Thursday, January 18, 2007

Will the newly released documents on Japanese WWII war crimes recast the history of the Pacific war? Live Web Discussion Today, 2 pm Eastern time (US)

The Chronicle of Higher Education is hosting a live web discussion of the newly released documents on Japanese war crimes during World War II. (For news on the release, go here.) You can submit questions ahead of time on the Chronicle website, or participate live. A transcript will be online at this link afterward.

Participating in this discussion are:

Greg Bradsher, an archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration who specializes in World War II intelligence, looted assets, and war crimes. He wrote a 1,700-page electronic finding aid, "Guide to the Japanese War Crimes Records in the National Archives," and several articles in the prologue of a new book it accompanies, Researching Japanese War Crimes Records: Introductory Essays.

Edward Drea, a specialist in modern Japanese history recently retired from the U.S. Army Center of Military History. He wrote the new book's introduction.

They will respond to questions and comments about these issues on Thursday, January 18, at 2 p.m., U.S. Eastern time. Readers are welcome to post questions and comments now.

The Chronicle requires a paid subscription for access to their website, but if you don't have one, try accessing through a library website.