五百旗頭 真

This book, which was published in mid-2008, is the most up-to-date examination of U.S.-Japan relations of which I'm currently aware. It offers a nuanced, balanced examination of the history of these two Pacific powers from the early 18th century to the present day.

日米関係史's greatest strength lies in the decision of its authors not to examine U.S.-Japan relations through a predefined framework (a la LaFeber's rel="nofollow" target="_top">Clash); this allows them to respond to individual events instead of attempting to shoehorn them into some larger relational paradigm. Despite the fact that all but one of the contributors are Japanese, the text is relatively objective. That said, the tone does get much more subjective and selective from the 1980's onward; its discussions of trade friction are rather pro-Japan and the final chapter on the Bush II-era is little more than a brief chronology of relevant events with little interpretation or explanation of the policy debates that shaped bilateral relations in the wake of 9/11. Still, one could do a lot, lot worse than this volume; I'd recommend it to any Japanese-speakers looking for comprehensive but relatively in-depth examination of the U.S.-Japan relationship.… (altro)