Frank Jacob, "Japanese War Crimes during World War II: Atrocity and the Psychology of Collective Violence" (Praeger, 2018)
When you mention Japanese War crimes in World War Two, you\u2019ll often get different responses from different generations.\xa0The oldest among us will talk about the Bataan Death March.\xa0Younger people, coming of age in the 1990s, will mention the Rape of Nanking or the comfort women forced into service by the Japanese army.\xa0Occasionally, someone will mention biological warfare.\nFrank Jacob has offered a valuable service by surveying Japanese mistreatment of civilians and soldiers comprehensively.\xa0His book, Japanese War Crimes during World War II: Atrocity and the Psychology of Collective Violence (Praeger, 2018), is short and doesn\u2019t treat any event or issue in depth.\xa0But he offers a lucid and thorough evaluation of the literature and nuggets of additional insight.\xa0And he frames it with a thoughtful attempt to explain the conduct about which he is writing.\nIf you\u2019re looking for a deep dive into a particular topic, you\u2019re not the audience Jacob had in mind.\xa0But this is a good place to come to grips with the broad picture of Japanese misconduct during the war.\nKelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. He\u2019s the author of four modules in the Reacting to the Past series, including\u202fThe Needs of Others: Human Rights, International Organizations and Intervention in Rwanda, 1994, published by W. W. Norton Press.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices\nSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/genocide-studies