How did Japan become embroiled in one of history's deadliest conflicts? The answer lies not in December 1941, but decades earlier. Jonathan Clements returns to unravel the forces that propelled Japan down a path to war with the world's greatest industrial power.

Following Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the country emerged with new confidence only to face the humiliation of the Triple Intervention, when European powers forced them to surrender their hard-won territories. This sparked a determination to secure Japan's place among world powers, leading to their stunning defeat of Russia in 1904-1905 – a conflict Clements describes as "World War Zero" for its preview of technologies that would dominate WWI battlefields. 

The narrative takes us through Japan's growing reliance on Manchuria, transformed into the puppet state of Manchukuo under the last Chinese emperor. Here we discover the industrial heartland that supported Japan's imperial ambitions while exploring the darker realities of colonial rule. Perhaps most fascinating is Jonathan's exploration of Japan's internal dissent, from brave parliamentarians like Saito Takao who questioned the endless China conflict to the telling detail of restaurants suddenly serving only squid – a sign the fishing fleet had been devastated by war.

As economic pressure mounted in 1941, we witness the fateful deliberations that led to Pearl Harbor, including Admiral Yamamoto's reluctant planning and prescient warning about "waking the American dragon." Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, Jonathan shows how resource dependency and strategic miscalculations drove Japan toward a confrontation it couldn't win.