Yukio Mishima (1925-1970) completed his first novel the year he entered the University of Tokyo and his last novel the day of his death. He is the author of numerous novels, stories, plays, and essays. Gore Vidal once said of him: “I only regret we never met, for friends found him a good companion, a fine drinking partner, and fun to cruise with.” Mishima committed suicide by ceremonial seppuku after a failed coup d’e´tat intended to restore pre-WWII power to the emperor of Japan.

"In Death in Midsummer Yukio Mishima unfolds to English-language readers a range of his talents as he explores a variety of pathways into the complex Japanese personality. He can be funny, even hilarious, but he is also capable of plunging into the dark psychic depths achieved by Hitchcock."