NEW paperback

Shadow Shoguns: The Rise and Fall of Japans Postwar Political Machine Schlesinger, Jacob

This is a vivid account of the corrupt and improbable political machine that ran Japanese politics for twenty years, from the early 1970s to the early 1990s, the period during which Japan became the worlds secondlargest economyReviewsWashington lobbyists, Moscow mafiosi, and Beijing party bosses stand back Here is one of the longest running bigtime political sleaze serials of the past quartercentury This was a book waiting to be written, and not only has Schlesinger done it, but he has also produced a fine job of political reportingNew York Times Book ReviewIn a rollicking style, Schlesinger demolishes the popular misconception that politicians are boring His is a tale of monstrous personalities This is the most entertaining short history of Japanese politics this reviewer has encounteredThe EconomistA story which is told vividly in this well researched and reliable account A superb analysis of Japans politics and economic affairsWashington Post Book WorldShadow Shoguns is a lively and anecdoterich account of the eerie parallels between Tokyos nowbattered political machine and New Yorks Tammany Hall Schlesinger masterfully demonstrates why Prime Minister Tanaka personified the collusive ties between Japanese politicians and Big BusinessBusiness WeekA fascinating and penetrating tale about the Tanaka machine that dominated Japans politics for several decades and whose demise in the early 1990s has created a political vacuum that accounts for many of Japans current problemsForeign Affairs