Author:James Webb
Set against an extraordinary historical backdrop, The Emperor's General is the all too human story of a young man's turbulent coming of age and of the conflicting demands of duty, honour and love.
'Spellbinding . . . this is the sort of book that makes history . . . Unmissable'
Times
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As the Second World War enters its final days, Jay Marsh is an eager young aide-de-camp to the great General MacArthur, helping him to engineer the Allies' triumph in the Pacific and the surrender of Japan. But the arrogant, majestic MacArthur has a more ambitions aim in mind: supreme control over Japan and its eighty-three million inhabitants. Trusted with his secrets, Jay becomes ensnared in a labyrinthine world of diplomacy, double-dealing and corruption, as he negotiates with the Japanese of behalf of his mentor and hero.
All the while he is unravelling the web of deceit that MacArthur and the royal courts and geisha houses of Japan would trap him in, Jay is desperate to get back to Manila and find his beautiful fiancée Divina Clara. But, as each side gets more desperate for power, Jay becomes a helpless pawn in a tragic game that is out of his control.
Praise for The Emperor's General:
'A Madame Butterfly of our time'
Financial Times
'Gripping, martial and, almost subliminally, achingly romantic'
Daily Mail
Spellbinding . . . this is the sort of book that makes history . . . Unmissable
—— TimesA Madame Butterfly of our time
—— Financial TimesGripping, martial and, almost subliminally, achingly romantic
—— Daily MailCoetzee is one of the greatest writers of our time ... Age of Iron is taut, ironic, grieving and, finally, astonishing
—— Los Angeles Timesvivid and well-wrought
—— Times Literary SupplementInsightful . . . beautifully paced . . . authentic
—— The Irish TimesIn this worthy successor to Longbourn, she [Baker] skillfully captures Beckett’s world, the rhythms of his bare-bones prose, and the edginess of his point of view.
—— Publishers WeeklyTaking its title from Beckett's most famous play, Waiting for Godot, Baker's historical drama deftly explores the psyche of one of the greatest writers of the Twentieth Century.
—— BooklistPerfectly captures the deprivation, despair and constant creeping fear of an occupied people.
—— Red Magazine Must-Read of the MonthThis exquisitely crafted novel re-creates the World War II peregrinations of Samuel Beckett and the volatile Frenchwoman who became his life's companion
—— Oprah Magazine‘Baker . . . creates a compellingly real experience out of Beckett’s work in the French underground . . . Her writing is assured and often intense . . . enthralling.’
—— The Santa Fe New MexicanAbsorbing and searing
—— Washington PostA major achievement
—— PeopleDeserves a place on the shelf with The Diary of Anne Frank - set to become a classic
—— USA TodayZusak makes his ostensibly gloomy subject bearable in the same way Kurt Vonnegut did in Slaughterhouse 5, with grim, darkly consoling humour
—— TimeZusak's playfulness with language leavens the horror and makes the theme more resonant - words can save your life ...It's a measure of how sucessfully Zusak has humanized these characters that even though we know they are doomed, it's no less devastating when Death finally reaches them
—— Publishers WeeklyOne of the most highly anticipated young-adult books in years
—— The Wall Street Journal'Elegant, philosophical and moving. A work to read slowly and savour. Beautiful and important
—— Kirkus ReviewsBoth gripping and touching, a work that kept me up late into the night feverishly reading the last 300 pages
—— Cleveland Plain-DealerZusak's novel is a highwire act of inventiveness and emotional suppleness
—— The AustralianA triumph of control ...one of the most unusual and compelling of recent Australian novels
—— The Age...the much talked about The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak...should soon have the UK under its spell.
—— Sam Burson , The Western Mail...this is a novel to touch even the coldest of hearts - definitely 2007's first must-read book.
—— Newmarket JournalA compelling tale from the start...definitely 2007's first must-read book.
—— Bury Free PressA moving story from the German perspective of everyday civilian hardship and surivival under the Third Reich. It celebrates the power of words and love, in the face of unutterable suffering
—— Mail on SundayDeath turns out to be a tender narrator in Zusak's 'The Book Thief' [...] This novel movingly depicts the Himmel Street community, and its orphaned book thief, Liesel Meminger
—— Books Quarterly (Waterstones)Your emotions by the end of this novel are shot to pieces, but it's well worth it.
—— GuardianAlthough already a bestselling children's book, THE BOOK THIEF's insightful and poignant tone and appealing characters...are amply equipped to capture adults, too.
—— Observer