The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 Paperback - 2003

From the jacket flap

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."

Media 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