36 pages • 1 hour read
John W. DowerWar Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1986A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Key Figures
Emperor Jimmu
Jimmu-Tennō is believed to be a descendent of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, and the very first Emperor of Japan, dating back to around 660 BCE. The Japanese recalled him in their propaganda as evidence of their purity.
Emperor Hirohito
Hirohito was the ruling emperor of Japan during WWII and the 124th emperor of Japan. He was never tried for war crimes, as were many generals and other heads of State, and he retained the throne and title of Emperor after the war until his death. His son, Akihito, then became emperor.
Admiral Halsey
William Frederick Halsey Jr. achieved the rank of Fleet Admiral during WWII and was one of the key military leaders in the Pacific theater. He took part, among others, in the battles of Guadalcanal and Leyte Gulf. Much of his language regarding his Japanese enemy was racially charged, and because of it he is often quoted throughout the book.
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
Admiral Yamamoto is known to most Americans as the man behind the attack on Pearl Harbor. Like Halsey, he was a fleet admiral and commanded at well-known battles such as the Battle of the Coral Sea and Midway. He was killed when his plane was shot down over the Philippines during a transfer flight after the Americans learned about his location.
General Douglas MacArthur
General MacArthur was the commanding general for the American forces in the Pacific theater. Before hostilities broke out, he was the commander of the Philippine Army. When that army was defeated during the Japanese attack and invasion, MacArthur escaped to Australia and vowed to return. MacArthur subscribed to the belief that the Emperor of Japan was not responsible for the war and worked with the emperor, albeit in a master-and-puppet type of relationship, during the military occupation after Japan's surrender to better facilitate a peaceful transition.
