The book covers the Occupation of Japan by the Allies between August 1945 and April 1952, delving into topics such as Douglas MacArthur's administration, the Tokyo war crimes trials and Hirohito's controversial Humanity Declaration. Described by The New York Times as "magisterial and beautifully written", the book won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction, the 1999 National Book Award, the 2000 Bancroft Prize, the Mark Lynton History Prize and the 1999 Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II is a history book written by John W. Dower and published by W. W. Norton & Company in 1999.