The Emperor's General - Softcover

Webb, James

4.16

525 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014027832X ISBN 13: 9780140278323

Publisher: Penguin, 2000

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A brilliant combination of fact and fiction, THE EMPEROR'S GENERAL is an epic novel of historical intrigue set during the aftermath of World War II in the South Pacific and Japan. Told from the point of view of a young aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur, it is the behind-the-headlines story of a formidable but flawed MacArthur, of the Japanese Imperial Government's ingenious political manoeuvering and of the war crimes trial of Japan's greatest general. At the same time, it is a dramatichuman story of heady ambition, passionate romance and the conflicts of duty and honour.

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Review:

Webb's vividly imagined thriller arrives with imprimatur of Tom Wolfe, who calls him one of the five most important writers in America today. Does Webb justify this lavish praise? In the year 1945, General MacArthur has brought off the allied triumph in the Pacific. Webb's hero, Captain Jay Marsh, a young aide-de-camp, is happy to serve his hero. But when he discovers that the General has undertaken a strange agreement with the Emperor of Japan, Marsh finds himself dealing with a bizarre scenario in which MacArthur plans to become an American Caesar, ruling over his conquered Japanese subjects while preserving their imperial system. Webb's fascinating and original plot is carried off with considerable style and authority, and he is particularly assured in his characterisation: MacArthur is created with a convincing detail that is cleverly not allowed to eclipse the tormented protagonist Marsh.

Like all the best historical fiction, the day-to-day detail of the forties is sketched in with assurance and the narrative (culminating in the rigged trial of Japan's greatest General) is handled with clarity and precision. It's no surprise that the film rights for The Emperor's General have been sold--but, as a reading experience, this is a book that justifies Wolfe's fulsome praise --Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk

About the Author:

James Webb was one of the youngest members of the American Cabinet in the 20th Century, serving as Secretary of State of the Navy at the age of forty-one. He was decorated three times for 'extraordinary heroism' as a marine in Vietnam. He will be running for President of the United States in the 2016 election.

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