Shattered Bonds cover

Shattered Bonds

by Dorothy Roberts

"Robert Smith Thompson smashes the traditional narratives of what World War II in the Pacific was all about. Standard histories of the Pacific Theater have focused on the military conflict between America and Japan, but such a simplistic historical focus ignores a crucial aspect of this period: America's imperial ambitions in East Asia. By moving China to center stage, Thompson casts the war in the Pacific in an entirely new light. What is commonly viewed as a discrete military conflict between an aggressive Japan with imperial ambitions and a reluctant, passive America now becomes the stuff of Greek tragedy. The over-reaching British Empire is waning, yet is unwilling to relinquish its foothold in China, while an increasingly ambitious Japan is determined to dominate the region and conquer China. Enter America, the ambitious, upstart power that represents the next generation of imperialism, also seeking to gain control over the ever-elusive prize: China."--BOOK JACKET.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?