HARP OF BURMA is a poignant tale of how, indeed, as the poet says, "Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast." Briefly, it is the story of a company of Japanese soldiers, in the tropic jungles of Burma, who discover that the trials of being at war involve more than just opposing the enemy forces. The foreign climate and terrain, the behavior of alien peoples, the constant struggles to overcome nostalgia, and the emotions that war evokes to transform an intimate friend into a stranger - all of these forces, new and baffling to the soldiers, combine to weave the intriguing narrative that is the HARP OF BURMA. In the midst of these frustrating circumstances, it was the magic of song that made each obstacle tolerable and gave the Japanese soldiers a will to live, once the defeat of the war was realized. Songs filled with memories of the past and associated with loved ones; songs that cheered the heart with its joyful rhythms - all were sung with equal fervor. The favorites were those that transcended nationalistic limits and provided a common bond between enemy forces - melodies such as "Hanhyu No ado" or "Home Sweet Home," "Hotaru No Hikari" or "Auld Lang Syne." Yet, beneath the inspiring story of these men and of the music that saw them through the war, the author presents thought-provoking questions concerning political hostilities and men who cause them. This is a book you cannot forget once you put it down for it sets your mind to thinking - just as the author intended. Jacket drawing by Motoichiro Takebe. UNESCO Collection of Contemporary Works.