Connaughton's book is a good ,comprehensive history of Russo -Japanese war. Both were expansionist powers .So confrontation seemed inevitable. Budding Japanese nationalism collided head-on with Russian imperialism.. Creeping Russian expansion into Korea posed a threat Japanese national interests. Tokyo reacted violently.

On February 6,1904 Admiral Togo launched a pre-emptive strike on Russian fleet that lay at anchor at Port Arthur. Though Togo failed in destroying the fleet , he succeded in crippling its movements. Japanese landed troops on the west coast of Korean peninsula and soon effected a crossing of river Yalu. This marked the beginning of demise of Russian power in the Far East.

Here I wish to make a few comments which a student of War/History may find it enriching. Russian withdrawl from Yalu together with its failure to fall back upon Liaotung peninsula unbarred the road to Port Arthur which came to be besieged by Japanese forces. Subsequent Russian attempts to relieve the siege were foiled. However the striking feature of these campaigns were Japanese inability to gain decisive victory. Japanese armies often managed to pierce or outflank Russian positions but failed in enveloping it. Russians refused pitched battles and effected tactical retreats into the depths of Manchuria.

Author has argued Russo-Japanese war as harbinger of First World War : machineguns, barbed wire entanglements, artillery, Japanese use of arsenic smoke during the siege of Port Arthur. I endorse this view. Coming of machineguns bestowed lethal firepower on defending forces making massed frontal assaults suicidal and costly. This led to emergence of no man's land which gradually widened separating combatants making decision increasingly difficult. Japanese came to depend on artillery overwhelmingly to suppress enemy fire zones which at that time were not too deep. It sound ironical experience derived from this war was not incorporated into the training manuals of Western armies. As a result, European had to re learn this experience painfully during Great War. Equally significant was the importance of troop morale in war.Japanese morale was superb. Japanese soldier never shrank from courting death. He knew only one thing ,advance,Advance despite all obstacles strewn across the path. Victory at all costs. The above combined with a fanatical respect for authority [personified in the form of Emperor] transformed Japanese soldier into formidable fighting machine.

Regrettably , this was a war ignored by historians and academics though this cause a tectonic shift in forces which drastically re arranged world affairs. What were they?

It stimulated revolutionary tendencies in Russia which for a long time was gnawing at its vitals.

By removing Russian threat it helped Kaiser's Germany to focus efforts in the West .This altered balance of power in Europe. In order to restore equilibrium Britain ended her policy of isolation and entered into an alliance with France.

But biggest impact of Japanese victory was felt in Asia, Africa. It infused confidence and boosted the morale of peoples who were struggling to free themselves from European tyranny. In India ,the effect was profound. During wintry nights people sat in circles and spoke about Japanese victories while passing huqqa.

Finally, it sowed the seed of future confrontation with US. Covert American support emboldened Russians turn down Japanese demand for war reparations. Tokyo now started viewing Washington with suspicion, hostility and distrust.

Author was unable to attach sufficient importance to the above aspects. Be as it may,the book is an essential reading for history buffs and layman alike.