{"product_id":"harp-of-burma-paperback","title":"Harp of Burma - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMichio Takeyama\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eHoward Hibbett\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHarp of Burma\u003c\/i\u003e shares a powerful human story about Japanese soldiers on the front lines in WWII.\u003c\/b\u003e Winner of the prestigious Mainichi Shuppan Bunkasho prize and the basis for the critically acclaimed film \u003ci\u003eThe Burmese Harp\u003c\/i\u003e by Ichikawa Kon, \u003ci\u003eHarp of Burma\u003ci\u003e portrays a company of Japanese troops who are losing a desperate campaign against British forces in the tropical jungles of Burma, the country known today as Myanmar. The young soldiers discover that the trials of war involve more than just opposing the enemy. The alien climate and terrain, the strange behavior of foreigners, the constant struggle to overcome homesickness and nostalgia, and the emotions stirred by the senselessness of war--all of these forces, new and baffling to the soldiers, contribute to their distress and disorientation. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the midst of these overwhelming challenges, their commander's ability to lead them in song helps them discover music's power to make even the most severe situations more tolerable. Even though they face the inevitability of defeat, singing the songs of their homeland revives their will to live. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough the story of these men and of the music that saw them through the war, Takeyama presents thought-provoking questions about political hostilities and the men who unleash them. \u003ci\u003eHarp of Burma\u003c\/i\u003e is Japan's classic novel of pathos and compassion in the midst of senseless warfare.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichio Takeyama\u003c\/b\u003e (1903 - 1984) spent his early years in Seoul, Korea, then a Japanese colony. Primarily an essayist and a scholar of German literature, he was for a time professor of German at elite universities in Tokyo. Takeyama won the prestigious Mainichi Shuppan Bunkasho prize for the \u003ci\u003eHarp of Burma\u003c\/i\u003e, and its publication propelled him to fame.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 136\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.5 x 8 x 5.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 15, 1989\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757621575968,"sku":"9780804802321","price":12.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/3f8126c01c7bd1735ee9766d2c1c1eab.webp?v=1780107004","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/harp-of-burma-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}