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A gripping biography that reveals the true story behind one of World War II's most enigmatic figures.
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, leader of the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during WW II, has often been cast as a reluctant warrior—a Harvard-educated admirer of the United States who was reluctant to strike. Recently discovered Japanese sources tell a different story, however, and this is the first book to offers a realistic picture: that Yamamoto was a calculating naval strategist, deeply resentful of Western racism, and an unrepentant gambler who played and lost the ultimate high-stakes game.
This fascinating biography explores:
Author Ronald Drabkin traces Yamamoto's journey from samurai roots to the highest ranks of the Imperial Japanese Navy. This deeply researched, thought-provoking biography challenges long-held assumptions and redefines our views about one of World War II's most controversial figures.
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, leader of the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during WW II, has often been cast as a reluctant warrior—a Harvard-educated admirer of the United States who was reluctant to strike. Recently discovered Japanese sources tell a different story, however, and this is the first book to offers a realistic picture: that Yamamoto was a calculating naval strategist, deeply resentful of Western racism, and an unrepentant gambler who played and lost the ultimate high-stakes game.
This fascinating biography explores:
- Yamamoto's early life and career, and rapid rise through the ranks of Japan's military elite
- The truth about his complicated views of the United States, including his time at Harvard, his travels in America and resentment at American racist policies toward Asians at the time
- A gambler's instinct that led him to plan and execute the most daring raids in naval history, not only on Pearl Harbor but decisive triumphs in the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, and other territories, followed by his defeats in the Battle of Midway and the Coral Sea
- His pivotal role in modernizing Japanese naval doctrine to favor quick, preemptive strikes using air power rather than a reliance on larger and much slower battleships
- His dramatic death at the hands of American fighter pilots in the Southwest Pacific
Author Ronald Drabkin traces Yamamoto's journey from samurai roots to the highest ranks of the Imperial Japanese Navy. This deeply researched, thought-provoking biography challenges long-held assumptions and redefines our views about one of World War II's most controversial figures.
Price: $24.99
Pages: 320
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Imprint: Tuttle Publishing
Publication Date:
17 November 2026
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9784805320273
Format: Hardcover
"Ron Drabkin does it again. The author of Beverly Hills Spy turns his talent to an account of the life of one of Japan's most important historical figures and delivers an engrossing, highly readable, fascinating account." —Robert Whiting, author of Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies
"Ronald Drabkin's new biography of Admiral Yamamoto cuts through the hagiography of former accounts. The reader gains a much truer picture of the man himself, his remarkable career and his flawed knowledge of Japan's enemy the United States…I strongly recommend this book to Japanese and American readers alike" —Admiral Dennis Blair, former United States Director of National Intelligence
"If you think you know the full story of the attack on Pearl Harbour, think again! Ronald Drabkin has created a truly masterful account, revealing the untold tale from the Japanese side, and especially from that of Admiral Yamamoto, the commander who masterminded the surprise, and devastating strike. But more than that, this book delves into Yamamoto's fascinating wider wartime story in riveting detail. Highly recommended." —Damien Lewis, award-winning author and filmmaker
"Ronald Drabkin's new biography of Admiral Yamamoto cuts through the hagiography of former accounts. The reader gains a much truer picture of the man himself, his remarkable career and his flawed knowledge of Japan's enemy the United States…I strongly recommend this book to Japanese and American readers alike" —Admiral Dennis Blair, former United States Director of National Intelligence
"If you think you know the full story of the attack on Pearl Harbour, think again! Ronald Drabkin has created a truly masterful account, revealing the untold tale from the Japanese side, and especially from that of Admiral Yamamoto, the commander who masterminded the surprise, and devastating strike. But more than that, this book delves into Yamamoto's fascinating wider wartime story in riveting detail. Highly recommended." —Damien Lewis, award-winning author and filmmaker
Ronald Drabkin is a popular author of books on World War II and espionage history, and an entrepreneur based in Japan. He became interested in World War II espionage history when he discovered that both his father and grandfather had been US counterintelligence agents. He is the author of Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor.