A Plague upon Humanity: The Hidden History of Japan's Biological Warfare Program

Author - Daniel Barenblatt ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from HarperPerennial was reviewed on 12-Dec-2008.

Search ISBN:0060933879 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. A Plague upon Humanity: The Hidden History of Japan's Biological Warfare Program Reference Book. Classifications : Japan Asia History Subjects Books General Asia History Subjects Books General AAS Asia History Subjects Books General World War II Military History Subjects Books General AAS World War II Military His . Click the following link to view the cover of A Plague upon Humanity: The Hidden History of Japan's Biological Warfare Program.

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1) Paperback Book A Plague upon Humanity: The Hidden History of Japan's Biological Warfare Program by HarperPerennial. This book offers insight into a primarily unexplored portion of history. Terrifying is the most descriptive term I can think of to portray the magnitude of what I felt by reading this book.

It is well researched and flows well for reading. In fact, it flows almost too well as the reader finds himself in Harbin in the 1930s and the terror that ensued with the biological warfare program.

The thought of human vivisection is too overpowering when considering the absolute hell the victims must have endured. How this horror has remained largely unchallenged defies the laws of humanity!

Proceed with caution...this book offers nightmares more intense than any best selling horror novel could ever offer.
¤

2) Paperback Book A Plague upon Humanity: The Hidden History of Japan's Biological Warfare Program by HarperPerennial. A Plague Upon Humanity is extremely well-written and
and it fills in a gap in the literature on the subject
of Japanese wartime atrocities and US complicity in
its cover-up.

The review by "Harkius" below contains false
statements that need to be challenged.

First, contrary to Harkius´ statement, this book
definitely uses a number of primary sources, and
quite valuable and dramatic ones at that. They are
clearly listed in the endnotes and sometimes in the
body of the chapter texts as well.

Harkius writes that the book errs in calling the
agent of typus by the name Eberthella typhosa. In
fact, this was the common name used for the bacteria
in the time period examined in the book, the years
of Imperial Japanese germ warfare and Unit 731, so
it is perfectly acceptable to use the term. It is
precisely the same bacteria that would later go by the
name Salmonella typhi.

The book´s narrative of the unfolding history is
quite clear, easy to read and chronological. I had
no problem following the details of the story and
cannot comprehend why he would characterize its style
as "schizophrenic".
Exactly the opposite is true.

Harkius completely misquotes the author by saying
that he writes that a girl´s vivisection by Japanese
invaders was "the exact act of a devil." Author
Barenblatt did NOT say that, rather that is a quote
from the testimony of a Chinese woman from the
girl´s village and it is presented in the book as
the account of a Chinese survivor and an eyewitness.
And it is perfectly appropriate for her to describe
the horrific medical atrocity this way. Once again,
Harkius has it completely wrong. The actual quote of
the woman, Wang Lijun, is: "an 18-year-old girl,
named Wu Xiaonai, was disssected alive, and had her
internal organs taken out while she was still alive,
which was exactly a devil´s act. Zhang Julian who
saw that bloodcurdling scene was frightened and
barely escaped with her life ..."

As for the book he recommends, "Alibekov´s
Biohazard", I am quite familiar with it and it has
only a brief, error-filled mention
of Japan´s germ warfare and human experiments, and
it completely omits the U.S. secret recruitment of
Japan´s criminal doctors after the war. This is not
surprising since co-author Alibek (who also uses the
name "Alibekov") himself
unapologetically worked in the US biowar program and
so cannot be trusted to give an unbiased, truthful
account.


I would say that if you are interested in this
subject, you will find it quite difficult if not
impossible to find any work aside from Barenblatt´s A
Plague Upon Humanity that is as readable and that is based
upon as much up-to-date independent research as his.¤

3) Paperback Book A Plague upon Humanity: The Hidden History of Japan's Biological Warfare Program by HarperPerennial. Japan has committed some of the world´s worst atrocities in history (nanking massacre, unit 731, batton death march, comfort women, pearl harbor, ect..) and they still refuse to apologize, compensate, or make an accurate history in there textbooks. Why is Japan so cowardly and instead try to make their amends to their victims of the horrible crimes against humanity. No wonder people call Japan a "devil" race.
¤

4) Paperback Book A Plague upon Humanity: The Hidden History of Japan's Biological Warfare Program by HarperPerennial. Keep in mind, as you read my review, that I am a person well-versed in the history of biological weapons, as well as a good method by which to write a book about it. If you want to read a good book about the development of biological weapons, go pick up Alibekov´s Biohazard. Much better in every way.

That said, my problems with this book boil down to three or four major problems, along with a lot of small things.

First, and most important major problem, is that the book´s factual basis is in question. I haven´t gone to the primary materials (and the list of materials in the final chapter that were in the report of a journalist makes me wonder, quite seriously, whether Barenblatt has either) to verify every detail, or most of the details for that matter. My reaction, however, IS based on knowledge. For example, on pg. 130, the author refers to a bacterium called Eberthella typhosa, responsibe for typhoid fever. This is not true. The etiological agent of typoid fever is currently classified as Salmonella enterica subvar typhi. The designation Eberthella typhosa is archaic, having been replaced with Salmonella typhosa, then Salmonella typhi, then Salmonella enterica subvar typhi. This is a relatively simple fact to check, and the fact that the author did not suggests to me that he did not check many of his facts, and some of them are fairly contentious. This is not merely the editor´s responsibility, but the author´s as well.

Second, the schizophrenic outline of the book is quite distracting, and prevents from an easy digestion of the material. For example, at one point the author discusses the same incident two or three times, in the space of one chapter, examining it in greater detail each time. This could be an enlightening experience, if handled in a different fashion. Instead, it is merely annoying, as you get the feeling that he could have simply told the most complete and relevant version the first time. Multiply that problem out by the activities of Imperialist Japan between 1932 and 1945, and you will see that it quickly becomes nearly migraine-inducing to keep all of the details straight.

Third, the author´s sensationalization of some of the incidents is unwarranted and takes away from the actual impact of what was done. In one case, a discussion of a girl being vivisectioned is presented in such a fashion as to be rather boring, instead of having the horror that it should. Not because the author failed to impart the heinous nature of the act, but through the description of it as the "exact act of a devil." This kind of dramatization and melodrama characterizes many of the incidents in the book, taking away from our ability to interpret them in context, and attempting to replace the morality of war time Japan and US, and impose the attitude of post-Cold War internationalism over it. This results in a heavy-handed condemnation of all that was done, preventing us from an understanding of why the Japanese government carried out these experiments, and why the US government absolved them of guilt.

These, along with a string of minor problems (like the mentioning of "even US POW´s were used in these experiments.", following the use of war-time civilians, and intending to overlay it in sheer moral terpitude), prevent the book from reaching the level that it could have been.

Don´t get me wrong. There are a number of interesting facts in this book, and if you are not familiar with the work of Unit 731, which I was aware of but not familiar with, it can be an enlightening book. But, the problems outweigh the goodness and drag it from a potential four stars into the realm of the murky two-star wastes of cash and time.

I would suggest carefully perusing the other selections for this topic. If this is the only one that you can find, or you are a completist, go ahead and pick it up. It is not totally worthless, and there are probably a few facts that even 731 hobbyists are not familiar with tucked into its pages. But, if neither of these statements describes you, you can probably find something a little better.
Harkius¤

5) Paperback Book A Plague upon Humanity: The Hidden History of Japan's Biological Warfare Program by HarperPerennial.

From 1932 to 1945, in a headlong quest to develop germ warfare capability for the military of Imperial Japan, hundreds of Japanese doctors, nurses and research scientists willingly participated in what was referred to at the time as ´the secret of secrets´ – horrifying experiments conducted on live human beings, in this case innocent Chinese men, women, and children. This was the work of an elite group known as Unit 731, led by Japan´s answer to Joseph Mengele, Dr Shiro Ishii.

Under their initiative, thousands of individuals were held captive and infected with virulent strains of anthrax, plague, cholera, and other epidemic and viral diseases. Soon entire Chinese villages were being hit with biological bombs. Even American POWs were targeted. All told, more than 250,000 people were infected, and the vast majority died. Yet, after the war, US occupation forces under General Douglas MacArthur struck a deal with these doctors that shielded them from accountability.

Provocative, alarming and utterly compelling, A Plague Upon Humanity draws on important original research to expose one of the most shameful chapters in human history.

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 9-Jan-2009, 00609338799780060933876, 790-660-490-960-590-800-8

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