'Killing the Rising Sun': A Book Review by Pat McGurrin

Background

Bill O'Reilly usually gets a bad rep on television by many, usually for his anger and sometimes critical political views. However, what most people don't know, is that O'Reilly has an expansive historical knowledge. He has written over 10 books regarding American history, one of which I had the pleasure to read.

I'm half Japanese, and I have always been interested in both sides of the WWII conflict. So, I thought it was only appropriate for me to read one of his bestsellers; Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan.

Overview

Killing the Rising Sun takes readers on a journey of what it was like fighting Japan in WWII from both a soldier's perspective and a political perspective. Unlike any opponent before, Imperial Japan followed the samurai code of  'Bushido', which meant that the nation would refuse to surrender; as doing so would be dishonorable to their god/emperor, Hirohito. The Japanese forces were also particularly brutal, since they did not have survival as their top priority-only kill. 

The Japanese, being an unusual opponent, helps explain and drive the book's tension. While history has already happened, O'Reilly makes it seem new and exciting, and you are sure to learn more than ever before. In history class, most of us have only been taught about the Nazi party in WWII, but we rarely talk about the brutality of the Japanese. Not only does the book explain the mindset of Japan during the war, but it also helps shape why society in Japan is the way it is now. 

Read It!

This is one of the best books that I have ever read, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in history and politics. If you're not necessarily interested in this title, O'Reilly has written many other books discussing American history and political figures.