Tokyo Rose/ An American Patriot: A Dual Biography

PBS documentary producer Close uses a dual approach to tell the story of Tokyo Rose, the almost mythical figure of World War II, and Iva Toguri, an unfortunate Japanese-American trapped in Tokyo during the war. While they were, of course, the same person, the legend Tokyo Rose was vilified as a Japanese propagandist in the news media, and Toguri was tried for treason as a result. While some of the information surrounding Tokyo Rose is contradictory, it is generally acknowledged that Toguri actually did little or nothing to advance the Japanese was effort. Instead, as the author notes, she quietly tried to help Allied POWs. Essentially, Close tells the story of Tokyo Rose/Toguri against the backdrop of Cold War politics, racial views of the time, and Imperial Japan. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Frederick P. Close is a founder of the non-profit Southwest Center for Educational Television. He has spearheaded the production of 76 ethnographic documentaries produced throughout the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico and broadcast in four season-long series by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), as well as selected commercial television, radio, and cable channels in the United States, Canada, and Latin America.