Japan

In December 1937, in the capital of China, one of the most brutal massacres in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred.

The devastation of Pearl Harbor and the American victory at Midway were prelude to a greater challenge: rolling back the vast Japanese Pacific empire island by island....

This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion....

The powerful and riveting new audiobook in the multimillion-selling Killing series by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Autumn 1944. World War II is nearly over in Europe but is escalating in the Pacific, where American soldiers face an opponent who will go to any length to avoid defeat. The...

This Pulitzer Prize-winning history of World War II chronicles the dramatic rise and fall of the Japanese empire....

The dramatic, pulse-pounding story of Harry Truman's first four months in office, when this unlikely president had to take on Germany, Japan, Stalin, and the atomic bomb....

A 2026 Audie Award Finalist for Audiobook of the Year NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Magisterial…A stunning account that brings to the fore the nuclear saga’s surreal combination of ingenuity, fate, and terror.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “If you are an intelligent...

This piece of writing by famed samurai Musashi (1584–1645) is the single-most influential work on samurai swordsmanship, offering insights into samurai history, the Zen Buddhist state of "no-mind" that enables warriors to triumph and the philosophical meaning of Bushido....

This compelling history examines the closing months of the vital campaign which ultimately determined the successful conclusion of the Pacific War for the Allies. But it had not been a smooth process.

The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon is a fascinating, detailed account of Japanese court life in the closing years of the 10th century....

The comprehensive and accurate edition of the Hagakure is a must-have for serious martial artists or fans of samurai and the Bushido code....

Some of the cruelest deeds of Japan's war in Asia did not occur on the battlefield, but in quiet, antiseptic medical wards in obscure parts of China. Far from front lines and prying eyes, Japanese doctors and their assistants subjected human guinea pigs to gruesome medical experiments....

Master the Mind of a Warrior with the Timeless Wisdom of Japan’s Greatest Swordsman. A groundbreaking modern edition of Miyamoto Musashi’s legendary text—clear, complete, and designed for the modern listener. The Book of Five Rings is far more than a manual on swordsmanship.

Listeners of this book will gain a clear understanding of what makes the Japanese, and their society, tick....

A classic of Japanese history, this audiobook is the preeminent work on the history of Japan. Newly revised and updated, A History of Japan is a single-volume complete history of the nation of Japan....

From the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club: a unique, firsthand, revelatory look at Japanese culture from the underbelly up. At nineteen, Jake Adelstein went to Japan in search of peace and tranquility. What he got was a life...

From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Her Name and Titanic, this masterpiece of nonfiction arrives in time to honor the eightieth anniversary of the bomb dropping on Hiroshima.

In his critically acclaimed Armageddon, Hastings detailed the last twelve months of the struggle for Germany. Here, in what can be considered a companion volume, he covers the horrific story of the war against Japan. By the summer of 1944 it was clear that Japan’s defeat was inevitable, but...

Uncover the true story of the man who unified medieval Japan....

Essential for anyone interested in Japanese culture, this unsurpassed masterwork opens an intriguing window on Japan. The World War II-era study by the cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict paints an illuminating contrast between the people of Japan and those of the United States....

The dramatic account of one of America's most celebrated - and controversial - military campaigns: the Doolittle Raid....

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake large enough to knock the earth from its axis sent a massive tsunami speeding toward the Japanese coast and the aging and vulnerable Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power reactors....

In this the first comprehensive treatment of Pearl Harbor since the early 1990s, respected Pacific War naval historian Mark Stille traces the road to war and the Japanese attack itself.

In April 1942, the Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy was at the zenith of its power. It had struck a severe blow against the US Navy at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, before spearheading the Japanese advance through Southeast Asia and rampaging across the South Pacific.

The untold story of how Japan became a cultural superpower through the fantastic inventions that captured—and transformed—the world’s imagination. “A masterful book driven by deep research, new insights, and powerful storytelling.”—W. David Marx, author of Ametora: How Japan...

In Hidden Japan, acclaimed author and environmentalist Alex Kerr leads us to the country's most secluded and enchanting corners—places where time seems to stand still and traditional culture endures. From thatched-roof villages in misty mountains to volcanic islands few have ever visited, Kerr's lyrical prose, narrated by the author himself, is brought to life in this immersive audio experience.

What truly happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the final days of World War II? Beyond the iconic mushroom cloud images, what do science and history reveal about the events that changed the world forever? In "20 Facts You Didn’t Know About Hiroshima and Nagasaki," a Ph.D. physicist provides a clear, rigorous, and accessible analysis of the nuclear bombings that marked the end of the War in the Pacific. Moving beyond complex physics, this book reaches into the profound human dimension of the catastrophe, answering questions that have persisted for generations. Why did Hiroshima return...

More than a mere warrior code, Bushido is the moral breath defining Japan. In this seminal work, Inazo Nitobe unveils the ethical roots of the samurai, blending Buddhist calm, Shinto loyalty, and Confucian morality. Through unyielding virtues like rectitude, honor, and stoic self-control, the author shows how the "Way of the Warrior" transcended the battlefield to mold a nation's soul. Though the feudal system has vanished, discover how its spirit—fragrant and delicate as the wild cherry blossom—remains vital in modern Japan.

The Japanese War Machine in 1945: Secret and Special Weapons of Imperial Japan By Alan Yuen In the final year of the Second World War, Imperial Japan faced overwhelming industrial, material, and strategic disadvantage. Yet even as its conventional military power declined, Japan fielded a remarkable array of advanced, unconventional, and desperate weapons in an attempt to alter the course of the war. The Japanese War Machine in 1945 is a deeply researched and visually rich examination of the weapons, technologies, and strategic doctrines that defined Japan’s final wartime efforts. ...

As the soldiers lifted me from the floor, my father's eyes locked with my own. For just a moment, I thought I saw a shadow of sadness across his face. But it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, replaced with my father's look of perpetual determination. "You'll find me at the hospital," I...