Fascinating overview of WWII

Great telling from the Japanese's POV. The political players were well described and can easily be pictured in my mind. I'm not convinced that the voice acting by the narrator was really necessary and some of it was off putting.

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Excellent Account of Historical Events

Before listening to this book, I was unaware how much responsibility the United States had in the dismantling of the British Empire. Roosevelt, in particular, seemed to have a great dislike of colonialism, to the extent that he deemed it necessary to stick his, and therefore by definition the United States nose, into every aspect of Aisian politics. This came back to haunt the United States in the 1960's in the shape of the Vietnam War.
Much of what we have gone through and what we have today, both good and bad, can be traced, broadly, back to US foreign policy since 1941. Could the war against Japan been won without the atomic bomb? Yes it could if a deep understanding of Japanese culture and history had been recognised. Saving face, as we now understand it, was what the Japanese wanted, but the Potsdam declaration treated Japan in the same manner as Germany. In this light, inevitably, the war in the east would have ground on and on. It was American blood, mainly, that won the Pacific war and in this light, I for one would never denigrate those people but thank those men and women who sacrificed everything to buy that victory.

John Toland was an extraordinary historical writer. I have listened to three of his audio books now and they are required reading/listening for anyone who likes to understand the world we live in today. His comments in the Epilogue ring true, in my mind at least, wars can be avoided if we as nations decide to sort out our differences in more peaceful ways. Do we ignore evil? No, but we don't have to butcher millions of people in the process.

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Very detailed

A very detailed look at the Japanese governmental and military structure prior to the war , during , and immediately after the dropping of the atomic bombs. Gives a very interesting look at how the Japanese mind set worked which most westerners still really don’t understand. It also gives a good insight into just how indisciplined Japanese officers sometimes where and how dangerous it could be being a political figure in the Japanese leadership.. a long listen but worth it .

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a very detailed look into wartime Japan

if you are interested in war time Japan this book is the best look into the subject I have ever read. I have a great interest in the Pacific war and I always wanted more of an understanding of the Japanese view/outlook on the war and this book delivered and then some. from the beginning of the Japanese invasion of China to its surrender this book gives fantastic detail of the battle's, people and political on goings. a simply fantastic read and I enjoyed every second

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Excellent Miltary history reference.

Very detailed and accurate. particularly liked the eye witness accounts of Iwo Jima and the atomic bombs. Well narated and an in depth insight from both sides.

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2 people found this helpful

Great overview of the Japanese Empire and the war in the pacific overall

Put the speed on 1.1 for the best listening experience and let John Toland take you to Japan during WW2.

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The stupidity of war

Where does The Rising Sun rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As a historic piece of work it has plenty of detail. It opens up the political system that shows there was no democracy and the military were the real power and not the Emperor. It shows a different perspective than what we were led to believe.

What did you like best about this story?

The poor quality of leadership. It exposes the fundamental failures of the willingness to waste life for no gain other than that of saving face. The pre Pearl Harbour events especially that took place in the parliament were a real eye opener. It appears no one wanted war with the USA and the European powers but didn't know how to stop it happening.

Which character – as performed by Tom Weiner – was your favourite?

Admirable Yamamoto is an obvious choice as he was the man who took them to war but did warn that he could not give them victory - Tom put Yamamoto into the character of not just the tactician but also the political military man

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Sun that rises, also sets

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3 people found this helpful

Balanced, detailed and moving

A rare thing- details the motives, actions, mistakes of each side without entering into judgment or apologetics.
Also very well read.
A memorable, rewarding book.

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Essential reading

Exceptional quality and depth. Good as a thorough recap of a near-forgotten story. Almost forgotten in today's world that is so preoccupied with China's rise.

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2 people found this helpful

A classic work of history, exellently told.

It's not hard to see why Toland won a Pulitzer for this book. He is a particularly gifted story-teller, and the book often reads more like a well told novel than a traditional history. I found myself getting so absorbed in the twists and turns of the tale he was telling, I sometimes had to remind myself that I knew how the story ended. I was willing the diplomats trying to avert the war to succeed, though I knew they didn't. And willing the British to hold out at Singapore, knowing that they did not.

The book is divided into two parallel narratives, the first an overview of the broad political and military situation told from the POV of the major figures in the Japanese and American governments, and the other a series of personal accounts of ordinary soldiers and civilians caught up in the nightmare of the war. Both are well researched, and told with compassion and eloquence.

Toland also does an excellent job of explaining to a western audience the very different cultural norms that affected Japanese society and government in the lead up to the war. How that culture led to a nation obsessed with honour to behave with a stunning lack of honour - and how the west's failure to understand Japanese culture led to one diplomatic debacle after another.

My only criticisms are that for some reason 1943 seems to be glossed over much more briefly than other years, and that perhaps one comes away feeling a little too much sympathy for the Japanese actors in this drama, who were responsible for so much needless suffering.

The narrator is notably good, I really felt I was listening to the author.

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1 person found this helpful