Death March on Mount Hakkoda (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature)
This excellent antiwar documentary novel, which sold 1.8 million copies in Japan, is made very accessible to the American reader by Westerhoven's smooth and compelling translation. The tale revolves around a true event that occurred in the deep snows of the northern Japan Alps--the loss of nearly an entire company of soldiers due to poor planning, bad weather, and blind devotion to duty. Nitta crafts a carefully thought-out story of competition and the burgeoning hysteria that precedes war. Caught by army structure, lost without landmarks, dying in 20-foot deep snowdrifts, the characters become achingly real. This first translation is published by a new press, which has done us a service by giving further insight to the Japanese mind and culture. An excellent choice for libraries wishing to balance collections heavy on militaristic fiction and for modern international literary interests as well.- Mike Heines, USAF Rome Laboratory Technical Lib., N.Y.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.