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The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45) | 
 enlarge | Author: Philip Jowett
Creator: Stephen Andrew
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $3.50
You Save: $14.45 (81%)
New (25) Used (12) from $3.49
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 675917
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 48
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 7.1 x 0.2
ISBN: 1841763543
Dewey Decimal Number: 940
EAN: 9781841763545
ASIN: 1841763543
Publication Date: May 25, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Within months of its greatest triumph in 1942, the Japanese Imperial Army began to face the difficulties which would eventually destroy it - overstretched supply lines, and inadequate industrial support. Yet as the Allies grew steadily stronger and more skilful, the Japanese Army and Naval Landing Forces dug in to defend their conquests with a determination which shocked all who fought them. In this second book the author describes the deployments, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the Army - including the dreaded Kempei-tai military police - the naval infantry, paratroopers, special raiding units, and foreign auxiliaries during the long and savage war in Burma and the Pacific. His text is illustrated with many rare photographs, three insignia charts, and eight highly detailed colour plates.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Interesting book September 5, 2008
I was highly facinated with Letters from Iwo Jima so I got this little book and its companion in order to understand what I was seeing in the film. Unlike the German army there really isn't that much information available on the Japanese forces of WWII. I suppose Germans make better villeins where as the Japanese have always been copiers throughout the twentieth century though their attrocities in the field were among some of the most savage of the war.
This book and its companion are highly informative in regards to uniforms, equipment and organization. As such I would say it is a must for those interested in the subject. However I wish they had put more out on the Gunzoku auxilieries other than what they had on Korean prison guards since both Army and Navy had them as civillian Labor troops and other auxiliaries. (Perhaps another book on this subject might be produced). Overall I would say these two are good books to have.
The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45) January 3, 2008
Not bad, more of a focus on the "special forces" in the later war period. The fact that the Japanese army was so spread out, and had such a complicated supply situation, means that the typical Osprey painting advice does not apply as much here.
A good reference for small details September 24, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This like the other titles in Osprey's "Men at Arms" series is devoted to the minutia of the soldiers' equipment, uniforms, and life in the military. The difference in quality between these various volumes is quite small- they are all packed with information. None of them pretend to be histories of campaigns or wars. This particular volume covers well, the pre- WWII era to early war of the Japanese Army. It is not a subject on which a great deal is written. I was hoping for some more photos of the Manchurian army and Nomonhan event in particular, than was included in this book. Stephen Andrew's illustrations are among the better in Ospreys' series, but I do think he could do better faces. And I have found some contradictory photo evidence to the descriptions of the uniforms. One last point, since many of us who purchase these volumes use them for reference in modelling and painting would be that they include fairly accurate color samples of the uniforms and equipment rather than descriptive words like brown and khaki which are just too generic; or at least some assurance the color artwork is based on some substantial evidence. All in all this is a really great volume and I would highly recomend it to anyone interested in the Japanese soldier of the 30's and early WWII.
A good reference on a little documented subject October 14, 2004
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I thought that this was one of Osprey's better books in the "Warrior" series. Some excellent information on unit structure and the various unifroms worn by the Japanese soldiers of this period that is hard to come by in english language references. A previous reviewer criticized the book for spending too much time on the "minutia" of Japanese military uniforms and not enough on tactics. This is, however, akin to complaining that an apple does not taste like an orange; these books are not meant to discuss tactics or campaigns, but are intended to focus on the "minutia" of uniforms and personal equipment. The brief format does not really allow the subject matter to range too far. Anyone interested in more information on Japanese tactics in WW2 should consider some of the excellent Osprey "Campaign" series of books, including ones on Iwo Jima and Peleilui.
 Almost No Information on Tactics or Doctrine February 16, 2002
23 out of 28 found this review helpful
Volume 1 of Osprey's Men-at-Arms title on the Japanese Army in Second World War is the first of two thin volumes that will cover this often-neglected subject. While the color uniform plates are excellent as always, the rest of the volume is rather bland and without much unique detail. For readers interested in Japanese uniforms of the Second World War, this volume is quite good but for the military historian, it is a disappointment. The volume begins with a brief background on the Japanese strategic situation and the nature of Japanese soldiers. An excellent 4-page section covers the organization of Japanese army units from army-level down to platoon. Unfortunately, six pages are then wasted in a generalized chronology that astounds the reader with facts like Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941. Osprey seems not to grasp the fact that anyone having enough interest in the Japanese army in the Second World War to purchase this volume will probably be aware of the basic chronology of the war and prefer the limited space to concentrate on the subject. Another 11 excruciatingly dull pages are spent discussing the finer points of Japanese army uniforms and ancillary items, including minutiae like armbands and optional footwear. Only three quick pages cover all weaponry, from pistols to artillery; tanks are ignored. There is virtually no discussion of Japanese tactics or doctrine, except for one or two paragraphs intermixed in the chronology section, and this is an unpardonable error in this kind of volume. The fact that the author buries the reader under a mass of near-useless information about various types of Japanese field jackets and then neglects to mention how these troops were trained or fought is ludicrous. Perhaps the second volume in this series will make amends, but that appears doubtful. On the plus side, the author does provide some order of battle data on the Japanese army in China and in December 1941, as well as sidebars on Japanese military terminology. While the author does discuss the three different types of Japanese infantry division, there is little information on independent brigades or unique qualities of any specific units. Japanese corps and army level organization is ignored, as well as the relationship with Japanese army aviation. Issues like soldier psychology, training, officer selection, military intelligence and logistic support are skimmed over or ignored altogether. This volume is certainly colorful and the subject interesting, but it does not deliver much.
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