Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia

"Gary J. Bass’ latest book adds to a growing body of literature that deals with post-World War II Asia. The Tokyo trial “was a measure of Asia’s colonial past and a prelude of its Cold War future,” he writes of the 1940s trials that lasted almost three times as long as those at Nuremberg. In his riveting account of this lesser-known piece of Asian history, Bass reveals just how contentious the trials were. Through his vivid storytelling, he also exposes the dilemma between idealism and pragmatism. This provides a useful historical reference point to inform the current debate about what may follow the Russia-Ukraine war."