-
Share on
-
-
-
A Curious Madness audiobook
- By: Eric Jaffe
- Category: General, History
- Length: 9 hours 27 minutes
- Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
- Publish date: January 20, 2014
- Language: English
-
-
$9.99 per book vs $14.95 at Audible
Good for any title to download and keep -
Listen at up to 4.5x speed
Good for any title to download and keep -
Fall asleep to your favorite books
Set a sleep timer while you listen -
Unlimited listening to our Classics.
Listen to thousands of classics for no extra cost. Ever
A Curious Madness Audiobook Summary
In the wake of World War II, the Allied forces charged twenty-eight Japanese men with crimes against humanity. Correspondents at the Tokyo trial thought the evidence fell most heavily on ten of the accused. In December 1948, five of these defendants were hanged, while four received sentences of life in prison. The tenth was a brilliant philosopher-patriot named Okawa Shumei. His story proved strangest of all.
Among all the political and military leaders on trial, Okawa was the lone civilian. In the years leading up to World War II, he had outlined a divine mission for Japan to lead Asia against the West, prophesized a great clash with the United States, planned coups d’etat with military rebels, and financed the assassination of Japan’s prime minister. Beyond “all vestiges of doubt,” concluded a classified American intelligence report, “Okawa moved in the best circles of nationalist intrigue.”
Okawa’s guilt as a conspirator appeared straightforward. But on the first day of the Tokyo trial, he made headlines around the world by slapping star defendant and wartime prime minister Tojo Hideki on the head. Had Okawa lost his sanity? Or was he faking madness to avoid a grim punishment? A U.S. Army psychiatrist stationed in occupied Japan, Major Daniel Jaffe-the author’s grandfather-was assigned to determine Okawa’s ability to stand trial, and thus his fate.
Jaffe was no stranger to madness. He had seen it his whole life: in his mother, as a boy in Brooklyn; in soldiers, on the battlefields of Europe. Now his seasoned eye faced the ultimate test. If Jaffe deemed Okawa sane, the war crimes suspect might be hanged. But if Jaffe found Okawa insane, the philosopher patriot might escape justice for his role in promoting Japan’s wartime aggression.
Meticulously researched, A Curious Madness is both expansive in scope and vivid in detail. As the story pushes both Jaffe and Okawa toward their postwar confrontation, it explores such diverse topics as the roots of belligerent Japanese nationalism, the development of combat psychiatry during World War II, and the complex nature of postwar justice. Eric Jaffe is at his best in this suspenseful and engrossing historical narrative of the fateful intertwining of two men on different sides of the war and the world and the question of insanity.
Other Top Audiobooks
About the Author(s) of A Curious Madness
Eric Jaffe is the author of A Curious Madness
More From the Same
A Curious Madness Full Details
| Length | 9 hours 27 minutes |
| Author | Eric Jaffe |
| Category | |
| Publisher | Tantor Media, Inc |
| Release date | January 20, 2014 |
| ISBN | 9781452688909 |
Subjects
The publisher of the A Curious Madness is Tantor Media, Inc. includes the following subjects: Post World War Two, War Crimes, Japan, History, General, History, Asia, General, History, Asia, Japan, History, Military, General, History, Military, World War II, Psychology, General The BISAC Subject Code is General, History
Additional info
The publisher of the A Curious Madness is Tantor Media, Inc. The imprint is Tantor Media, Inc. It is supplied by Tantor Media, Inc. The ISBN-13 is 9781452688909.
Global Availability
This book is only available in the United States.
Most Popular Audiobooks
See book recommendations from experts
Frequently asked questions
Listening to audiobooks not only easy, it is also very convenient. You can listen to audiobooks on almost every device. From your laptop to your smart phone or even a smart speaker like Apple HomePod or even Alexa. Here’s how you can get started listening to audiobooks.
- 1. Download your favorite audiobook app such as Speechify.
- 2. Sign up for an account.
- 3. Browse the library for the best audiobooks and select the first one for free
- 4. Download the audiobook file to your device
- 5. Open the Speechify audiobook app and select the audiobook you want to listen to.
- 6. Adjust the playback speed and other settings to your preference.
- 7. Press play and enjoy!
While you can listen to the bestsellers on almost any device, and preferences may vary, generally smart phones are offer the most convenience factor. You could be working out, grocery shopping, or even watching your dog in the dog park on a Saturday morning.
However, most audiobook apps work across multiple devices so you can pick up that riveting new Stephen King book you started at the dog park, back on your laptop when you get back home.
Speechify is one of the best apps for audiobooks. The pricing structure is the most competitive in the market and the app is easy to use. It features the best sellers and award winning authors. Listen to your favorite books or discover new ones and listen to real voice actors read to you. Getting started is easy, the first book is free.
Research showcasing the brain health benefits of reading on a regular basis is wide-ranging and undeniable. However, research comparing the benefits of reading vs listening is much more sparse. According to professor of psychology and author Dr. Kristen Willeumier, though, there is good reason to believe that the reading experience provided by audiobooks offers many of the same brain benefits as reading a physical book.
Audiobooks are recordings of books that are read aloud by a professional voice actor. The recordings are typically available for purchase and download in digital formats such as MP3, WMA, or AAC. They can also be streamed from online services like Speechify, Audible, AppleBooks, or Spotify.
You simply download the app onto your smart phone, create your account, and in Speechify, you can choose your first book, from our vast library of best-sellers and classics, to read for free.
Audiobooks, like real books can add up over time. Here’s where you can listen to audiobooks for free. Speechify let’s you read your first best seller for free. Apart from that, we have a vast selection of free audiobooks that you can enjoy. Get the same rich experience no matter if the book was free or not.
It depends. Yes, there are free audiobooks and paid audiobooks. Speechify offers a blend of both!
It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.
