‘A monumental achievement…compassionate but unsparing in its judgements.’ Sunday Times ‘An outstandingly gripping and authoritative account of the battle for Japan, and a monument to human bravery and savagery.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Absolutely excellent.’ John Simpson, Observer ‘Magisterial…it is truly cathartic to reach the end of the Second World War in Hastings’s company.’ The Times ‘Brilliantly though Hastings lays out the strategic context, his real talent lies in his account of the “terrible human experience” that it involved…This is a book for anyone who wants to understand what happened in half the world during one of the bloodiest periods of the blood-soaked 20th century.’ Spectator ‘Spectacular…Hastings makes important points about the war in the East that have been all too rarely heard…excellent…compelling…searingly powerful.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘As Hastings brilliantly describes, conditions for fighting men on both sides were appalling…the fire-bombing of Tokyo and the decision to drop the atomic bombs were influenced by the urge to 'get this business over with', but the argument, as Hastings explains so well with his usual exemplary judgement, is far more complex.’ Financial Times

• Max Hastings is, with Richard Holmes, the most outstanding military historian in Britain today. • ‘Armageddon’ sold over 110,000 copies and Max has sold over 240,000 books to date. • ‘Nemesis’ has already sold over 30,000 copis in HB and is considered a classic work on the war in the Far East. • Hasting’s previous work ‘Warriors’ has been published to great acclaim and has sold over 35,000 copies in the UK alone. • In this companion volume to Hasting’s bestselling ‘Armageddon’, ‘Nemesis’ focuses on the battle for Japan, bringing to life the climatic battles of the Second World War.