Tokyo Rose: AND An American Patriot: A Dual Biography (Scarecrow Professional Intelligence Education): 7 (Security and Professional Intelligence Education Series)

Tokyo Rose: AND An American Patriot: A Dual Biography (Scarecrow Professional Intelligence Education): 7 (Security and Professional Intelligence Education Series)

by Frederick P . Close (Author)

Synopsis

Tokyo Rose / An American Patriot explores the parallel lives of World War II legend Tokyo Rose and a Japanese American woman named Iva Toguri. Trapped in Tokyo during the war and forced to broadcast on Japanese radio, Toguri steadfastly refused to renounce her U.S. citizenship and surreptitiously aided Allied POWs. Despite these patriotic actions, she foolishly identified herself to the press after the war as Tokyo Rose. This book assembles a collection of images from American pre-war popular culture that provided impetus for the legend of Tokyo Rose and analyzes the wartime situation of servicemen, which caused their imaginations to create the mythical femme fatale even though no Japanese announcer ever used the name Tokyo Rose.

$101.93

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 542
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Published: 16 Feb 2010

ISBN 10: 081086777X
ISBN 13: 9780810867772

Media Reviews
Close's skill as a storyteller compels one to keep reading. * Nichi Bei Weekly *
Dubbed a dual biography, this personal history parallels the legend of the infamous-and largely fictitious-Tokyo Rose with the true story of American patriot Iva Toguri. Tried and wrongly convicted of treason, Toguri, an unfortunate victim of time and circumstances, deserves another day in the court of public opinion. Close gives his subject her due by interweaving the straightforward facts of her life with the fanciful mythology of Tokyo Rose. World War II buffs will appreciate this attempt to set the record straight. * Booklist *
Close sets out to tell a 'dual biography' that compares and combines the 'lives' of Iva Toguri, a Japanese American who found herself trapped in Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and eventually became a broadcaster for the Zero Hour program produced by Radio Tokyo, and Tokyo Rose, the fictive temptress whose radio propaganda aimed to undermine US soldiers' morale in the Pacific. Presenting a thorough accounting of both Toguri and Tokyo Rose from their respective 'births' on, Close explores how a variety of forces-including racial hostilities exacerbated by the war, curiosity about the 'true' identity of Tokyo Rose, increasing Cold War tensions, and even Toguri's ambition and nalvete-all helped to forever connect Toguri, no matter how unfairly, to the treasonous (though fictional) broadcaster. Close covers his subject in exacting...detail....Though Tokyo Rose has received a good deal of scholarly attention, Close's very accessible book provides a meticulous history that presents intriguing insights and raises new questions through its novel approach. Summing Up: Recommended. * CHOICE *
Author Bio
Frederick P. Close is a founder of the non-profit Southwest Center for Educational Television. He has spearheaded the production of 76 ethnographic documentaries produced throughout the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico and broadcast in four season-long series by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), as well as selected commercial television, radio, and cable channels in the United States, Canada, and Latin America.