Too many facts kill a moving story (AP)

"Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain" (Penguin, 256 pages, $25.95), by Martha Sherrill: In Japan, Akitas, a noble dog native to the islands, are viewed as a national treasure. But during World War II, they were killed to near extinction for their coats and meat.

In "Dog Man," Martha Sherrill shares the story of how these dogs were bred back to popularity as a nation regained its footing after a devastating war.

Specifically, "Dog Man" is the story of Morie Sawataishi, his love for Akitas, the landscape of Northern Japan and his long-suffering wife, Kitako. In 1946, as far as Sawataishi could tell, "there were only 16 Akitas left," so he decided to start breeding. It's unclear why he initially took on this cause with such fervor but in the end, his large breeding operation helped to return the breed to prominence, reignited a country's love for a cultural icon, and alienated his wife and children.

The lives of Morie and Kitako Sawataishi and their many Akitas is indeed a singular story. However, the author is a journalist who is seemingly unwilling to set aside her training. Sherrill, a former reporter for the Washington Post, takes a "just-the-facts" approach to what could have been an extremely engaging tale.

But, in the end, the sheer number of facts and shifts in focus turn the book into a somewhat bland and discontinuous exercise in fact-telling.

Characters -- canine and human -- come and go and, unfortunately, are all given basically the same treatment. Uesugi, an "old fashioned migratory hunter" called a matagi, is a fascinating character, one we are unlikely to ever see again. Too bad Sherrill never really introduces us. Sons, daughters, grandchildren, friends, mentors, sponsors, dog trainers, dog keepers all walk through the door, drink some sake, perhaps have a bath and then walk right out.

We hear a little about Tokyo, a little about trains and factories, a little about the hardships of life in the country and a little about modernization. Of all the bits and pieces, Sherrill invests herself most in explaining the relationship between the Sawataishis, particularly Kitako's position as the strong, put-upon wife. Again, a great story line that teases but is never fleshed out.

Sadly, Sherrill does not place enough continuous focus on any one subject to allow images to emerge. (Though, there are numerous photos in the book, which are of help particularly when trying to imagine the dogs.)

At the end of the book, readers certainly will have learned a lot about Akitas, family dynamics, Northern Japan after the war, the job of breeding and showing dogs, even bear hunting. What the reader won't get is the promised tale, the real sink-your-teeth-into-it story of a man, his dogs and his almost obsessive need to cling to old-world Japan.

"This is a book that desires to be specific and personal rather that general and historical," Sherrill writes in her introduction. But her need to enter broad facts has won out over her desire to present a moving portrait of the bond between incredible dogs and an impassioned man.