Tojo: The Rise and Fall of Japan’s Most Controversial World War II General

Hideki Tojo wanted to go out on his own terms. In September 1945, Japan formally surrendered to the Allies, and his role in his country’s defeat led to ignominy. The future didn’t appear this bleak at the outset of the war. Tojo had dedicated his life to service for his homeland, primarily in the Imperial Japanese Army. Tojo oversaw the Japanese campaign in Manchuria in the early 1930s, and his leadership was viewed with awe by loyalists and disdain by detractors. Tojo’s loyalty to the government was unquestioned, despite his ambitions and his perception of the Army as the primary voice in decision-making. As Prime Minister under Emperor Hirohito, Tojo was the point man for Japan’s military successes and failures during World War II. By the time of his failed suicide attempt, Tojo had been cast aside by his contemporaries and the public.

In Tojo, author Peter Mauch assumes the exacting task in writing about an often-maligned figure such as Hideki Tojo, but in this well-crafted and researched biography, Mauch admirably conveys the narrative of the quintessential soldier. While past history has rendered him an unrepentant war criminal, Mauch imbues him with a fair amount of dignity.