That being said I did have several issues with this book. I wasnt going to gripe about facts since im not very knowledgeable about WW2 history. However, I do have one gripe about the facts in the book. On page 242 the author says "A thousand Soviet Tiger tanks and Sherman tanks "on loan" from the Americans face absolutely no armor on the Japanese side." To my knowledge the Soviets didn't have a tank called Tiger and did not operate captured German Tigers in large numbers. I don't know if this is a typo, a misquote or simply an awkward sentence. This is a minor point but I do have four, what I call, "Red Flags" popped out at me.
1. I don't trust Nonfiction books that actually say this is the "true story." As a nonfiction it should be implied that what the author is saying is at least the authors interpretation of true facts and events. The fact that the author has to explicitly say this is true makes me suspicious. "What Martin Dugard and I are about to tell you is true and stark." pg2.
2. The second red flag is when I constantly say to myself how does he know that? Not that I doubt the history presented but when the author says "Sachs chooses his reply carefully (pg 3)." Or "The morning heat is so unbearable that Corporal Lewis Kenneth Bausell, USMC, has trouble breathing (pg7)." How do we know that was what he was thinking or feeling? Was there a photograph, a film was this person interviewed? If so let me know how we know, otherwise I'm concerned that the author is so focused on building the drama of the scene that they drift from historical fact. If you don't know say so or leave it out.
3.This book doesn't have a bibliography. A bibliography is not necessary as long as you site the sources used in your book. Killing the Rising Sun does have a source page. My gripe may just be a personal preference. I believe Histories should have bibliographies or at least extensive chapter notes to give the reader a chance to evaluate where is the author getting his information and how old is his information.
4. My final issue is the way history is used. I don't doubt the facts of atrocities committed by the Japanese army at Nanking or that PFC Desmond Doss, Medal of Honor recipient, was a hero, but when these two stories are juxtaposed with each other to illustrate evil of one versus the virtue of the other, I have to question the motives.
Like I said I dont doubt the facts but the usage of the narrative makes me doubt the truthfulness of the narrative.
I did enjoy reading this book, it reminded me of my favorite questions about history. "What is history? and Why do people study it?" However if someone asked me for a book recommendation about the Pacific war, it would not be this one.
