Killing the Rising Sun

How America Vanquished World War II Japan

By: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff, Bill O'Reilly

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

The powerful and riveting new audiobook in the multimillion-selling Killing series by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.

Autumn 1944. World War II is nearly over in Europe but is escalating in the Pacific, where American soldiers face an opponent who will go to any length to avoid defeat. The Japanese army follows the samurai code of Bushido, stipulating that surrender is a form of dishonor.

Killing the Rising Sun takes listeners to the bloody tropical-island battlefields of Peleliu and Iwo Jima and to the embattled Philippines, where General Douglas MacArthur has made a triumphant return and is plotting a full-scale invasion of Japan. Across the globe in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team of scientists are preparing to test the deadliest weapon known to mankind. In Washington, DC, FDR dies in office, and Harry Truman ascends to the presidency only to face the most important political decision in history: whether to use that weapon. And in Tokyo, Emperor Hirohito, who is considered a deity by his subjects, refuses to surrender despite a massive and mounting death toll.

Told in the same pause-resistant style of Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus, Killing Patton, and Killing Reagan, this epic saga details the final moments of World War II like never before.

©2016 Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard (P)2016 Macmillan Audio

Nice voice, just fine! *****

I kept finding myself expecting Bill Riley's voice. The orator was great through. I'm 58 but These books makes me think of high school, I feel like I've wasted many years in fiction where what I really find is that I love history,or historical novels. I wish I could have found this love a long time ago. Thank you for making history come alive for me. I think this book and the other Bill Riley books might help high school teachers share with students in a really fresh and alive way. Maybe I'll gift one or more to Our High school: Marysville Pilchuck High School in WA

outstanding book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! I am going to read all of Bill O'Reilly's books

Great book

couldn't stop listening. very good book and would recommend it to anyone. will get more from this author

Awesome history!

Could not stop listening! Well narrated and very interesting portrayal of information. Loved the footnotes.

Should be a history text book for World War II

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

Made the history into an entertaining experience. Addressed many of the things the standard "history" books leave out.

What did you like best about this story?

Having a Dad in the Navy and a great uncle in the Marines in the Pacific War, I have always had a great interest in the War in the Pacific. Although I have read several other books concerning the war, I found this book to really lay out and put in perspective many of the events that occurred there. In particular, it clearly laid out the atrocities that occurred. My great uncle who was a marine had been involved in the island hopping across the Pacific. As I was growing up, I used to always ask him about his experiences (since I was fascinated by the events) and he would never ever talk about it. He took all of his experieinces to his grave about 6 months ago. A true historical loss and pity but after now listening to this book, and descriptions of what he must have seen and encountered, I can now fully understand why he would never discuss it. All I can say to my uncle and my dad is "thank you for your service".The country owes you a great debt. And thank you Bill O'Reilly for bringing it to life.

Have you listened to any of Robert Petkoff and Bill O'Reilly ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. I have listened to 2 other "Killing" books and I find this one by far the best of the lot.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"What the history books DON'T tell you."

Any additional comments?

Bill, I found this book especially interesting due to my intrigue with the Pacific War of World War II. It was a great reminder as well as making the atrocities of World War II fresh and more real. Excpetionally good book and I would love to see more of this type. Great job!

Great job

thank you for writing this book, I learned so much and enjoyed the read! this should be required reading for high school.

Understanding my father

My father served in the Navy in Okinawa. He never spoke of it. And suffered his whole life with terrible nightmares that lead to alcoholism and his eventual death. I now understand more why he had the nightmares and why he drink to forget. The storytelling format of this Book gives a human face to history.

Great Historical Read

This is a great historical must read book. The information is greatly prepared and presented. A stand out part for me was the dropping of the first A bomb and the description of the impact from both the American and Japanese prospectives. One of the best written books for me to this point. This entire series of books has been great reads. Thanks for the work that went into this.

Good Read!!

very good history book, it is very interesting to hear why we had to use the nuclear bomb to actually save more lives!! Brent Bach

Great book, easy to follow

fact based, easy to follow and very well read. i enjoyed the letters included at the end from the presidents