In The Long Defeat, Akiko Hashimoto explores the stakes of war memory in Japan after its catastrophic defeat in World War II, showing how and why defeat has become an indelible part of national collective life, especially in recent decades. Divisive war memories lie at the root of the contentious politics surrounding Japan's pacifist constitution and remilitarization, and fuel the escalating frictions in East Asia known collectively as Japan's "history problem." Drawing on ethnography, interviews, and a wealth of popular memory data, this book identifies three preoccupations - national belonging, healing, and justice - in Japan's discourses of defeat. Hashimoto uncovers the key war memory narratives that are shaping Japan's choices - nationalism, pacifism, or reconciliation - for addressing the rising international tensions and finally overcoming its dark history.

In The Long Defeat, Akiko Hashimoto explores the stakes of war memory in Japan after its catastrophic defeat in World War II, showing how and why defeat has become an indelible part of national collective life, especially in recent decades. Divisive war memories lie at the root of the contentious politics surrounding Japan's pacifist constitution and remilitarization, and fuel the escalating frictions in East Asia known collectively as Japan's "history problem." Drawing on ethnography, interviews, and a wealth of popular memory data, this book identifies three preoccupations - national belonging, healing, and justice - in Japan's discourses of defeat. Hashimoto uncovers the key war memory narratives that are shaping Japan's choices - nationalism, pacifism, or reconciliation - for addressing the rising international tensions and finally overcoming its dark history.

In his highly anticipated follow-up to 'The Other Life', Patrick Connors presents 'The Long Defeat', a poetic journey through the depths of personal and universal turmoil. Connors, influenced by his own experience of pandemic-induced unemployment, delves into the essence of human resilience and the quest for renewal. Through poignant verses and lyrical precision, he captures the spectrum of emotions— from despair and isolation to the profound resilience that emerges from enduring hardship.'The Long Defeat' is not just a collection of poems; it is a testament to the indomitable spirit that perseveres through adversity. Each poem resonates with themes of trauma and recovery, offering readers a mirror to their own struggles and a path towards inner peace. Connors' language is both evocative and contemplative, drawing readers into landscapes of emotion and reflection.Critically acclaimed author Dane Swan describes the collection as 'writing the Blues', where Connors' verses express the universal traumas, fears, and loneliness with deep empathy and relatability. Bernadette Gabay Dyer praises Connors' ability to meld personal scars into courageous and authoritative verse, while Brandon Pitts highlights how the poems lead readers from uncertainty to hope, embodying a resilience earned through perseverance.'The Long Defeat' is essential reading for poetry enthusiasts, book clubs exploring contemporary themes, and anyone navigating personal challenges. It speaks directly to the times we live in— where resilience is both a struggle and a triumph, and where the human spirit finds its voice amidst adversity. Connors' poetic opus invites readers to reflect, heal, and ultimately, find strength in the face of life' s most daunting defeats.

Whether we interpret Scripture or culture, it matters what we do, not just what we think or feel. How do we live with our interpretation, and how do we live it out? This book helps us understand how culture forms us as political actors, moves us aesthetically, shapes the rhythms of our lives, and connects (or disconnects) us from God and neighbors we are called to love. The goal is to be equipped to engage culture with greater fluency and fidelity in response to the triune God. This short, accessible introduction to the conversation between theology and culture offers a patient, thoughtful, and theologically attuned approach to cultural discernment. It helps us grow our interpretive skill by training our intuition and giving us a slower, more deliberate approach that accounts for as much of the complexity of culture as possible. The book explores 5 dimensions of culture--meaning, power, morality, religion, and aesthetic--and shows how each needs the others and all need theology. Each chapter includes distinctive practices for spiritual formation and practical application. Foreword by Kevin J. Vanhoozer.

In 1938, two rival expeditions descend on an ancient temple recently discovered in the jungles of Honduras, one intending to shoot a huge Hollywood production on location there, the other to disassemble the temple and ship it back to New York. A seemingly endless stalemate ensues. Twenty years later, a rogue CIA agent sets out to exploit the temple for his own ends, unaware that it is a locus of conspiracies far grander than anyone could ever have guessed. Shot through with intrigue, ingenuity, and adventure, and showcasing Beauman’s riotous humor, spectacular imagination, and riveting prose, Madness Is Better Than Defeat is a novel without parallel: inventive, anarchic, and delightfully insane.

This book makes a fresh contribution to a growing genre of popular literature facing Christianity's late-modern or postmodern decline. It situates the broader fate of Christian faith within the eschatological realism of J.R.R. Tolkien's characterization of history as a "long defeat."

This study of modern Japan traces the impact of defeat and reconstruction on every aspect of Japan's national life. It examines the economic resurgence as well as how the nation as a whole reacted to defeat and the end of a suicidal nationalism.