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:

• 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.