Author of The Emperor and the Spy
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Winter 2020 Catalogue
University of California San Diego (UCSD): EXTENSION
On January 8th, 2020 the author of The Emperor and the Spy shared a new historical perspective on U.S. Japan relations during the first half of the twentieth century.
This Osher catalogue includes a description of the presentation.
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.
The Mashbir Archives highlight Colonel Sidney Forrester Mashbir’s significant role in history, drawing from his personal letters, official documents, and photographs, as well as other fascinating historical materials gathered during the past twenty years of research. Colonel Mashbir (1891-1973) wore many hats during his long career: as a spy, a diplomat, a linguist, and as a scientist/inventor. During the 1920s and 1930s, he allied with top Japanese leaders in the pursuit of good relations between the U.S. and Japan.
This is the only known photo of a significant 1915 U.S. Japan diplomatic event. The description on the lower left corner states:
Dinner to Baron Shibusawa. East & West Meeting, Sherry’s [restaurant] New York City, December 3, 1915. (Actual photo size: 20 by 12 inches.)
The above original photo is age-darkened and torn, and is also missing a corner and a segment of the left edge. These imperfections have been corrected during the restoration process as shown in the photo below:
This website presents a collection of illustrated Blog posts that focus on U.S. Japan relations and Japanese history in general.
Stan S. 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 unique, fascinating materials, combined with Stan’s passion for history and many years of research has resulted in the exciting historical novel THE EMPEROR AND THE SPY, followed by an illustrated biography THE ART OF PEACE.