Britain, Japan and Pearl Harbour: Avoiding War in East Asia, 1936-1941

Britain, Japan and Pearl Harboris a revisionist account of British efforts to avert conflict with Japan between the signing of the Comintern Pact in 1936 to the outbreak of war in December 1942. The book describes and assesses British policy towards East Asia using the most recent material from British archives and intelligence sources, and sets it in its global context, demonstrating how the breadth of British responsibilities and interests limited the options open to Whitehall. Antony Best also examines the economic roots of the Pacific War, including the consistent failure to meet Japan's economic complaints, and the decision to initiate sanctions against Japan in 1940-41.Britain, Japan and Pearl Harboris the most comprehensive study of British policy towards East Asia in this period.