List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments 1. An Island by Any Other Name 2. Apologies All Around 3. Illegal Japan 4. History Out of Bounds Conclusion: And Now Notes Bibliography Index
Apologizing for history has become a standard feature of the international political scene, and interrogating this process is crucial to understanding the value of the political apology to the state. When governments apologize for past crimes, they take away the substance of apology that victims originally wanted for themselves. They rob victims of the dignity they seek while affording the state a new means with which to legitimize itself. Examining the interplay between political apology and apologetic history, Alexis Dudden focuses on the problematic relationship binding Japanese imperialism, South Korean state building, and American power in Asia. She examines this history through diplomatic, cultural, and social considerations in the postwar era and argues that the process of apology has created a knot from which none of these countries can escape without undoing decades of mythmaking.
Alexis Dudden is associate professor of history and director of humanitarian studies at the University of Connecticut. She is the author of Japan's Colonization of Korea: Discourse and Power (2005).
Dudden engagingly explores how the nexus of politics, war memory, and apology shapes contemporary trilateral relations between Korea, Japan, and the United States. -- Jeff Kingston Japan Times Richly and eloquently written... Recommended. Choice A significant contribution on the issue of historical apologies... This book should be required reading. -- Matthew Penney Pacific Affairs Rich with insights... for specialists, for twentieth-century historians, and for general readers interested in a deeper understanding of the politics of history. -- Sarah Kovner, University of Florida Journal of World History Dudden traces the intricacies and ironies of history in Northeast Asia in a compelling narrative that indicts many governments and political figures in the process, providing essential reading for anyone wishing to learn more about these complex issues. -- Elizabeth S. Dahl ID: International Dialogue
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