A Curious Madness: An American Combat Psychiatrist, A by Eric Jaffe

By Eric Jaffe

From an “illuminating and entertaining” (The ny occasions) historian comes the realm conflict II tale of 2 males whose striking lives improbably converged on the Tokyo conflict crimes trials of 1946.

In the wake of worldwide warfare II, the Allied forces charged twenty-eight jap males with crimes opposed to humanity. Correspondents on the Tokyo trial proposal the facts fell so much seriously on ten of the accused. In December 1948, 5 of those defendants have been hanged whereas 4 obtained sentences of existence in felony. The 10th was once an excellent philosopher-patriot named Okawa Shumei. His tale proved strangest of all.

Among all of the political and army leaders on trial, Okawa was once the lone civilian. within the years best as much as international struggle II, he had defined a divine challenge for Japan to steer Asia opposed to the West, prophesized a good conflict with the U.S., deliberate coups d’etat with army rebels, and financed the assassination of Japan’s leading minister. past “all vestiges of doubt,” concluded a categorised American intelligence document, “Okawa moved within the most sensible circles of nationalist intrigue.”

Okawa’s guilt as a conspirator seemed ordinary. yet at the first day of the Tokyo trial, he made headlines all over the world via slapping megastar defendant and wartime best minister Tojo Hideki at the head. Had Okawa misplaced his sanity? Or used to be he faking insanity to prevent a grim punishment? A U.S. military psychiatrist stationed in occupied Japan, significant Daniel Jaffe—the author’s grandfather—was assigned to figure out Okawa’s skill to face trial, and therefore his fate.

Jaffe was once no stranger to insanity. He had visible it his entire existence: in his mom, as a boy in Brooklyn; in infantrymen, at the battlefields of Europe. Now his professional eye confronted the last word try out. If Jaffe deemed Okawa sane, the warfare crimes suspect will be hanged. but when Jaffe chanced on Okawa insane, the thinker patriot may break out justice for his position in selling Japan’s wartime aggression.

Meticulously researched, A Curious insanity is either expansive in scope and bright intimately. because the tale pushes either Jaffe and Okawa towards their postwar disagreement, it explores such various issues because the roots of belligerent eastern nationalism, the improvement of strive against psychiatry in the course of global battle II, and the complicated nature of postwar justice. Eric Jaffe is at his top during this suspenseful and engrossing historic narrative of the fateful intertwining of 2 males on diversified facets of the struggle and the realm and the query of madness.

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Additional info for A Curious Madness: An American Combat Psychiatrist, A Japanese War Crimes Suspect, and an Unsolved Mystery from World War II

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A day away from Chartwell is a day wasted,’ he wrote. All three men enjoyed a private showing of movies at night. Roosevelt viewed the latest Hollywood hits. Stalin was particularly keen on westerns. ’ The Prime Minister and President retained a sentimental attachment to the sea from their time in charge of their countries’ navies; Stalin, on the other hand, was very much a land animal. The first two— particularly Churchill—used aircraft increasingly as the war went on; the dictator, who disliked travelling, flew only once, on his way to the Teheran summit, and hated the experience.

Though a powerful group of Cabinet members, including the secretaries of the army and navy, urged him to take a tougher line, he knew how divided his country was. For all his statements about stopping the dictators and messages of sympathy to London, he was, as always, playing the game in his own way, manoeuvring from week to week, leaving the eventual outcome to be determined by events and public opinion, whose contradictions he reflected perfectly. ’] Polls showed that 64 per cent of voters regarded the preservation of peace as vital for their country.

Looking across the water, he held his hat to his chest in salute. On the quarter-deck of the battleship, Churchill stood with his fingers raised to the peak of his naval cap. Bosuns’ pipes shrilled. Sailors cheered. Bands played the national anthems. Slipping his hand under Elliott’s arm, and supported by the heavy steel leg braces that enabled him to stand, the President rose to his feet to greet the Prime Minister when he came aboard, a cigar clenched between his teeth. Roosevelt flashed his jaunty trademark smile, holding his head high in patrician fashion.

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