The Rising Sun

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

By: John Toland

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Paperback | 27 May 2003 | Edition Number 1

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976 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.6 x 3.5

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“[The Rising Sun] is quite possibly the most readable, yet informative account of the Pacific war.”—Chicago Sun-Times

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. In his Foreword, Toland says that if we are to draw any conclusion from The Rising Sun, it is “that there are no simple lessons in history, that it is human nature that repeats itself, not history.”

“Unbelievably rich . . . readable and exciting . . .The best parts of [Toland’s] book are not the battle scenes but the intimate view he gives of the highest reaches of Tokyo politics.”—Newsweek

Industry Reviews

"[It] is quite possibly the most readable, yet informative account of the Pacific war." --Chicago Sun-Times

"Unbelievably rich . . . readable and exciting . . . The best parts of [Toland's] book are not the battle scenes but the intimate view he gives of the highest reaches of Tokyo politics." --Newsweek

"Similar in scope to William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Toland's book is fresh and dramatic throughout. The Rising Sun is not only a blood-and-guts action story, it also presents for the first time a great deal of fresh information." --Chicago Sun-Times

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Foreword
The Roots of War
Gekokujo	p. 3
To the Marco Polo Bridge	p. 34
"Then the War Will Be a Desperate One"	p. 54
The Lowering Clouds
"Go Back to Blank Paper"	p. 89
The Fatal Note	p. 121
Operation Z	p. 149
"This War May Come Quicker Than Anyone Dreams"	p. 173
Banzai!
"I Shall Never Look Back"	p. 211
"The Formidable Years That Lie Before Us"	p. 237
"For a Wasted Hope and Sure Defeat"	p. 258
"To Show Them Mercy Is to Prolong the War"	p. 285
"But Not in Shame"	p. 302
The Tide Turns	p. 321
Isle of Death
Operation Shoestring	p. 345
Green Hell	p. 364
"I Deserve Ten Thousand Deaths"	p. 389
The End	p. 412
The Gathering Forces
Of Mice and Men	p. 435
To the Marianas	p. 467
"Seven Lives to Repay Our Country!"	p. 498
The Decisive Battle
"Let No Heart Be Faint"	p. 523
The Battle of Leyte Gulf	p. 546
The Battle of Breakneck Ridge	p. 573
Debacle	p. 594
Beyond the Bitter End
"Our Golden Opportunity"	p. 611
"Like Hell with the Fire Out"	p. 639
The Flowers of Edo	p. 670
The Last Sortie	p. 682
The Iron Typhoon	p. 704
The Stragglers	p. 727
"One Hundred Million Die Together"
In Quest of Peace	p. 741
"That Was Not Any Decision That You Had To Worry About"	p. 760
Hiroshima	p. 779
... and Nagasaki	p. 793
"To Bear the Unbearable"	p. 810
The Palace Revolt	p. 829
The Voice of the Crane	p. 851
Epilogue	p. 871
Acknowledgments	p. 879
Sources	p. 883
Notes	p. 905
Index	p. 931
Map: The War in the Pacific
Map: The Japanese Conquest of Luzon	p. 261
Map: The Slot/Guadalcanal	p. 369
Map: Saipan	p. 491
Map: The Battle of Leyte Gulf	p. 549
Map: The Battle for Leyte	p. 579
Map: Iwo Jima	p. 645
Map: Okinawa	p. 707
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

The Rising Sun

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

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Second World War

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