at book's end, with the Japanese general and not with McArthur.This is only scratching the surface of this book. There is much more to it. It is a full and rich experience that touches on many themes. It is a thought provoking novel that tells a complex story of interesting characters - some real and some fictional. Very enjoyable. I highly recommend it.