Hands across the sea?

In 1961, the U.S. economy and military were practically unassailable in the eyes of the world. Within twenty years however, America had faced defeat in Vietnam its economy had been shaken, and Japan had assumed the title of the world's economic superpower. The U.S. and Japan had reversed roles as surplus and debtor nations. In Hands across the Sea? Timothy Maga examines this role reversal and traces the volatile relationship between these two powerful allies. Maga's research took him through presidential archives and interviews with policy-makers in both the U.S. and Japan, where he found a relationship forever troubled by cultural misunderstanding, America's Cold War obsession, Japanese pride, and strangely conflicting goals. But, as Maga discovered, for different reasons both nations needed each other during this critical time. For better or for worse, they persisted.