The Emperor and the Spy Archives

1948- Walt Disney’s office in Burbank, California: Standing with Walt (he didn’t like being called Mr. Disney) is his corporate pilot Marine Lt. Colonel Kelvin Bailey (retired), and Kelvin’s wife Gwen, who was something of a starlet in her day.

The author of this blog post was gifted this photo by Colonel Robert F. Warren, who was a mutual friend of Colonel Sidney Mashbir and Colonel Kelvin Bailey. Continue Reading...

Colonel Sidney Mashbir’s good friend Colonel Robert F. Warren has just had his autobiography “Only In My America” published highlighting his distinguished military aviation career.

August 27, 2021 by Stan S. Katz Leave a Comment

As an author and historian who has studied and written about Colonel Sidney Mashbir, it was my good fortune when Marine Colonel Robert Warren and his son Marine Captain William Warren contacted me three years ago in 2018 to discuss their close friendship with Colonel Mashbir decades earlier. Continue Reading...

THE ART OF DIPLOMACY: Exciting News – The inspiring life and accomplishments of Prince Tokugawa have finally come to light!

July 1, 2021 by Stan S. Katz 1 Comment

This biography celebrates one of the great international statesmen of his time. Prince Tokugawa Iesato (1863-1940) (aka Prince Iyesato Tokugawa), an adept diplomat and humanitarian who served as a cultural and political bridge between the East and the West, while also supporting mutual respect within Asia. Continue Reading...

Prince Tokugawa’s illustrated biography comes in two versions: THE ART OF PEACE digital edition & the Print and Kindle edition titled: THE ART OF DIPLOMACY.

March 1, 2021 by Stan S. Katz Leave a Comment

DIGITAL EBOOK EDITION

PRINT & KINDLE EDITION

Welcome!

April 13, 2020 by Stan S. Katz Leave a Comment

The illustrated Blog posts on this website focus on U.S. Japan relations and Japanese history.

Katz was a Specialist in Rare Books and Ephemera when he acquired the personal papers of a Master Spy, Colonel Sidney Forrester Mashbir (1891-1973). These fascinating materials, combined with his passion for history and many years of research resulted in the exciting historical novel THE EMPEROR AND THE SPY, followed by a sequel, an illustrated biography titled: THE ART OF PEACE. Continue Reading...

Colonel Sidney Mashbir’s widow Alice gifted her husband’s portrait of General MacArthur to his good friends Marine Captain William Warren and Marine Colonel Robert F. Warren…Robert and William shared their personal experiences with their friend Sidney.

April 11, 2020 by Stan S. Katz 1 Comment

Having studied and written about Colonel Sidney Mashbir, it was my good fortune when Robert Warren and his son William Warren contacted me in 2018 to discuss their close friendship with Colonel Mashbir many years earlier.

William and Robert generously shared various historical materials linked to Colonel Mashbir (1891-1973). This blog post will present a number of those items, as well as Robert and William’s recollections of Colonel Mashbir. Also included is biographic material about Robert and William Warren, who being younger than Mashbir, were inspired and influenced by Colonel Mashbir’s heroic dedication to our nation. Continue Reading...

Stan S. Katz YouTube Presentation on Significant Unknown U.S. Japan engagement during the first half of the Twentieth Century.

March 28, 2020 by Stan S. Katz Leave a Comment

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

University of California San Diego

Below is a link to this YouTube presentation – This one hour video was followed by a one hour non-recorded question and answer session with inquiries from the one hundred attendees. Hope you enjoy.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute – University of California San Diego presentation

Captain Sidney Mashbir’s successful 1922 secret mission prevented a potential war in Asia. However, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 again destabilized Japan – During the challenging first months following that major disaster, Mashbir spearheaded a U.S. Medical Relief Effort to assist many of the injured Japanese.

March 8, 2020 by Stan S. Katz Leave a Comment

In 1922, Mashbir completed a dangerous mission in Vladivostok, Russia, preventing the outbreak of a regional war between Japan, China, and Russia, which might have expanded further!

The following year on September 1, 1923, the most destructive natural disaster in modern Japanese history occurred, The Great Kantō Earthquake (関東大震災, Kantō daishinsai), a Japanese natural disaster in the Kantō region of the island of Honshū. This earthquake destroyed Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and approximately 140,000 people died. During the challenging first months following that major disaster, Mashbir spearheaded an American Medical Relief Effort to assist many of the injured Japanese – As part of this humanitarian process, Mashbir created the first English – Japanese Medical Translation Dictionary that was used by English speaking health care workers while treating Japanese speaking patients. Continue Reading...

A Time Capsule to Cornell University from over a Century Ago. Looking for suggestions and assistance to bring its fascinating contents to life through a documentary film, an illustrated book, and classroom curriculum.

February 13, 2020 by Stan S. Katz Leave a Comment

This Photo/Memory Album Presents a Intimate View of Student Life during the early 1900s.

By Dr. Stan S. Katz – February 14^th, 2021

Most of the blog posts that you’ll find on this website are linked to historical relations between the U.S. and Japan. However, on occasion another interesting historical topic is discovered that sparks the imagination and inspires the sharing of its story with others. Continue Reading...