Mishima the drowning empire and boldness in love and

and boldness in love and art—even in the face of hardship and heartbreak

and its turbulent times

Jack Morgan

"The Pale King is by turns funny

Working as a lifeguard at a luxurious Florida resort

Mishima the drowning empire and boldness in love andAt forty five, Yukio Mishima was the outstanding Japanese writer of his generation, celebrated both at home and abroad for The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. In 1970 he startled the world by stepping out onto a balcony in Tokyo before an assembly of troops and plunging a sword into his abdomen; a disciple then beheaded him, completing the ritual of hara kiri. John Nathan's riveting biography traces the life of this tortured, nearly