Show notes
When Americans think about admirals in the Pacific in WWII, names like Nimitz, Spruance, and Halsey spring to mind. You cannot fully understand the war in the Pacific if you don’t also look at the leaders on the Japanese side—men like Yamamoto, Kurita, and Nagumo.On this week’s Midrats Podcast, we’re going to dive into the story of Admiral Yamamoto with our guest, Ronald Drabkin. We’ll tap into his research that led up to his next book, Admiral Yamamoto: The Gripping Story of the Legendary Japanese Naval Commander Who Planned and Executed the Pearl Harbor Attack.SummaryIn this episode, we explore the life and legacy of Admiral Yamamoto, a complex Japanese naval leader with a nuanced understanding of America, who played a pivotal role in World War II. Join us as we delve into his background, strategic mindset, and the lessons from his career.Key TopicsYamamoto’s early life and educationHis understanding of America and its influenceNaval strategies and battles in WWIIJapanese military culture and rivalryLeadership style and personal quirksImpact of his decisions on WWIIHis relationships and personal lifePost-war perception and legacyChapters00:00 - Live intro and how Midrats handles audience questions01:16 - Why the show is revisiting World War II and Admiral Yamamoto02:41 - Ron Drabkin joins the show and the new book on Yamamoto05:07 - Yamamoto’s childhood as Takano and the missionary who changed his life07:21 - Lincoln, Franklin, and the ideals Yamamoto admired in America10:11 - His letters reveal his real reactions to the United States12:02 - Academy struggles, bullying, and the chip on his shoulder14:14 - Poker, bluffing, cigars, and the gambling instinct16:01 - The Russo-Japanese War and the loss of his fingers19:19 - Why Yamamoto went to Mexico looking for oil21:16 - The War College visit and Yamamoto’s aggressive curiosity22:56 - Building Japanese naval aviation and rejecting battleship thinking26:01 - Ruthless training standards and the cost in pilot losses28:27 - Why the Japanese Army and Navy could barely cooperate31:38 - The strategic logic behind a short war and Pearl Harbor36:09 - Was Pearl Harbor supposed to force U.S. collapse?38:07 - Midway planning and Yamamoto’s longer-term thinking40:30 - Chioko, letters, and what his private life revealed45:35 - Why Japanese submarines were not used as commerce raiders46:45 - Vice Admiral Hori, friendship, and the survival of Yamamoto’s papers49:34 - The myth of “Harvard-educated” Yamamoto and his lack of American friends51:32 - Navy versus Army politics in Imperial Japan54:04 - The Washington Naval Treaty and Yamamoto’s frustration55:24 - Would Yamamoto’s survival have changed the war?57:52 - How Japan views Yamamoto today59:57 - Book release timing and where to find itRonald Drabkin is a popular author of books on World War II and espionage history. He initially learned Japanese while attending a Japanese University, before starting a career at Intel and other high tech companies.He learned as an adult that his father had worked in counterintelligence for the US military. Curiosity about his father’s work drove him to do research that resulted in his first papers and book on Japanese naval...
