38 Dosen

A collection of short stories set against the backdrop of various wars; World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. • *Nagai Knife no Yoru (Night of the Long Knife)* A German spy for the Allies has been captured by the SS and is awaiting execution. Throughout the night he recalls everything that brought him to this point, including the SS officer he has loved since he was a child. • *Normandy de Aimashou (We'll Meet in Normandy)* Comparatively light-hearted in mood, this the only non-tragic story in the collection. Two army units -- one German and the other British -- run into each other, and reminisce about the days in which they were merely rivals on the football field. • *Sakura, Sakura* The story of two young fighter pilots for the Japanese army during WWII. • *Housei wa Tooi (The Distant Sounds of Battle)* Two boys become acquainted with each other as teenagers. One of them is crippled in a car accident while the other is drafted into the Vietnam War. The one who was left behind patiently waits for his friend as the wounded soldiers return -- destroyed in mind, body, or both. But of course, there are always those who never make it back home... • *38 Dousen (The 38th Parallel)* This was Ishihara's debut story. The setting is Korea shortly after the Korean War, when the North-South border was heavily guarded on both sides. One American with a clownish personality is determined to make his North Korean counterpart crack a smile, and will stop at nothing to snap him out of his stony-faced reverie.