[lqueenan]

Another great book (by an American but from the Japanese perspective) is The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 by John Toland. One of the books referenced by Dan in his podcast and contains many first hand accounts of Japanese soldiers, citizens, and leadership.

Much more nuanced account of the history and mindset that lead to the war and sustained it than most of the responses here would indicate.