Andrew Gordon

The century-long process by which a distinct pattern of Japanese labor relations evolved is traced through the often turbulent interactions of workers, managers, and, at times, government bureaucrats and politicians. The author argues that, although by the 1920s labor relations had reached a stage that foreshadowed postwar development, it was not until the 1940s and 1950s that something closely akin to the contemporary pattern emerged. The central theme is that the ideas and actions of the workers, whether unionized or not, played a vital role in the shaping of the system. This is the only study in the West that demonstrates how Japanese workers sought to change and to some extent succeeded in changing the structure of factory life. Managerial innovations and the efforts of state bureaucrats to control social change are also examined. The book is based on extensive archival research and interviewing in Japan, including the use of numerous labor-union publications and the holdings of the prewar elite's principal organization for the study of social issues, the Kyochokai ("Association for Harmonious Cooperation")--both collections having only recently been catalogued and opened to scholars. This is an intensive look at past developments that underlie labor relations in today's Japanese industrial plants.

The definitive biography of the British naval commander who masterminded the evacuation of Dunkirk and was the operational genius behind the Allied landings at Normandy. Admiral Bertram Ramsay may not be the most familiar World War II commander, but he was critical to the Allied victory. He orchestrated the dramatic evacuation of British expeditionary forces at Dunkirk, planned the invasions of North Africa and Sicily, and worked closely with General Dwight Eisenhower on Operation Neptune, the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy. In this magisterial biography, over a decade in the making, Andrew Gordon captures Ramsay's complex, conflicted nature. Born into a family with a military heritage but little money, Ramsay joined the navy at fourteen. As a junior officer he developed the obsessive standards of discipline that would characterize his career, managing his ships more through regulation than charisma. He had frequent run-ins with his seniors, including a notorious dispute in 1935 with the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet that forced his retirement. Brought back to service in August 1939, Ramsay would oversee operations in the English Channel, where his talent for logistics proved vital. Though Ramsay's acerbic manner could generate friction, Eisenhower would later write that "not only was he outstanding as an able sailor and a wonderful teammate in this Allied Force, but he was my warm personal friend." Gordon offers a penetrating study of command dynamics as he covers the key engagements of the war. The first full-life biography of Ramsay in over sixty years and the most authoritative portrait we are ever likely to have, Neptune's Admiral restores this great naval commander to his essential place in World War II history.