Rating: 5 out of 5
Mr Shiba’s writings are definitely in the top when looking at historical fiction, or historical journalism as the author’s style has been called. This is one of my re-reads of the classic, which I began a long time ago. The long duration between picking up Vol. II and Vol. III stemmed from not having that much time to read these days, which meant that the scenes that are most evocative of the cold Manchurian scenery came to me in the middle of summer. Yet, the sketching from nature that the author so approves in the first volumes brings this to life in the most appropriate ways possible.
Taking a look at my prior notes, I noticed that I have not actually reviewed this volume previously. It’s a wonder, because in many ways it is much broader than the first two though of course the climax of this journey is the battle of Tsushima in Vol. IV. Two topics form the main theme: Rozhestvensky’s journey towards the east, in progress but not quite finished by the end of the book, and the Siege of Port Arthur. Of these, the Baltic Fleet’s cruise across the high seas is a thrilling subject as the author tries to see into the mind of the Russian admiral while also being able to draw on several accounts by lower-ranking members in the fleet.
The Siege of Port Arthur—much like every other topic mentioned here—could probably serve as the basis for tens of other titles (as it also has). Mr Shiba’s overview finds much fault with the Japanese command staff, and based on his findings it’s not at all a surprise that he does so. And, yet, as also the author brings out, it was this general who oversaw the biggest massacre that turned into a legend after the war, while the more careful—and brilliant—leaders were not recognized as such. Is this another of the vagaries of history?..
From trying to understand the strategy and tactics of the time, Mr Shiba was clearly in the top of the class—if only for the research that he did in understanding the subject; hence, ‘Clouds Above the Hill’ becomes an important title for trying to understand the military realities of the Russo-Japanese War as well as the psychology of the generals on either side. I’m impressed.
