This is a powerful, wide-ranging set of essays that provides a genuinely transnational view of the meaning of one turning-point year in modern history: 1945. Bringing together papers on Asia, Europe, and North America, this volume provides a truly innovative contribution to the field of war and memory.

Rana Mitter, University of Oxford

This is an excellent and timely collection of papers on divergent memories of World War II in the Asia-Pacific region. While Sino-Japanese disputes over islands and the controversies over comfort women make headlines, there is a great diversity of competing historical memories in the region, as this book captures very well. Of particular value is the book’s comparative focus: it considers not only Northeast and Southeast Asia but also the United States—a key player in the Asia-Pacific War—and Germany, a historical benchmark for postwar reconciliation.

Gi-Wook Shin, Stanford University

Every chapter offers numerous insights, and the book makes an important contribution to the growing literature on memory and Asia-Pacific reconciliation. . . . and will remain relevant
as long as contested memories of this great conflict shape prospects for reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Pacific Affairs