Japan’s Road to Power
The Meiji Restoration, Asian Expansion, and World War II
By Gilbert A. Belle

From samurai swords to aircraft carriers — witness the astonishing rise of Japan from an isolated feudal state to a dominant global power.

In Japan’s Road to Power, acclaimed historian Gilbert A. Belle unpacks the extraordinary transformation that reshaped Asia and redefined world history. Through the lens of political reform, imperial ambition, and military conquest, this book traces Japan’s journey from the Meiji Restoration to its aggressive expansion across Asia and its eventual defeat in World War II.

This gripping historical account reveals:

How the Meiji Restoration dismantled centuries of tradition and sparked rapid modernization

Japan’s bold rise as an industrial, military, and imperial force

Key invasions and battles — from Manchuria to Pearl Harbor

The ideological and political machinery behind Japan’s wartime aggression

The collapse of the Empire and the long-term consequences for Asia and the world

Based on meticulous research and written with clarity and depth, Japan’s Road to Power is essential reading for anyone interested in global power dynamics, wartime strategy, or the rise and fall of empires.

If you want to understand how modern Japan emerged from the ashes of war and ambition, this is the book you need.

Samurai to Superpower