Book Review: Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia

Authors

Peter M. Erickson

Files

Description

Author: Gary J. Bass

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Peter M. Erickson (US Army), PhD, Deputy G35, US Army Europe and Africa

Lieutenant Colonel Peter M. Erickson, PhD, provides a valuable overview of Gary J. Bass’s explanation of why the post–World War II Tokyo trials “were a relative failure.” He highlights how a lack of impartiality, the “legacy of empire,” and the judges’ backgrounds and motivations affected the trials. Erickson calls the book “a must-read for Defense community leaders who often wrestle with the strict legality of America’s tactical actions and the broader and deeper moral impacts of its strategic endeavors.”

Publication Date

12-12-2024

Keywords

World War II, Pacific, Tokyo trials, justice, war crimes

Disciplines

Defense and Security Studies | Military History

Recommended Citation

Peter M. Erickson, Book Review: Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia ( US Army War College Press, 2024),
https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/71