Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths

What a piece of art. Great literature. A classic that everyone should read. Forget the Hollywood films. This is what the WW looked like: misery, horror and meaningless death.

This is an excellent graphic novel from one of the masters of Japanese manga. The storyline is particularly gripping, cynically depicting the cruelty and vainess of war. On top, you get the Japanese perspective to the war on the Pacific, which for me (and I guess most western readers) was a complete revelation. To summarize, this novel is on a par with Maus at the top shelf of anti-war masterpieces.

A story of heroism and barbarism, tragic and bleak. The last days of a Japanese regiment on Guadalcanal during the 2nd World War. The art is not the of the usual manga style but none the less stunning. A must read.

This is an excellent, but quirky, story about a Japanese unit in New Guinea in the Second World War. The book shows how poor conditions were for the Japanese, and clearly elucidates the military philosophy expressed upon the troops. For someone brought up in the West and exposed, almost solely, to the US/UK view of WWII, this story shows how men suffered, both mentally and physically, on both sides, and held the same dreams and aspirations, which were ultimately ruined in the Pacific theatre.