The Rising Sun

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

By: John Toland

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

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.

A Different Perspective, Not a Justification

I found this historical account truly fascinating. As I listened to the history I realized that I was as ignorant about the culture of Japan as any of the players in the West at that time. I have read extensively about WWII from a western and European perspective but I really hadn't spent much time considering the Japanese. Such people as Tojo and Yamamoto were mostly one dimensional for me. Toland does an excellent job of pulling back the curtain and giving us a view of what was happening in the Pacific. He also offered some new perspectives on such things as the Bataan Death March. He does not seek to justify what happened but I feel that I have a better understanding of why it happened the way that it did.

There are some omissions. Korea is barely mentioned and there is no discussion of the germ warfare experiments that took place in China. If History and WWII is an area if interest I'd definitely recommend this book. Much like Anthony Beevor, Toland does an excellent job moving from the macro to the micro so you have a real sense of what it was like to be in the trenches on the pacific Islands or flying a torpedo plane at Pearl Harbor.

Shinto vrs. Buddhism

What did you love best about The Rising Sun?

Toland credits Buddism for the Japanese instigation of war. Never a mention of shinto. Odd.

Among the best

Any additional comments?

Incredibly well-researched and devoid of political spin, iconoclasm or shaming, "The Rising Sun" is an interesting and easy to listen to history of what we think of as the Pacific Theater during WWII. I greatly appreciate the attention to detail and behind the scenes discussions leading up to and during the war. I will go so far as to say I think this should be required reading/listening for all Americans.

Audio is too soft

The audio is soft and makes it difficult to hear the book on your phone while driving. If you plan to listen primarily in your car, without headphones, you will struggle to hear what's happening.

A fanatastic account of the war in the Pacific

What made the experience of listening to The Rising Sun the most enjoyable?

The style of the writing and the emphasis put on the mindset of the Japanese people as a whole.

What other book might you compare The Rising Sun to and why?

This book most reminds me of "The rise and fall of the Third Reich" I thought William Shirer had no equal when it came to writing a captivating historical account but John Toland gives him a run for his money with this work

Have you listened to any of Tom Weiner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Ive never listened to any other performance of Weiner. However he delivered a great reading here and while his imitation of the voices of various people sounds almost mocking it does help a poor American differentiate between many Japanese leaders with very similar names.