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|title=Clouds above the Hill: A Historical Novel of the Russo-Japanese War, Volume 1

|sort=Clouds above the Hill: A Historical Novel of the Russo-Japanese War, Volume 1

|publisher=Routledge

|date=December 2012

|website=

|video=

|summary=An incredible read that has all the detail of a history book, yet all the drama of a carefully plotted thriller. The Japanese writing style works perfectly, as does pretty much every aspect of the book.

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I've long been a lover of Japan, ever since a brief visit to the country more than a decade ago. Whilst I've read several Japanese crime thrillers in translation, I've never really investigated the history of the country. Now available in English for the first time, Shiba Ryotaro's ''Clouds Above the Hill: A historical Novel of the Russo-Japanese War'' provides just that opportunity.