{"title":"Ronald Drabkin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRonald Drabkin\u003c\/strong\u003e offers compelling narratives rooted in biography and memoir, bringing captivating true stories to life. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eAdmiral Yamamoto\u003c\/em\u003e, delve into the complexities of historical figures, presenting them with nuance and vivid detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect an engaging exploration of intriguing lives, blending thorough research with a narrative style that illuminates both celebrated and lesser-known personalities. Drabkin’s storytelling invites reflection on history, identity, and the human experience.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"beverly-hills-spy-by-ronald-drabkin-9780063310070","title":"Beverly Hills Spy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeverly Hills Spy\u003c\/em\u003e is a captivating tale in the spirit of Ben Macintyre’s greatest spy nonfiction. This truly unbelievable and previously untold story covers the life of Frederick Rutland—a debonair British WWI hero, flying ace, a fixture of Los Angeles society, and a friend of Golden Age Hollywood stars—who turned into a spy for Japan during the lead-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrederick Rutland was not only an accomplished aviator and British WWI war hero but also a real-life James Bond. As the first pilot to take off and land a plane on a ship, he was a celebrated warrior known for his bravery and rescue feats. Trusted by the admirals of the Royal Navy, Rutland pursued successive aeronautical inventions and designed the first modern aircraft carrier, becoming perhaps the most renowned early twentieth-century naval aviator.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDespite his achievements, Rutland faced professional stagnation due to class politics, and was not promoted within the new Royal Air Force after WWI. Disillusioned, Rutland became a spy for the Japanese government, driven by the promise of riches and a salary ten times that of the highest-paid admiral. He was shuttled between Los Angeles and Tokyo, living in substantial mansions in both Beverly Hills and Yokohama. By insinuating himself into both LA's high society and Japan's high command, Rutland provided strategic and technical intelligence that included US troop and fleet movements, military preparedness, warplane production, and ultimately, crucial information and aircraft technology for Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. All this occurred while he led a double life, mingling at private California clubs and hosting lavish gatherings for Hollywood stars and military dignitaries in his Los Angeles Bird Streets mansion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSupported by recently declassified FBI files and incorporating unique and rare research from MI5 and Japanese Naval archives, author Ronald Drabkin meticulously pieces together, for the first time, the stranger-than-fiction story of one of espionage history's most fascinating and enigmatic characters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46626915188972,"sku":"9780063310070","price":59.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14304803482210.jpg?v=1751874209"},{"product_id":"admiral-yamamoto-by-ronald-drabkin-9784805320273","title":"Admiral Yamamoto","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA gripping biography that reveals the true story behind one of World War II's most enigmatic figures.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAdmiral Isoroku Yamamoto, leader of the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during World War II, has often been cast as a reluctant warrior—a Harvard-educated admirer of the United States who was reluctant to strike. Recently discovered Japanese sources tell a different story, however, and this is the first book to offer a realistic picture: that Yamamoto was a calculating naval strategist, deeply resentful of Western racism, and an unrepentant gambler who played and lost the ultimate high-stakes game.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis fascinating biography explores:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYamamoto's early life\u003c\/strong\u003e and career, and rapid rise through the ranks of Japan's military elite\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe truth about his complicated views of the United States,\u003c\/strong\u003e including his time at Harvard, his travels in America, and resentment at American racist policies towards Asians at the time\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA gambler's instinct\u003c\/strong\u003e that led him to plan and execute the most daring raids in naval history, not only on Pearl Harbor but decisive triumphs in the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, and other territories, followed by his defeats in the Battle of Midway and the Coral Sea\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHis pivotal role in modernising Japanese naval doctrine\u003c\/strong\u003e to favour quick, preemptive strikes using air power rather than a reliance on larger and much slower battleships\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHis dramatic death\u003c\/strong\u003e at the hands of American fighter pilots in the Southwest Pacific\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAuthor Ronald Drabkin traces Yamamoto's journey from samurai roots to the highest ranks of the Imperial Japanese Navy. This deeply researched, thought-provoking biography challenges long-held assumptions and redefines our views about one of World War II's most controversial figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48334586413292,"sku":"9784805320273","price":45.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/e9b82c1b2e1ae3f566cc9c4d26d791aa.jpg?v=1791865844"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/ronald-drabkin.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}