This novel is set against the background of the Malay Peninsula and Singapore during the Second World years of 1941 to 1945. As implied from the title, is is not merely a story about two generals, Yamashita and Percival, but also the effect of their decisions upon the lives of people who were caught in the war the British residents and the locals of diverse cultures. The novel focuses on the theme of love and war. It discusses the frailties of human emotion that led to both. It portrays the lives of the various societies there at the time before, during and after the outbreak of the war: first the British, the elite society during the colonial years with their comfortable life, quite ignorant of Japanese clandestine activities, which were to have such a profound effect on their lives soon after. Amidst all these the novel also portrays the love, illicit and otherwise that inevitably grew out the events related to the war. In addition, the novel also looks at other parts of the social environment, at the effects of the war on the local population: the Malays who saw the war as an opportunity to prepare themselves towards self-government and independence; the Chinese who looked upon the Japanese as their bitter enemies for invading their homeland, China, and who must opposed at all costs; the Indians who were indifferent to all events around them; their main concern being to earn just enough for themselves and for their families back home in India. This is a novel dominated by historical facts related to the war period interlaced with fictional events related to the life and the loves of the fictional characters during the war. It carries a message about the meaninglessness of war; that pride of the victor is just temporary and trivial but the human suffering caused by the war is unfathomable and simply unforgivable. Shaari Isa has equal love for academic and creative writings. He began his career as a teacher and subsequently became a professional accountant and a university lecturer. His writings reflects his deep concern for social order, clear thinking and human happiness. He lives in Kuala Lumpur.

A story from a third-generation soldier of the 1st Battalion, the 5th Gorkha Rifles (FF) who was killed in combat. A ghost story narrated to the author by an officer of the Garhwal Rifles while on a visit to Lansdowne. A gripping account of the air raid on Pakistan's airfield at Sargodha in 1965 led by Wing Commander O.P. Taneja, VrC. These are some of the stories featured in Major General Ian Cardozo's book Beyond Fear, stories that inform the reader that fear is not exceptional. It is common to all human beings. The question is: Do we face fear or run away from it? Through these thirteen stories, he reveals to the reader how military personnel conquer fear. He calls it 'biting the bullet'. Through the twists and turns of his stories, he brings out how honour, love, courage, trust, hope, faith and loyalty help the soldier in his quest to conquer fear and that these very qualities can help the reader deal with fear in their everyday lives. These stories also show that real life can sometimes be stranger than fiction.

In just 10 weeks from 8 December 1941 to mid February 1942, British and Imperial forces were utterly defeated by the numerically inferior Japanese under General Yamashita. British units fought hard on the Malayan mainland but the Japanese showed greater mobility, cunning and tactical superiority. Morale was badly affected by the loss of HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse to Japanese aircraft on 19 December as they sought out enemy shipping. Panic set in as military and civilians withdrew south to Singapore. Thought to be an impregnable fortress, its defences against land attacks were shockingly deficient. General Percival's leadership was at best uninspired and at worst incompetent. Once the Allied troops withdrew to Singapore it was only a matter of time before surrender became inevitable. To make matters worse reinforcements arrived but only in time to be made POWs. The whole catastrophe is brilliantly described in this highly illustrated book.

In Promiscuous Media, Hikari Hori makes a compelling case that the visual culture of Showa-era Japan articulated urgent issues of modernity rather than serving as a simple expression of nationalism. Hori makes clear that the Japanese cinema of the time was in fact almost wholly built on a foundation of Russian and British film theory as well as American film genres and techniques. Hori provides a range of examples that illustrate how maternal melodrama and animated features, akin to those popularized by Disney, were adopted wholesale by Japanese filmmakers. Emperor Hirohito's image, Hori argues, was inseparable from the development of mass media; he was the first emperor whose public appearances were covered by media ranging from postcards to radio broadcasts. Worship of the emperor through viewing his image, Hori shows, taught the Japanese people how to look at images and primed their enjoyment of early animation and documentary films alike. Promiscuous Media links the political and the cultural closely in a way that illuminates the nature of twentieth-century Japanese society.

Eisen Teo is a senior history researcher and docent with a Singapore-based heritage consultancy. He graduated with a first class honours in History from the National University of Singapore. He spends his free time researching on Singapore history, transport, and urban issues, and exploring the concrete jungle that is Singapore

An indispensable reference on World War II produced by the Library of Congress and edited by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David M. Kennedy. With hundreds of illustrations and quotations from contemporary documents, this will be the most authoritative popular reference on World War II. The noted historian John Keegan called World War II "the largest single event in human history." More than sixty years after it ended, that war continues to shape our world. Going far beyond accounts of the major battles, The Library of Congress World War II Companion examines, in a unique and engaging manner, this devastating conflict, its causes, conduct, and aftermath. It considers the politics that shaped the involvement of the major combatants; military leadership and the characteristics of major Allied and Axis armed services; the weaponry that resulted in the war's unprecedented destruction, as well as debates over the use of these weapons; the roles of resistance groups and underground fighters; war crimes; daily life during wartime; the uses of propaganda; and much more. Drawn from the unparalleled collections of the institution that has been called "America's Memory," The Library of Congress World War II Companion includes excerpts from contemporary letters, journals, pamphlets, and other documents, as well as first-person accounts recorded by the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. The text is complemented by more than 150 illustrations. Organized into topical chapters (such as "The Media War," "War Crimes and the Holocaust," and two chapters on "Military Operations" that cover the important battles), the book also include readers to navigate through the rich store of information in these pages. Filled with facts and figures, information about unusual aspects of the war, and moving personal accounts, this remarkable volume will be indispensable to anyone who wishes to understand the World War II era and its continuing reverberations.

Drawing on a range of archaeological and historical sources gleaned from research in Britain, India, Singapore, the USA and Canada, this book traces the geo-strategic development of Singapore from its first settlement in the 13th centry, through the turbulent phases of the Early Modern period, to the dramatic military events that have been such a distinctive feature of the 20th century.