
Storm Clouds over the Pacific, 1931-1941: War in the Far East Series, Book 1
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War in the Far East is a trilogy of books offering the most complete narrative yet written about the Pacific Theater of World War II, and the first truly international treatment of the epic conflict. Historian Peter Harmsen weaves together a complex and revealing narrative, including facets of the war that are often overlooked in historic narratives. He explores the war in subarctic conditions on the Aleutians; details the mass starvations in China, Indochina, and India; and offers a range of perspectives on the war experience, from the Oval Office to the blistering sands of Peleliu.
Storm Clouds over the Pacific begins the story long before Pearl Harbor, showing how the war can only be understood if ancient hatreds and long-standing geopolitics are taken into account. Harmsen demonstrates how Japan and China's ancient enmity led to increased tensions in the 1930s, which, in turn, exploded into conflict in 1937.
The battles of Shanghai and Nanjing were followed by the Battle of Taierzhuang in 1938, China's only major victory. A war of attrition continued up to 1941, the year when Japan made the momentous decision to pursue all-out war. The infamous attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the United States into the war, as the Japanese also overran British and Dutch territories throughout the western Pacific.
- Listening Length9 hours and 4 minutes
- Audible release dateAugust 24, 2021
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB09BSZKDPY
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 9 hours and 4 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Peter Harmsen |
Narrator | Walter Dixon |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com Release Date | August 24, 2021 |
Publisher | Tantor Audio |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B09BSZKDPY |
Best Sellers Rank | #156,077 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #69 in Southeast Asian History #183 in Naval Forces Military History #788 in Southeast Asia History |
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Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2019
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The historical comparisons with more familiar European battles or tactics help to explain and bring to light the struggles, obstacles, calculations and miscalculations that played out in the Asian Pacific theater. Slowly it develops through some foreground historical information, on initial clashes, into a clearer view of the later polarization that developed between China and Japan; too often, this was fought out in Korea, which was caught like a shrimp between whales.
Key engagements of minor Asian players are also cleverly woven into this historical narrative that flows off of the page into your imagination. Mongolia, Thailand, Indochina and Cambodia to name a few, are not often explored enough even though they were pivotal scenes of political machinations and military engagements that would dictate the Japanese advance both north and south, for both political and material needs. Harmsen gets into key battles, figures and the strategic views that would play out. I especially, like how the French Vichy and German governments’ actions are included. That was a clear link between European machinations that affected the war in Southeast Asia; which illustrated how it was a world war.
The path to Total War was not a linear progression of planned colonization and imperialism as much as it was because of feverishly zealous Japanese military mavericks on the frontlines who would kinetically force their nations into battles. George Washington’s actions under the British, which sparked the French and Indian War, comes to mind. Once hostilities began, it became harder to give back fought over concessions. Things spiraled out of control. Harmsen explains this quite well through diverse Western and Asian perspectives.
From there, it quickly develops into a nail-biting progression of more sane civilian Japanese politicians/leaders becoming drowned out by the more militant military forces in their quest to overcome western imperialism encroaching upon their empire. The economic crash of the equities market that began in 1929 would spread around the world and sow the seeds of fascism and totalitarianism which infected Japan. Assassinations and plots to overthrow the government would overshadow and overpower the civilian leadership’s desires to prevent militarism and the descent into war. Once the saner civilian leaders became more insignificant in running the government, the quagmire of the China incident would progress further into the violent scene of full-scale war.
One area that I felt the book was shallow on is with atrocities. Specifically, human experimentation, weapons of mass destruction and the Fugu Plan. Japanese offensive poison gas attacks were mentioned but biological weapons attacks were not. There was also no mention of Japanese plans about importing Jewish refugees from Europe into Manchukuo, aka Manchuria, China. China was already overpopulated and planning to import foreigners into an overpopulated nation is horrifically wrong. The Japanese viewed the Jewish people, mostly from Europe, as superior to the native Chinese or Manchurians. Also, Japanese troops raped their genes into China and Southeast Asia.
Interestingly, Harmsen provides evidence, which reaffirms the mainstream historical view, that Japanese Americans were not colluding with the Japanese government against America. Harmsen illustrates this point with the economic divide between Americans and Japanese of the time. Ordinary Japanese Americans most certainly enjoyed a much higher living standard than ordinary people in Japan. They also formed genuine roots in America having lived and grown up there. Finally, a Japanese spy in Hawaii, reported on how Japanese Americans were loyal to America.
Overall, this book is not overwhelming in historical detail but it does paint a more comprehensive or understandable view of how the war in the Pacific developed as it did in a very interesting manner and at a quick pace. I never felt too bored to put it down. Harmsen accomplishes this through an exciting and fast progression of diverse perspectives, views and sources that better illustrates China’s and Asia’s pivotal role in WWII. It was truly a global war and Harmsen’s works are breaking down the myths about the lack of contributions from the Asian allies and the significance of the Asian Pacific theater in WWII.
The main problem I have with this book is that some of what I found detailed is at odds with what I have read in other sources as well as simple logic, and thus I am left not knowing what is correct and what is not correct. For example the author describes the events of the Panay Incident as being “likely an error”. The Japanese attack on the US gunboat lasted about 2 1/2 hours and involved repeated air attacks against the ship by low flying Japanese planes that were strafing and bombing a ship that had 2 large US flags flying and a large US flag painted on the top of the vessel and it is hard to believe that none of the Japanese planes could see any of those indications. My issue with the author here is that he has labeled the attack as “likely an error” when every other historian seems to believe that it was a deliberate attack meant to warn the US about its actions. Had he written that it might have been an error I would not have an issue, but “likely” seems way too forgiving of the action of the Japanese military.
The book covers what is generally referred to as The Rape of Nanking by Japanese soldiers, but fails to do much justice to just how horribly the Japanese acted during the aftermath of the attack on the city. It is not a question of the number of dead since estimates vary, but of the actions taken by the soldiers who were not restrained by their officers. It almost feels as though the author has presented as little information about the event as he could get away with.
A third item involves the delayed message sent by General Marshall to the military at Pearl Harbor warning of a possible Japanese attack. The author writes that the message was delayed because it was sent via commercial telegraph (actually Western Union) “for unknown reasons” when the reason for sending the message that way is well known. The Army communications network was down due to technical issues and the fastest way to send the message was via telegraph.
It may seem that I am being “picky” about these issues but if known facts are described as “unknown reasons”, horrible events are glossed over and one of the major incidents is described as a likely error, at odds with every other description of the event I am forced to wonder about other events that I do not know about, and hence I can not recommend this book.
Top reviews from other countries

In Japan there is rising sense of insecurity.. why was this? How prevalent was Pan-Asianism in the Japanese military? What about the proliferation of Japanese ultra-nationalist groups and their influence on the Kwantung Army in Manchuria?
Of course Alvin Coox wrote a 1000 page book to cover most of the above and it is hard for Harmsen (or anyone to do so), but I would have liked to have seen more here... especially in the three volume set.
Harmsen is really in his own element, and very good, once he reaches 1937 and the Japanese advance into China and the coming wide-spread warfare between nationalist China and Japan. See his other books on the Battle of Shanghai and Nanjing if you need further in-depth analysis, or just a very good read in this area. Overall very good and a much needed level of analysis for those who want to understand the true nature of the war in Asia and the Pacific and break out of the simplistic and mistaken "Pearl Harbor" narrative.


