Judgement at Tokyo

World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia

 

Gary J Bass

Sydney, NSW: Pan MacMillan, 2024

Paperback    912pp         RRP: $39.99

 

Reviewer: Michael O’Brien, June 2024

 

Our library has a remarkable collection relating to the war crimes trials for the Pacific War. Included are the papers of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Francis Edington Mornane, ISO, Australian Army Legal Corps, relating to his service as Prosecutor at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials Tribunal from 1946. These unique papers are contained in five large boxes.

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Judgement at Tokyo is, at first glance, a detailed account of the trial. It is remarkable for its detail. For example, it recounts the testimony of an Australian soldier who was the victim of an attempted decapitation. This segment of the trial was presented by Mornane, though his name is not mentioned.

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The trial represented a multi-national effort to define and codify international law and to deal with atrocities.

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There is a comprehensive and worthwhile review of this book on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1FfbOGDQw4.

This story relates strongly to the circumstances of the current conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. It is an important study for those interested in the ethics and laws of conflict.

 

 

The RUSI – Vic Library thanks the publisher for making this work available for review.