The War Against Japan offers a detailed and visually rich account of the campaign in South East Asia and the Pacific during the Second World War, tracing the causes, course and consequences of the conflict from its origins in the 1930s to the attack on Pearl Harbor and through to VJ Day and beyond. The historical narrative is enriched with photographs, objects, artworks and personal testimony from IWM’s collections, capturing the scale and complexity of a conflict that spanned oceans, jungles and remote islands.
Carefully selected imagery and first-hand accounts bring to life the experiences of those who served in the Asia-Pacific theatre – on land, at sea and in the air. Each chapter chronologically charts the key battles and operations while uncovering the human stories behind events. The voices of prisoners of war and internees, civilians as well as armed forces personnel, are woven into the narrative. The War Against Japan takes the reader on a wide-ranging yet intimate journey through one of history’s most devasting conflicts.