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    Eyes of the Emperor
    Eyes of the Emperor
    Eyes of the Emperor
    Audiobook5 hours

    Eyes of the Emperor

    Written by Graham Salisbury

    Narrated by Robert Ramirez

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Eddy Okubo, a Japanese American teenager, is more determined than ever to prove his loyalty and worth as an American soldier. Graham Salisbury poignantly pens the historically accurate but fictional account of the special mission given to 26 Japanese American soldiers in the midst of WWII and a young man's struggle between heritage and patriotism. "Morally and psychologically complex, historically accurate and unforgettably gripping."-Kirkus Reviews
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJan 18, 2013
    ISBN9781470356941
    Eyes of the Emperor

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    Reviews for Eyes of the Emperor

    4/5

    38 ratings2 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Japanese-American Eddy Okubo lies about his age to join the U.S. army. Shortly after he enlists, Pearl Harbor is attacked and the loyalty of Japanese-American is under suspicion, even by the army. He and twenty-five other soldiers of Japanese descent are then sent to an isolated island in Mississippi. Their top-secret task? Be the bait for training scout and attack dogs since it is believed that Japanese have a certain scent that the dogs can detect. With his loyalty and patriotism in doubt and having to be seen as the ‘enemy’ by the dogs, Eddy Okubo’s war is challenging him in ways he never expected. This historical fiction book is based on the true experiences of Japanese-American soldiers in World War II and the K-9 training on Cat Island really happened. The author treats the subject respectfully and explains some of his decisions and inspirations in a short author’s note and interview. The book also includes questions for discussion suitable for either a classroom or a book discussion. The events depicted in this book are part of America’s shameful treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and this book is a way to introduce teenagers to the discrimination and hardships faced by those of Japanese descent in that time period. The book is best suited for high school students.
    • 4/5
      "Eyes of the Emperor" recounts a little-known period of American military history as narrated by Eddy Okubo, a young Japanese American who lives in Honolulu. In 1941, he is sixteen, and enlists in the U.S. army by lying about his age. Less than two months after that, the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. Japanese Americans are now viewed suspiciously by a lot of their fellow Americans, including some in the American army who doubt the loyalty of Japanese American soldiers like Eddy. As a result, Eddy and the other Japanese American soldiers are not sent for advanced training in preparation for combat. Instead, they are first sent to spend five months guarding a beach in Hawai'i from a possible Japanese landing. Then, they are sent to an army camp in Wisconsin where they go through basic training again. There, they see an internment camp where Japanese Americans are being held, just because of their ancestry. Finally, Eddy and twenty-five other soldiers are sent to an island off the coast of Mississippi. They learn about the very demeaning job they were brought there to do. Despite the initial shock, they are soldiers, and soldiers obey orders, so they take their mission at heart. Their minds, bodies and beliefs are tried in the course of long and dangerous training exercises on the island. On Cat Island, patriotism, duty and courage are put to the test. But in the end, Eddy and his fellow soldiers will finally be viewed as the legitimate and deserving U.S. soldiers that they always were. This is an excellent novel that successfully takes us in the hearts and minds of a small group of Japanese American soldiers who feel betrayed by their country, but want to prove their loyalty to it all the more. We see the prejudice they are faced with, the cruel training they are subjected to, but also the saving camaraderie among them. The writing is powerful, and the reader gets sucked into the experience of the characters. Knowing that it is based on actual events, I was so infuriated at times by what these soldiers had to go through that I had to put the book down. It is a book that deserves to be read not only for its gripping account of the events it recounts, but also because it is important to learn about what those soldiers endured. It is interesting to know that the author met with and interviewed eight of the twenty-six "Cat Island men". I definitely recommend this book for purchase in a high school library. It is an easy read that can appeal to reluctant readers, and the compelling story should be of interest to Gr. 9-12 students, even those who do not like history. In addition, this book ties into the 11th grade social studies standards. This book was an "ALA Best Book for Young Adults" (2006), an "ALA Notable Book" (2006), and it was selected by the New York Public Library in its "Best Books for the Teen Age" in 2006.