Argues that in the final phase of the eight months of US-Japan talks leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor, serious mistranslations in the US decoding system were a significant factor in the misunderstandings which grew between the two sides.

Argues that in the final phase of the eight months of US-Japan talks leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor, serious mistranslations in Magic (the US decoding system) were a significant factor in the cumulative effect of mutual misunderstandings which grew between the two sides.

'Komatsu provides the reader with a detailed analysis of both the original Japanese Foreign Ministry telegrams and the American 'Magic' material. an interesting and original interpretation raising important questions not only about the events of 1941 but also about the general role of translation in intelligence work. it is refreshing to see a study of intelligence that deals not with the ninutiae of secret service politics but rather concentrates on how intelligence shapes perception.' - Anthony Best, Asian Affairs