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Autumn 1944. World War II is nearly over in Europe but is escalating in the Pacific, where American soldiers face an opponent who will go to any length to avoid defeat. The Japanese army follows the samurai code of Bushido, stipulating that surrender is a form of dishonor. This book takes readers to the bloody tropical-island battlefields of Peleliu and Iwo Jima and to the embattled Philippines, where General Douglas MacArthur has made a triumphant return and is plotting a full-scale invasion of Japan. Across the globe in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team of scientists are preparing to test the deadliest weapon known to mankind. In Washington, DC, Harry Truman ascends to the presidency after FDR dies in office, only to face the most important political decision in history: whether to use that weapon. And in Tokyo, Emperor Hirohito, who is considered a deity by his subjects, refuses to surrender, despite a massive and mounting death toll.… (more)
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On December 7, 1941, the United States was caught unawares and unprepared by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Thousands of victims were sent to a watery grave, to remain there, buried at sea in their ships.
This book is about the events surrounding the development and eventual unleashing of atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing massive destruction and an enormous loss of lives coupled with thousands of horrific injuries. Many believed then and many believe now (one in that corner was Douglas MacArthur), that it was unnecessary to drop the bombs to end the war. They believe that somehow either diplomacy or an invasion would have been a better avenue to follow, would have resulted in fewer civilian casualties and deaths; however, that would have continued the loss of American lives and of other allied troops since the Emperor of Japan refused to surrender unconditionally and refused to end hostilities. His soldiers would fight to the death to avoid facing the humiliation of returning home as cowards and failures.
As the reader learns of the heinous tactics and behavior of the Japanese during WWII, it will be difficult not to agree with President Truman’s decision. Many will find it difficult to feel that the dropping of the bombs was unjustified. The Japanese were often more brutal and barbaric than the Germans, though I must admit I was stunned to believe that even more despicable behavior was possible than that of the Germans. They were extremely vicious and evil in their treatment of the Jews and others they deemed to be of a lesser race. However, more POW’s survived as German captives than as Japanese captives. The Japanese government did not follow the Geneva Conventions, they tortured and murdered their POW’s, they captured women who came to be known as “comfort women” who were forcibly raped by their troops; they sanctioned murder and pillage when they conquered a territory; they even engaged in cannibalism. They were responsible for the “rape of Nanking” and were utterly barbaric in the way they behaved and in the choices they made when it came to those dwelling in the lands they conquered. They were expected to fall on their swords rather than return home alive which would mean they were cowards, traitors who failed their Emperor and the Land of the Rising Sun.
The book describes the situation in graphic and descriptive terms, making it clear that it might have been impossible to end World War II utterly, in any other way. Accurately following the history of events, the authors bring the story behind the bombings to light for all to see. It is a well-written and well-narrated history of the events of that time. I would highly recommend it to those who might still question the judgment of President Truman and to those who want to learn more about the reason it was necessary or even considered. Often, hindsight is 20/20, but it doesn’t take into account the emotional stress or physical danger that America was confronted with at the time.
The book also covers the atrocities committed by the Japanese on Chinese civilians and US prisoners of war. Documented are stories of heroism on both sides. The horrors inflicted on the citizens in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are grimly told too.
There are far better history books about the end of the war against Japan but this is very readable and well written.
The book does not follow developments through in an uninterrupted manner. For example, the two-page introduction describes
"Killing the Rising Sun" is best regarded as historical fiction rather than as a well documented historical accounting of the events covered. Numerous footnotes amplify points mentioned on the page, but no source is provided documenting the main text or the footnotes. Slightly more than four pages of sources are listed at the end of the book but these are merely the names of books and other documents. No attempt is made to tie this reading list to any of the claims made in the text.
Instead, the authors take poetic license to describe what the characters saw and were thinking at the time. Joseph Stalin says, "I am glad to hear it," when President Truman informs him that the U. S. has developed the atomic bomb but Stalin is actually "panicked." Emperor Hirohito is "morose" as he walks in his garden, contemplating the destruction of Hiroshima. Douglas MacArthur is "appalled" when he hears the U. S. has bombed Hiroshima. His distress is not because of the significance of the event but because President Truman has not consulted him and because MacArthur wanted the honor of leading the largest invasion in history. He reasoned that his invasion of Japan would involve more troops and be more prestigious than the Normandy invasion in Europe. This approach and the relatively short chapters contribute to the readability of the book and keep the reader interested.
I learned little of factual significance by reading, "Killing the Rising Sun." There are numerous historical treatments of the events covered in this book that are better documented and more complete in their coverage. Nevertheless, I found this book to be quite interesting and I had no difficulty maintaining my interest and enthusiasm throughout the book.
The subtitle is "How
Maybe I was just looking for something that's not the purpose of this book.
I also didn't like the style of the writing. It's easy reading, which is fine, but the authors seem to love the flourish of ending each chapter with a dramatic, TV-news-like sentence (one example: "Robert Oppenheimer's life is full of contradiction. But as his favorite selection from the Bhagavad Gita suggests, this man who chose to play a coprse onstage, and whose body now wastes away as he deprives it of simple nourishment, is a real-life Grim Reaper. [new paragraph] And he knows it" [end of chapter]
It's a decent enough style flourish used occasionally, but used at the end of almost every chapter it starts to feel cheap, like a segment of tabloid news. I guess that's the style O'Reilly knows.
Anyway, I won't be reading any more of this series.
Overall, I liked the book and found it moved along quickly. I learned much about WWII that I did not already know.
Well researched, and very well written. Highly recommended.
Love Bill O'Reilly's "Killing" series. Always learn something more about the events than I previously knew.