NYU Press European Power and the Japanese Challenge

America's relationship with Japan recently passed its 140th anniversary. Over that period, hundreds of books and thousands of articles have explored different issues or periods of the relationship. Yet within that vast library, no book has analyzed the entire relationship from the beginning to the present. In Power Across the Pacific, William R. Nester fills this void, analyzing both the geopolitical phase of America's relationship with Japan (1853-1945) and its geoeconomic phase, from 1945 to the present day. William R. Nester systematically untangles the interrelated perceptions, convergent and divergent national interests, and shifting power relations that have shaped relations between the two countries. Along the way he identifies the key foreign policy figures for both countries, revealing the ways in which domestic and international interests on both sides affected their interactions. Power Across the Pacific can serve both as a definitive study of the history of U.S.-Japanese relations, as well as a reference for particular periods within that history. Review ""First Person Political" fills an important void in our understanding of politicians and politics. Through a combination of surveys and the tools of the political scientist, Reeher provides for the reader both empathy and insight into what makes politicians tick at the state legislative level. We may not like what our state legislators do, but reading this work will help us understand much better who we elect and the constraints that operate on them."-Thomas J. Volgy, author of "Politics in the Trenches: Citizens, Politicians, and the Fate of Democracy" ""First Person Political" illuminates why people run for and serve in state legislatures from the standpoint of the legislators themselves and in a way that increases our appreciation of representative democracy. Part of the charm of this book is that it is intensely personal and, therefore, compelling."-Karl Kurtz, co-author of "Republic on Trial: The Case for Representative Democracy" "An informative, sophisticated, and entertaining book. Reeher's interviews with three sets of state lawmakers in three distinct legislatures provide candor, real food for thought, and wonderful insights. "First Person Political" stands as a real contribution to understanding legislative politics, the people who practice these politics, and how to gently nudge politicians to provide candid glimpses of their world."-Burdett Loomis, co-author of "The Sound of Money: How Political Interest Groups Get What They Want" "At a time when public disillusionment with elected leaders and political institutions is increasing rapidly, it is refreshing to read a book that highlights the selfless nature of public service. . . . This is a wonderful read. The book realistically portrays the various stages in a legislator's life and the challenges one faces while in office."-"Perspectives on Politics", About the Author William R. Nester is Assistant Professor of Political Science at St. John's University of New York. He has served as Lecturer in Far East Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and is the author of Japan's Growing Power Over East Asia and the World Economy, Japanese Industrial Targeting, Japan and the Third World, and American Power: the New World Order and the Japanese Challenge.