Rating: 
Summary: The most brilliant of Webb's works
Review: This is by far the best novel that Mr. Webb has written in years. Thoughout the book, one not only senses that he has done an enormous research on the subject of his topic, but one sees that he has infused his book with a passion and creativity.</br> Told in a first-person narrative fashion from the view point of General MacArthur's young fictitious aide, the story evolves around Gen. MacArthur's attempt to transform Japan into a reliable American ally in the aftermath of WWII. Facing enormous pressure from the Allies to prosecute Japanese war criminals, on the one hand--including Emperor Hirohito who was actively involved in conducting Japan's war--and fierce resistance of the Japanese officials trying to protect the Emperor, on the other, MacArthur is pitted in a dilemma. The General needs to secure Emperor Hirohito's cooperation in his grand scheme, lest he face opposition from the Japanese for humiliating the Emperor. He finds a scapegoat in a brilliant Japanese general named Yamashita, his old nemesis in the Philipines.</br> The story is objective in exploring the tragic flaws and the greatness of one of America's greatest heroes. But the author could not have been objective without being creative. His objective creativity blends with passion as the tale is told through the narrator, MacArthur's fictitious aide named Jay Marsh. He is not a mere passive observer, but actively involved in the General's grandiose scheme as junior staff officer. The plot would have been stale had the author assigned the narrator to a passive role of an observer. In this regard, the novel reads like a brutally honest memoir. The narrator is present when MacArthur returns in the Philipines to free the soldiers he had abandonned. As the General's interpretor, Marsh is present when the General meets the Emperor for the first time. He acts as MacArthur's messenger to Marquis Kido, Emperor Hirohito's trusted adviser, and is later forced to witness the execution of Yamashita. The narrator, as an active participant, does not refrain from expressing his own views of these events, thereby, flavoring his otherwise objective accounts with certain biases. He holds nothing back when criticizing MacArthur's tragic flaws, nor does he hide his contempt for his opportunistic counterpart, Kido. What is more, the narrator is candid about how his involvement in the making of history had changed him.</p> By any standards, this is a superbly written historical fiction. Mr. Webb's interpretation of historical facts are very accurate, despite certain biases. What still amazes me to this day about Mr. Webb is his rich character sketch, and his often-poetic narrative style.</br>
Rating:
Summary: A Great Work of Historical Fiction
Review: Anyone interested in how MacArthur transformed Japan at the end of WWII should read this book. The book does a great job, in the form of very readable historical fiction, of showing how MacArthur help to defeat Japan at the end of WWII and then peacefully transform it to a democratic highly industrialized friend of the US. You see that it was not an easy job and that we did have to make some sacrifices. Yes the Emperor and some of his family committed war crimes, yes The Tiger was probably innocent, but MacArthur saw the big picture and knew what had to be done to transfer the Japanese mentality of Okinawa to the mentality that allowed for a peaceful and successful occupation period. A Great read and I recommend reading it along side "Embracing Defeat."
Rating: 
Summary: A first-rate novel on MacArthur in the Philippines and Japan
Review: As fiction, this is first-rate, with vivid scenes and excellent characterization of the Philippines and Tokyo in the closing months of World War II. As history it is flawed by numerous errors, which will not be noticed by most readers but grate on my own personal experiences as long-time resident of the Philippines, where from 1941 until February 1945 I a civilian POW; then an Associated Press war correspondent in devastated Manila, later covering the war crimes trials of Yamashita and Homma. For example, Webb discusses only military POWs, ignoring the 7500 American and other Allied civilian men, women and children who remained alive for liberation in February 1945 and even then confuses prison camps. He provides a location for Yamashita's surrender across two major mountain ranges from the actual site. It was the Roosevelt administration that prodded him to provide details on how he planned to try Japanese war criminals. Even historical fiction needs to get the background details right.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: As intriguing as The Triumph and the Glory, as intense as Saving Private Ryan, as insightful as Keegan's great military histories, Webb's The Emperor's General is an absorbing tale of postwar Japan. I think it's a terrific novel!
Rating:
Summary: Polished, Entertaining and Educational
Review: As one who has read all of Webb's books, I found this one to be even more polished than his earlier works. The guy is simply an amazing writer and it shows in this book. He puts you in the scene with MacArthur through his fictional character Jay Marsh. This is a great and highly entertaining way to enjoy an interest in history and learn about MacArther, WWII and the Phillipines and postwar Japan. If you even think you might have an interest in any of these, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Exceptional piece of historic fiction. The characters are vivid and realistic. The historical background is very well laid out and comes alive in the context of this excellent novel. This book has it all--history, war, romance, intrigue. Very highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: It's probably closer to 2 stars!
Review: General MacAthur has always been an enigma to me; this book did nothing to solve the enigma. Was the general an evil egoist, or a genius? Was he manipulating the Japanese, or being manipulated by them? Could the general be so easily conned by Colonel Genius and Captain Marsh? The plot was there, the telling was not. The ending was infantile. Maybe it is really closer to 1 star.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent story, but some aspects of Japanese culture wrong
Review: I agree with most other reviewers, however, when the author has Marquis Kido mention the emperor's personal name (Hirohito) it shows that the author does not understand as much as I thought he would. The Japanese, particularly the Lord Privy Seal, would never have said 'Emperor Hirohito...' under any circumstances. The correct term in English is Emperor, and in Japanese, Tenno. I was amazed that the author missed that. He got so much other stuff right. Also, a question. Did MacArthur have previous knowledge of the atomic bombing of Japan or not? The book led me to believe that he did not.
Rating:
Summary: The Emperor's General
Review: I could not put the Emperor's General down. Japan at the end of the war was brought vividly to life, the complex character of Douglas McArthur, the politics of the surrender as well as the politics of the rebuilding of Japan. Although I have read biographies of McArthur, none of them have adequately explained his dual nature. James Webb does that. Although one may not like all that the McArthur represented, Webb gives us a clearer picture, and thus a better understanding of his motives.
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: I enjoy novels based on historical events, and this book is one of the best. I hope it makes the best seller list.
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