Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan (Bill O'Reilly's Killing Series) Paperback – September 10, 2019

The books in this series are so informative and are so riveting in their storytelling that it truly is pleasurable reading. This book, like the others, provides the lesser known stories and subplots that provide context to these historical events that makes them relatable for the reader.

The Second World War in Asia and the Pacific left a tremendous scar on the face of humanity that it had never experienced in the existence of civilization. Journalist and TV Commentator and Author Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard retells of the turning point of WWII in the Pacific and intense moves to defeating Japanese imperial military’s aggression upon the islands and lands of Asia and Pacific, which they invaded and occupied since 1931 and ten years later in 1941 with the strike on Pearl Harbor prompted the United States to enter into the war. But inspiration of the writing about this part of WWII was a disturbing comment made by Reverand Jeremiah Wright Jr. who was the pastor of Barak Obama shortly five days after September 11 that made mention of the most horrific events in American history that included Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The sixth book by O’Reilly in a series that have examined the most pivotal events and individuals of history, he along with Dugard re-examines with an objective lens on the events beginning from September 1944 on the islands of Peleliu and by October in the Philippines at Leyte Gulf to the final outcome of the war in August 1945. O’Reilly speaks with sheer honesty and sums of why this part of history is still important and worth retelling, “The United States defeated the Japanese empire is vital to understand because the issues of that war are still being processed throughout the world today” (prologue).The book objectively examines the effects of war on civilians and soldiers and leaders and countries and O’Reilly and Dugard writes of a history that is slowly fading into the collective memory of those who lived through the war and generations that followed that were taught or retold this part of history. With the parallels of history in mind, the memory of the war by the thousands that were involved that were not easily retold in a matter of days or months due to traumatic events or classified information. It would take years of interviews, diaries and journals, or visually through illustrations and photographs that would be disclosed to the public and various books published thereafter. Although this is not the first book or sources to write of the major events of the last year of the war that led to August 1945, many are recommended and listed at the end of the book and mentioned within the passages such as John Hersey’s “Hiroshima”; others not noted but also worth reading and referencing that relate to the war, Iris Chang’s “Rape of Nanking,” James Bradley’s “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Flyboys: A True Story of Courage”, Herbert Bix’s “Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan” or autobiography or biography of those responsible for the technological advances that were used to end the war, J. Robert Oppenheimer “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Matthew J. Sherwin and Paul Tibbets’s “The Tibbets Story,” there are many more. In essence, the book contains an immense amount of detail within concise measure where one may understand the extent of the war. However, what may have also been included within the content of the book was a bit of background history to the origins of Japan’s rise as an imperial power and the path towards invasion on Asia, especially China that pre-dates 1931 and 1945 and an event that directly relates to the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 to the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894-1895. And in addition, an event that also includes the boundaries of China in Manchuria when one of the last battles of the war is fought between the Soviet Union and Japan in 1945.Nevertheless, this is a book for recommended reading.

This is a good educational and novel like storytelling history book.Even I as Japanese can enjoy this book and makes me think about that era.but at the 1st page, rising sun is not be named by chinese. Writer must be ashamed and embarrased now.....please have some japanese check those facts before you published nexttime.Or please correct it. otherwise that we japanese can NOT believe other parts because editor made a terrible mistake on the 1st page!!They call us "WA" which means something evil or nasty. cause they name foreign county with bad meaning name because they think those neighbors are lower and less educated than china.We started having japanese emperor because we need a equivalent aurthority as same rank as china and we call our selves country of rising sun and calling china a country of setting sun.{ with no bad meaning just meaning of east and west country}PSDon't trust propaganda from communists. Rape of Nanking didn't exist, Nanking was much worse then Syria right now, there were many conflict and there were many of them who are not sure military individual or terrorist.Confort women, they were paid and they have choises to go home, Korean prostitution company which did sexual traffic kidnaped and sold to goverment, Which means they are prostitution er.Emperor was the one who tryed stop the war. not triggered. he was so smart that he hesitate to interfere the modern democratic decision making, which went wrong and started the war.You must know that nuclear weapon is clearly violation of the Geneva Convention Which restricts the attack to innocent citizen or too harmful painful destructive measure.

Es un buen repaso de la historia durante WWII y sus echos más relevantes incluido el lanzamiento de la dos primeras bombas atómicas.. Resulta ameno y entretenido pero los autores no convencen en su exposición del motivo por el que Truman finalmente autoriza el lanzamiento. Ahorrar vidas americanas o asustar a Lósif Stalin...Era necesario ante un Japón vencido. Si Japón la hubiera utilizado los habrían juzgado por crímenes de guerra...

Sehr spannend geschrieben, insbesondere der Teil mit dem Abwurf der Atombombe war spannend wie ein Thriller. Viele interessante Fakten zum Krieg im Pazifik, wobei Vieles auch gefühlt etwas zu kurz gekommen ist.

This is an easy read indeed.But don't think that this book is devoid of details. It is easy to read because it is indeed very well written, but is full of details and stories. The maps provided really help you understand what the authors are talking about.

Bien documentada, una lectura fascinante sobre la guerra causada x el ataque a Pearl Harbor.La perversidad, las atrocidades y brutalidad de los japoneses vs. el coraje, la valentía y dignidad de los soldados americanos.,

Gostei do livro pela sua simplicidade e objetividade.Eu recomendo para as pessoas que gostam de historia e aprender a ler em Ingles.