THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE RISING SUN: Admiral Ellis M. Zacharias

by Maria Wilhelm ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1967

A sleeper about the remarkably alert Naval intelligence officer whose forewarnings of Pearl Harbor got lost in the files, whose broadcasts to the Japanese just before Hiroshima hastened the breakdown of military control (and might have made the bombing unnecessary). From boyhood he was bent on a naval career; on his first assignment, exposure to Japanese crewmen determined him to learn the language, and almost immediately he showed a flair for intelligence. The account of his exploits from 1920 to World War II in and out of Japan is both a primer in intelligence methods and a commentary on the internal political situation in Japan, with a footnote on fleet operations. During the war Zacharias alternated between active commands at sea, described from eyewitness reports, and headquarters activity in intelligence. His plan to coordinate operations languished, but he put over the proposal--here printed in full--to speak directly and officially to the Japanese High Command, clarifying American intentions and convincing of the futility of further resistance. The interest is inherent and the author makes the most of it; especially fascinating are the ploy-by-ploy accounts of cocktail party counterintelligence. This one may need a start--he's a well-hidden hero--but it should catch on.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Watts

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION