Under the Black Umbrella

An important account of history which cannot be ignored, but sadly also one which I feel lacked in some key places. Under the Black Umbrella is a compiling of firsthand accounts from survivors of occupied Korea between 1910 and 1945, when Japan was at the height of its imperial might.

The book is broken into three key parts looking at the different stages of Japanese occupation as they went from simply governing the Korean people to forcibly assimilating them into Japanese. It clearly outlines the decent into cruelty and brutality which escalated over the 35 year period, from the oppression of students freedom of thought all the way to the forced sexual slavery of the comfort women.

Where the book thrives is in its longer accounts. A couple of times these accounts span an entire chapter and give you an extremely in depth look at the life of the average Korean. However, in other chapters it is made up of short anecdotes which often span no more than one or two sentences. These are prone to reputation and offer very little if any historical insight and can be quite tedious to read thoroughly.

Regardless, the book is well worth the read and should be a must have for anyone trying to understand the rise of imperial Japan in the east, the downfall of Korea as a kingdom or even the origins of the Korean War which followed.