Naval, aeronautic, and mechanical engineers performed a strong half within the army buildup of Japan within the early and mid-twentieth century. They belonged to a militaristic regime and embraced the significance in their position in it. Takashi Nishiyama examines the effect of battle and peace on technological transformation through the 20th century. he's the 1st to check the paradoxical and transformative energy of Japan’s defeat in global struggle II during the lens of engineering.

Nishiyama asks: How did professionals decide upon and get ready younger males to be engineers? How did Japan advance curricula enough to the duty (and from whom did the rustic borrow)? below what stipulations? What did the engineers contemplate the planes they outfitted to help Kamikaze suicide missions? yet his learn finally issues the impressive transition those knowledgeable engineers made after overall defeat in 1945. How may perhaps the engineers of struggle machines so quick flip to peaceable development initiatives similar to designing the apparatus essential to manufacture purchaser items? most crucial, they constructed new high-speed rail companies, together with the Shinkansen Bullet educate. What does this alteration let us know not just approximately Japan at warfare after which in peacetime but additionally in regards to the malleability of engineering cultures?

Nishiyama goals to counterbalance general Eurocentric/Americentric perspectives within the historical past of know-how. Engineering battle and Peace in smooth Japan, 1868–1964 units the ancient event of 1 country’s technological transformation in a bigger overseas framework by way of learning assets in six diversified languages: chinese language, English, French, German, eastern, and Spanish. the result's a desirable learn for these drawn to know-how, East Asia, and foreign stories. Nishiyama's paintings deals classes to policymakers drawn to how a rustic can get better effectively after defeat.