Review

“A fascinating and reliable account of the ending of the long war between China and Japan in 1945, with particular emphasis on how the Chinese dealt with Japanese war criminals―and how the Japanese failed to come to terms with their own war crimes. As Kushner shows, Chinese authorities were eager to show themselves as knowledgeable about international law rather than seeking revenge, which often resulted in their hesitation to conduct lengthy trials of a large number of Japanese, who on their part had little awareness of their war crimes, even viewing themselves as having been ‘victims’ of circumstances. This book is must reading for anyone interested in understanding the still tortuous relationship between the two countries.”―Akira Iriye, editor of Global Interdependence: The World after 1945

“Men to Devils, Devils to Men breaks through national boundaries to show how war crimes and the question of war guilt reshaped East Asia after the Second World War. It is a major book on an important and timely topic, and will spark serious debate about the Cold War, law in Asia, and the end of empire.”―Rana Mitter, author of Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937–1945

“Using newly available sources from both China and Japan, Kushner examines the complex motives that shaped the Chinese trials.”―Foreign Affairs

“Men to Devils is formidable in scope and convincing in its conclusions regarding the postwar pursuit of justice. In lucid, engaging prose, Kushner presents the trials and their ramifications as a vital component in sculpting political mindsets in Japan, China and Taiwan. For anyone interested in the political maneuvering between the power brokers in postwar East Asia and how it affected contemporary Sino-Japanese relations, this book is a valuable resource.”―James Baron, Taipei Times

“Kushner has written a superb book, underpinned by rich research in Chinese and Japanese, that will force historians seriously to reassess the story of Cold War Asia. At a time when relations between China, Japan and Taiwan continue to be tense, Kushner’s book is a timely reminder that relations in the region have always been in a state of flux.”―Rana Mitter, History Today

About the Author

Barak Kushner is University Senior Lecturer in Modern Japanese History at the University of Cambridge.