The Rising Sun cover art

The Rising Sun

The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945

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The Rising Sun

By: John Toland
Narrated by: Tom Weiner
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About this listen

This Pulitzer Prize-winning history of World War II chronicles the dramatic rise and fall of the Japanese empire, from the invasion of Manchuria and China to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Told from the Japanese perspective, The Rising Sun is, in the author’s words, "a factual saga of people caught up in the flood of the most overwhelming war of mankind, told as it happened - muddled, ennobling, disgraceful, frustrating, full of paradox."

In weaving together the historical facts and human drama leading up to and culminating in the war in the Pacific, Toland crafts a riveting and unbiased narrative history.

©1970 John Toland (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc. 20th Century Asia Japan Military Modern World War China Imperial Japan Russia Imperialism Japanese Empire
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Was a great book which goes into plenty of detail the political situations in Japan at this time. Whilst also touching on how alien the Japanese way of thinking is to western civilisation.

Unreal

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really enjoyed this. fascinating book, I would hate to have been his research assistant. highly recommend.

A very impressive tome.

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I've re listened to this book multiple times. I was not enthralled by the pre-war section but the second half of the book is incredible and emotional. The only history book to literally bring me to tears. The Japanese side of the battle of Savo island and the dropping of the atomic bombs are particularly good!

Fantastic!

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I would like to say how interesting & engaging I found this book . There were numerous anecdotes and details that brought the history alive . I particularly found the pre war political intrigues in Japan very informative . My main criticism would be the very brief almost off handed way that he dealt with the fighting in New Guinea . There are also some errors of fact .Tolland stated that Australian troops in New Guinea were under the command of US general Eichelberger , this is incorrect . Australian forces were always under Australian command & were the majority of troops who fought in New Guinea .The fighting on Guadalcanal is shown in great detail but the far deadlier fighting in New Guinea (were your chances of death in battle was far greater ) ,is skipped over or virtually ignored . Take for instance the treatment of the battle of Tenaru River . This is given in great detail , but the far greater battle of Isurava does not even get a mention .I feel that this is a very good book about the American war in the Pacific . It however continues the habit of side lining or ignoring the contribution of the Australian forces who are often referred to as “allies , or MacArthur’s” troops rather as AIF or Australian forces . All in all this is a good read but is weak on the land war for the first 6-8 months of 1942 .

a very detailed account of Americas pacific war

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I have taken an interest in te Pacific War and have read a few scholarly tomes on the subject. I find most of them when it comes to the Japanese side of the war are still locked in the propaganda of the time and the Japanese are widely seen through a one dimensional stereotype of a "fanatic" and bushido is used way too often to explain their character . This work has changed all that as now for the first time I get a sense of hoe the Japanese viewed themselves, viewed the war, viewed the world. It treats the Japanese as humans while not being "revisionist" or apologetic history. Love this!

Amazing historical and insigful.

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An interesting and thorough recounting of the Japanese American war. It is too detailed at times, many chapters have poor pacing because of irrelevant details.

The author injects very little analysis of WHY the war played out how it did, instead listing event after event after event. The facts are rarely assembled to form a conclusion, they are merely presented for our curiosity.

Verbose history of the Japanese American conflict

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