In 1937 the swath of the globe from India to Japan contained half the world's population but only two nations with real sovereignty (Japan and Thailand) and two with compromised sovereignty (China and Mongolia). All other peoples in the region endured under some form of colonialism. Today the region contains nineteen fully sovereign nations.

Tower of Skulls is the first work to present a unified account of the course and impact of this part of the global war. It expands beyond military elements to highlight the critical political, economic and social reverberations of the struggle. Finally, it provides a graphic depiction of the often forgotten but horrific death toll in the Asia-Pacific region-over 20 million-which continues to shape international relations today.

About the Author
Richard B. Frank is an internationally acclaimed historian of the Asia-Pacific War. He was an aerorifle platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam and is the author of Guadalcanal and Downfall. He is a member of the Board of Presidential Counselors of the National WWII Museum and lives in Annandale, Virginia.

Reviews
"It was [Richard Frank's] account of the chaos of war that most gripped me. Another of this book's many strengths is the author's welcome desire to tell the Chinese side of the story... Excellent though he is at most things, Frank is arguably at his best in his portrayal of both the leading and minor characters in this story." -- Malcolm Murfett - Literary Review
"Outstanding, wide-ranging... Frank has a humane, sure eye for detail." -- Rana Mitter - BBC History Magazine



Book Information
ISBN 9780393541366
Author Richard B. Frank
Format Paperback
Page Count 784
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 586g
Dimensions(mm) 211mm * 140mm * 38mm