Kindle
$20.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$27.89
Paperback
$23.50
Kindle Price: $20.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Steve Kemper
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Our Man In Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor Kindle Edition

by Steve Kemper (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 210 ratings
See all formats and editions
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.

Winner of the American Academy of Diplomacy’s Dillon Book Award

"Gripping history, offering both drama and suspense." —Wall Street Journal

A riveting, behind-the-scenes account of the personalities and contending forces in Tokyo during the volatile decade that led to World War II, as seen through the eyes of the American ambassador who attempted to stop the slide to war.

In 1932, Japan was in crisis. Naval officers had assassinated the prime minister and conspiracies flourished. The military had a stranglehold on the government. War with Russia loomed, and propaganda campaigns swept the country, urging schoolchildren to give money to procure planes and tanks. 

Into this maelstrom stepped Joseph C. Grew, America’s most experienced and talented diplomat. When Grew was appointed ambassador to Japan, not only was the country in turmoil, its relationship with America was rapidly deteriorating. For the next decade, Grew attempted to warn American leaders about the risks of Japan’s raging nationalism and rising militarism, while also trying to stabilize Tokyo’s increasingly erratic and volatile foreign policy. From domestic terrorism by Japanese extremists to the global rise of Hitler and the fateful attack on Pearl Harbor, the events that unfolded during Grew’s tenure proved to be pivotal for Japan, and for the world. His dispatches from the darkening heart of the Japanese empire would prove prescient—for his time, and for our own.  

Drawing on Grew’s diary of his time in Tokyo as well as U.S. embassy correspondence, diplomatic dispatches, and firsthand Japanese accounts, Our Man in Tokyo brings to life a man who risked everything to avert another world war, the country where he staked it all—and the abyss that swallowed it. 

Previous page
  1. Print length
    448 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Mariner Books
  5. Publication date
    November 8, 2022
  6. File size
    29882 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steve Kemper is a journalist and the author of A Labyrinth of Kingdoms: 10,000 Miles through Islamic Africa, A Splendid Savage: The Restless Life of Frederick Russell Burnham, and Code Name Ginger. He has written for Smithsonian, National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, National Geographic Traveler, Outside, Wall Street Journal, Yankee, National Wildlife, The Ecologist, Plenty, BBC Wildlife, and many other magazines and newspapers. He lives in West Hartford, Connecticut.  --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

"Our Man in Tokyo is meticulously researched, and Mr. Kemper mines Grew's diaries and other primary sources to great effect. . . . It is gripping history, offering both drama and suspense, even when we all know how the story will end." — Wall Street Journal

"Expertly marshaled from Grew’s diaries and reports, this is a poignant and profound look at diplomacy in action." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“As the US ambassador to Putin’s Russia in the run-up to their first invasion of Ukraine, I found Our Man in Tokyo eerily familiar. Kemper’s book is the essential history of an ambassador’s efforts to preserve peace prior to World War II—a must-read if we’re to learn from history and avoid repeating it.” — Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia and New York Times bestselling author of From Cold War to Hot Peace

“Richly detailed narrative . . . . compelling . . . . A fine account of an American diplomat who did his best to contain Japanese ambitions in the run-up to World War II.” — Kirkus Reviews

"Steve Kemper’s splendid portrait of the American ambassador to Japan during the lead-up to World War II will be of interest to a wide range of history lovers." — BookPage (starred review)

"An insightful and highly readable account of the lead up to Pearl Harbor. ... Excellent. ... Has a relevance to contemporary times that is most intriguing and gives the book an added value.” — Roman Popadiuk, president of the Diplomacy Center Foundation and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, in The Cipher Brief (rated 4 out of 4 "trench coats")

"An enthralling, meticulous account of the events leading up to Pearl Harbor. Ambassador Joseph Grew, my grandfather, dedicated ten years to searching for diplomatic solutions in Japan. Steve Kemper’s book honors this extraordinary man, with intriguing parallels to current events at home and abroad. It moved me deeply." — Lilla Lyon, granddaughter of Ambassador Joseph Grew

"Engaging." — Japan Times

"Great biographies are about more than the subject, they are about the subject's times. And even about our times. On this, Kemper succeeds unequivocally." — Wendell Jamieson, Book & Film Globe

"Kemper's book portrays just how important diplomatic efforts and relationships are in defusing crises. Our Man in Tokyo should be required reading for national security leaders everywhere as we face growing challenges with China and Russia."  —  Lieutenant Commander Ryan Hilger, U.S. Navy, Proceedings, United States Naval Institute

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09PGBVPXG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books (November 8, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 8, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 29882 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0358064740
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 210 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Steve Kemper

Steve Kemper

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

My new book, Our Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor, is a behind-the-scenes narrative about the volatile lead-up to the war with Japan, told from the perspective of the American who knew that country best at the time—Joseph C. Grew, the United States ambassador from 1932 to 1942. In 2019 the National Endowment for the Humanities gave me a grant through its Public Scholar Program to support the research and writing.

My previous book, A Splendid Savage: the Restless Life of Frederick Russell Burnham (W. W. Norton, 2016), is the biography of a man once world-famous as "the American scout." Before that, I wrote A Labyrinth of Kingdoms: 10,000 Miles Through Islamic Africa (W. W. Norton, 2012), about Heinrich Barth, one of Africa's greatest explorers yet nearly forgotten today. The book is a nonfiction historical adventure that recreates Barth’s incredible five-year, 10,000 mile journey in the 1850s. The Boston Globe named Labyrinth one of the best nonfiction books of 2012.

My first book, Code Name Ginger: the Story Behind Segway and Dean Kamen's Quest to Invent a New World (Harvard Business School Press, 2003), was selected by Barnes & Noble for its Discover Great New Writers award. Harper published the paperback under the title Reinventing the Wheel: a Story of Genius, Innovation, and Grand Ambition.

Other credits: Smithsonian, National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, National Geographic Traveler, Outside, Wall Street Journal, Yankee, National Wildlife, The Ecologist, Plenty, BBC Wildlife, and many other magazines and newspapers.

I have taught writing and journalism as an adjunct professor at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and at Fairfield University.

I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. After graduating from the University of Detroit, I taught literature and writing at the University of Connecticut while earning a Ph.D. I've received several awards for my work, as well as a grant from the W. Alton Jones Foundation for an environmental investigation in Bolivia.

I live in West Hartford, Connecticut, with my wife Judith Kaufman, a studio goldsmith.

My website: www.stevekemper.net

My blog: http://blog.stevekemper.net

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
210 global ratings
Unfortunate
3 Stars
Unfortunate
Very excited to start reading this book. Little bit of a slow read, but still interesting nonetheless.HOWEVER, I started feeling things were a bit off when the author continuously praised Grew even when he was proven to be wrong. Felt like the author started injecting a warped perspective into the book and something was off. Then came the quote where he randomly injected that Grew was reading a horrible novel from 1935 where a "fascistic demagogue who gets elected president on a platform of fear, resentment, nationalism, and a promise to make America great again.".... Gee, I wonder who he's making a reference to here.First off, the book he is talking about "It Can't Happen Here", I know and is about a left wing dictator who rises to power by promising people money and success. And the description presented in Our Man in Tokyo isn't accurate.Second, it is a horrible affront to historical facts and accuracy to be so astoundingly asinine to inject modern day political bias and perspective into events over 75+ years ago. I don't care who it is, stop showing your ridiculous current political bias and tell us about what happened in the past with as much accuracy and fact finding as possible. I know this is hard to hear for many people who can't seem to fathom it, but current modern American politics, while incredibly divided, is pretty boring and not worthy of using it as a lens in which to view EVERYTHING by.Now, I could let that go, but the obvious modern political bias continues from that point on and quite deliberately skews both the truth of what happened and my trust for the author.Very disappointed.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Jeffrey J. Ward
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a brilliantly written and important historical book
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
Using ambassador Joseph Grew's diary as a starting point, author Steve Kemper tells a fascinating story about the road to war between Japan and the United States. There were several high ranking Japanese officials who wanted to avert war with the United States and Emperor Hirohito weakly and ineffectually tried to restrain the leaders of the Japanese Army who largely acted without restraint from the civilian leadership. Secretary of State Cordell Hull was Secretary in name only. FDR relied much more on his old friend Sumner Welles who undermined Hull from within the State Department during much of the time covered in this book. Stanley Hornbeck, special assistant to Hull, while critical of Grew's "appeasement," remained confident until the bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor that Japan would not commit national suicide by going to war. Grew sent many memos urging the U S to exploit opportunities to back Japanese officials who opposed the militarists pushing for war. Most of these either went unread or were ignored by the home office State Department officials, who, unbeknownst to Grew, were reading Japanese diplomatic correspondence that had been decoded by Magic and that contradicted what Grew was reporting. Grew was well intentioned and did everything he could to avert war. But his efforts were destined to fail because of defects in a Japanese system that lacked any restraints on the Army and a very poorly led U S State Department.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Patk6789
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!! A MUST read.
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
This reads like an adventure story... Which it truly was. It puts the tangled story of Japanese/U.S. pre-war relations into sharp focus, especially the contrast of cultures, and intricacies of the negotiations that led to the war. One needs a "cheat sheet" to keep track of all the players. Fortunately Steven Kemper gives you one early in the book. A wonderful story, meticulously researched, and superbly written!
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Michael John
4.0 out of 5 stars The story of Japan's decent into war with the US
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
US Ambassador Grew spent a decade in Japan trying to avert war between Japan and the United States. Grew was the consummate diplomat, but he was ultimately unable to help Japanese moderates overcome the machinations of nationalists and fascists who dreamed of empire and totalitarianism, and Japan spiraled into a war that it could not win. The Japanese imperative to save face precluded them from taking any actions which might have avoided war. This is a well-told story.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sarah Beddingfield
5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Our Man in Tokyo
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was a fascinating book, so very interesting. I learned so many new facts leading up to the war between the US and Japan. I would never have guessed that the situation in Japan was so chaotic. I highly recommend this book to people interested in WWII history.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jim Looney
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent account
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the detailed facts about the events leading to war with Japan.
It has relevance to events today. History repeats itself.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
ENRIQUE
5.0 out of 5 stars Ambassador Grew in Tokyo's and
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great reading for anyone interested in the Japanese society prior to the Pearl Harbor attack.
Obviously, Japan was underestimated and we all know what happened on December 7, 1941.
I highly recommend this book by Steve Kemper
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
SeattleBookMama
4.0 out of 5 stars Conversationally Told; Impeccable Research
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2023
My thanks go to Net Galley and Mariner Books for the invitation to read and review; Our Man in Tokyo is for sale now.

For the most part, my curiosity about World War II has been slaked, but this book has a different point of view than any other I’ve seen. American history students know of the miserable experience of the two Japanese ambassadors to the U.S., whose own government did not even give them a clue that Japan was about to bomb Pearl Harbor, right there on American soil. But I had never heard a word about their counterpart, the U.S. ambassador to Japan. Joseph Grew was a skilled and seasoned diplomat, and he tried mightily to find common ground between the two nations. Of course, in the end he was more or less shouting into the wind. But I had never read a single thing about him, and so this biography caught my interest.

Readers should know that the last two thirds are much more interesting than the beginning. I don’t care about Grew’s early life, or his marriage, or his golf game. I’m in this strictly for the historical record regarding the U.S. and Japan during the period leading up to the war; also, of course, I wanted to know what happened to him, stationed over there as he was, once war broke out. All of these things are explained clearly and in a conversational manner that is easy to read or listen to. (Since I had fallen behind, I checked out the audiobook from Seattle Bibliocommons, and it sped things up for me.)

The various politicians with whom Grew dealt are interesting indeed. The divisions within the government itself, and also within the Japanese military, created all manner of problems with communication and decision making. There are some bizarre circumstances, and they’re well described. But also interesting to me are the less historically necessary, yet fascinating tidbits that he picks up along the way, living for a decade or so in Japan. Here’s just one nugget for you: Mt. Fuji was (and is) a popular vacation destination, but just prior to Japan entering the war, a terrible trend developed. Young people in their twenties and even their teens went to Mt. Fuji in order to throw themselves into the volcano! When 500 young lives had been lost, the government acted. There were no mental health clinics, and no counselors. Instead, they simply made it illegal to sell anyone a one way ticket to Mt. Fuji. And the really weird thing is, it worked! I am still shaking my head over this one. Kemper’s biography is full of these odd little bits that I doubt you will find anywhere else. His research and documentation are sterling.

As to the audio book, the reader does a serviceable job, apart from his dreadful pronunciation of Japanese names. Shudder.

I recommend Our Man in Tokyo to anyone interested in reading nonfiction about American diplomacy in Japan just prior to the outbreak of war between that country and the U.S. Don’t be ashamed to skip a couple of chapters at the outset if you wish; there’s not much there that will become important later.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Anthony Restuccia
5.0 out of 5 stars The story you dont get unless you search it out
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
I love books like this. It gives the story that not told, the one on the margins of the reported history we get growing up. I never even heard of Grew before this.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

mariska stevens
5.0 out of 5 stars fully covert history of Japan's transition to WO2
Reviewed in the Netherlands on July 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
Very few books are so detailed and satisfying in covering a historical period as this book. Well written and with an eye for subtle changes usually ignored in the crude history of stereotypes on the war in Asia. The complexity of political processes and the involvement of diplomacy and decision-making in certain circles show how sensitive our history is to small power struggles. Must read for anyone seriously interested in this period.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report