New Japan

While the Marine Corps island-hopped across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Saipan to Iwo Jima, the U.S. Army was locked in a grueling, multiyear fight for the jungle island of New Guinea, which in Japanese hands threatened both Australia and the vital supply lines stretching to the United States. Forces under Douglas MacArthur intended to deny the Japanese this opportunity and use New Guinea as a stepping stone on the road back to the Philippines and, beyond it, Japan.

A geologist’s revelatory invitation to discover how our planet’s seemingly inert bones pulse with unexpected vitality If you listen, can you hear the stones speak? The question seems absurd. After all, rocks are lifeless, inert, and silent. In The Whispers of Rock, earth scientist...

There are few moments in American history in which the course of events tipped so suddenly and so dramatically as at the Battle of Midway. At dawn of June 4, 1942, a rampaging Japanese navy ruled the Pacific. By sunset, their vaunted carrier force (the Kido Butai) had been sunk and their grip on the Pacific had been loosened forever. In this absolutely riveting account of a key moment in the history of World War II, one of America's leading naval historians, Craig L. Symonds, paints an unforgettable portrait of ingenuity, courage, and sacrifice.

A beautiful widow, Shizuko, becomes the center of a deadly struggle between two men—Mitani and Okada. After losing a duel, Okada vanishes, and soon afterward a terrifying figure without lips begins haunting Shizuko’s surroundings. One by one, those around her are murdered. Desperate, Mitani turns to the great detective Kogoro Akechi for help. Yet the lipless phantom seems intent on taunting Akechi, drawing him deeper into a labyrinth of deception. Step by step, Akechi’s brilliant deductions close in on the truth—until the shocking identity of the real culprit is revealed. A ...

This piece of writing by famed samurai Musashi (1584–1645) is the single-most influential work on samurai swordsmanship, offering insights into samurai history, the Zen Buddhist state of "no-mind" that enables warriors to triumph and the philosophical meaning of Bushido — "the way of the warrior."

The Once and Future King returns in this modern day young adult action and adventure novel. If you are familiar with the legends and have seen the excellent movie "Excalibur," then this is the sequel to those events. Sixteen year-old Brian Braddock is having visions of a time long lost, a time and place that he feels somehow strangely connected to. As he strives to figure out what is happening to him he meets a man who reveals himself to be the legendary sorcerer Merlin, he who was the mentor and advisor to one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. Merlin informs Brian that he ...

UPDATED 10/21/24 The Book of Revelation - a modern day paraphrase. NIV meets MSG meets CSV meets Amplified meets NASB meets KJV meets Japanese, Chinese and Russian translations meets original koine Greek. Bill Belew spent twenty plus years in the Far East - Japan, China and Russia. The Book of Revelation - A Modern-Day Paraphrase is the result of what he reads when he compares these many translations. Enjoy The Book of Revelation - a modern day paraphrase and understand the meaning of this marvelous book when reading it in tandem with The Book of Revelation - A Complete Verse by Verse ...

On the 14th of August 1941, a Polish monk named Maximilian Maria Kolbe was murdered in Auschwitz. Kolbe's life had been remarkable. Fiercely intelligent and driven, he founded a movement of Catholicism and spent several years in Nagasaki, ministering to the 'hidden Christians' who had emerged after centuries of oppression. A Polish nationalist as well as a monk, he gave sanctuary to fleeing refugees and his death was no less remarkable: he volunteered to die, saving the life of a fellow prisoner. It was an act that profoundly transformed the lives of two Japanese men.

Shinzo Abe entered politics burdened by high expectations: that he would change Japan. In 2007, seemingly overwhelmed, he resigned after only a year as prime minister. Yet, following five years of reinvention, he masterfully regained the premiership in 2012, and now dominates Japanese democracy as no leader has done before. Abe has inspired fierce loyalty among his followers, cowing Japan's left with his ambitious economic program and support for the security and armed forces.

In The Little Book of Breaking 80, the author, a struggling amateur golfer who finally discovered the true keys to breaking 80 after more than 30 years of trial and error, blows the cover off of the hopelessly doomed conventional approach to golf improvement that keeps most golfers stuck on the endless merry-go-round of frustration and failure.

The Japanese Art of Shinrin-Yoku: A Woman’s Guide to Forest Bathing for Stress and Wellness Life today is fast-paced, chaotic, and often overwhelming—especially for women who balance careers, relationships, families, and personal growth. The demands of modern life can leave you feeling stressed, disconnected, and drained. But what if the solution to reclaiming your peace and well-being was as simple as stepping into a forest? Discover Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of forest bathing. Rooted in centuries of Japanese culture and backed by modern science, Shinrin-yoku is a practice of...

One American soldier called it "a green hell on Earth". Monsoon-soaked wilderness, debilitating heat, impassable mountains, torrential rivers, and disease-infested swamps - New Guinea was a battleground far more deadly than the most fanatical of enemy troops. Japanese forces numbering some 600,000 men began landing in January 1942, determined to seize the island as a cornerstone of the empire's strategy to knock Australia out of the war.

General Douglas MacArthur's bloody campaign to defeat die-hard Japanese forces and liberate the Philippines “I shall return,” General Douglas MacArthur promised the Filipino people following the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Philippines in spring 1942. The people there believed...

—character-driven, hard science fiction with a heart— —the epic finale to a globe-spanning, first contact story of aliens, AIs, and humans— As the alien arkship nears Earth, plans for good and evil reach their climax. At sea, Interstellar Ambassador Miharu and her friends battle typhoon winds and North Korean assassins. But Miharu’s deadliest enemy may be her own wounded heart. In space, a Chinese taikonaut defies orders. UN Secretary-General Pirez fights to celebrate alien law and generosity. The hearts, values, and loyalties of humans, aliens, and AIs alike are laid bare. If you...

On October 25, 1947, the United States government helped the Chinese Nationalist Party, Kuomingtang (KMT) President Chiang Kai-Shek flee the overwhelming communist forces. President Chiang established the new democratic government known as the Republic of China on an island later to be known as Taiwan, previously a major trading center called the “the beautiful isle” or Formosa. This audiobook will not only account for the transformation of Taiwan in the eyes of the colonizers but understand the detrimental impact that the reshaping caused.

—hard science fiction with a heart— —a character-driven first contact story with aliens and sentient AIs— —a thrilling tale set on a global stage and steeped in political intrigue— Assassins target Miharu while a deadly plot to destroy the arkship unfolds. Enemy commandos are after Interstellar Ambassador Miharu, but the greatest threat may be a Chinese space capsule launched by rogue elements. Miharu must navigate global intrigue as a Canadian mayor and a businessman in Kolkata move to seize opportunities, while President Amber Cloud Voss’s response to the arkship’s ...

—hard science fiction with a heart— —a character-driven first contact story with aliens and sentient AIs— An alien arkship’s plea for help threatens to trigger a new world war. Miharu Nakayama’s life as a telescope jockey by night and a struggling doctoral candidate by day is thrown into chaos when the mysterious Dr. Aiko Trapp drops a half-million alien refugees from Trappist-1 on her shoulders. When Miharu asks why her, Trapp explains, “You cried for them.” Now, hunted by rogue homeland security agents, Miharu must fight for her own freedom before she can deal with the ...

In 1942, the Solomon Islands formed the stepping stones toward Rabaul, the main base of Japanese operations in the South Pacific, and the Allies primary objective. The stunning defeat of Japanese forces at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November marked the turning point in the war against Japan and the start of an offensive in the Central Solomons aimed at New Georgia. New Georgia: The Second Battle for the Solomons tells the story of the land, sea, and air battles fought there from March through October 1943.

From the author of Pacific Payback comes the gripping true story of the Cactus Air Force and how this rugged crew of dive bombers helped save Guadalcanal and won the war. November 1942: Japanese and American forces have been fighting for control of Guadalcanal, a small but pivotal island in Japan's expansion through the South Pacific.

With their two swords, top-knot haircut, and legendary code of honor, the samurai were the absolute, unquestioned rulers of the country. That all began to change rapidly when the “black ships” of US Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Tokyo Bay in 1853.