Tag: WWII

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Killing the Rising Sun

Killing The Rising Sun

Killing The Rising Sun is an excellent historical account of the Pacific theatre during WWII. While the other books in this series that have been reviewed, Killing Jesus and Killing Lincoln, have been rated as suitable for middle grade up. Like Killing Patton, Killing The Rising Sun should categorized as new adult because the book was not written for children.There is a bit more mature content in Killing the Rising Sun. There is some language and content that is not appropriate for younger and more sensitive readers. Along with this, the violence and graphic descriptions, especially with respect to the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Pros

Killing the Rising Sun goes into detail about the end of WWII, particularly the Pacific theatre. General Douglas MacArthur, President Truman, the end of WWII, specifically the sinking of the Indianapolis, the siege on Okinawa, and dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the focus. O’Reilly and Dugard go into great detail to put General Douglas MacArthur’s military career, particularly his role in the Pacific theatre.

The book focuses not only on General MacArthur but also President Truman and the difficult decision to drop the atomic bomb. The premise of the book is that the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan wasn’t an easy one but considered the option that would save the most lives of both the Allied soldiers and Japanese civilians. Robert Petkoff instead of Bill O’Reilly narrates the audio version of Killing the Rising Sun, and I highly recommend it. He is an excellent narrator and does a good job of including the footnotes to make them fit seamlessly into the text.

Cons

There are a few, which is why I categorized Killing the Rising Sun as New Adult. There are several colorful characters. With this there are some swear words, innuendo, coarse language, and discussion of extramarital affairs are discussed. While not graphic, this makes the content more mature. This is a book set during a long and bloody war that might bother some sensitive readers or listeners. Even compared to Killing Patton, Killing the Rising Sun is even more graphic. The damage from the atomic bombs is described. While not gratuitous, it doesn’t shy away from description. The same goes for the sinking of the Indianapolis and the siege of Okinawa.

Rating

4 Stars. Overall, Killing the Rising Sun is well-written and engaging. Like Killing Jesus and Killing Lincoln, the book rates 5 stars on the content and execution. New Adult allows for a bit more mature content, but even with this caveat, there is some coarse language and innuendo, even more than in Killing Patton. As with the other books in the series, the historical details are the highlight of this book. My husband and I listened to the audiobook. Robert Petkoff narrates and has an engaging voice. However, I suggest reading or listening to the book before deciding if it’s appropriate for your children, students, etc.

Personal Opinion

We have listened to all of the O’Reilly-Dugard “Killing” books, and this is the fourth in my series on these books because I think each of them offers fantastic insight into the social and political climate at the time. However, not all will carry 5-star ratings even though the writing quality and level of detail are the same. This is the first one that I would not call entirely family friendly due to some objectionable content cited above. There is some language that might be objectionable to some people. Battles, extramarital affairs, and the brutality of war are discussed. There is some innuendo/coarse language mostly in the context of quotes and correspondence.

Discussion points for parents & teachers:

  1. What did you know about Harry Truman? Did your opinion of him and his actions change after reading this book?
  2. What did you know about General MacArthur? Did your opinion of him and his actions change after reading this book?
  3. Did you learn something new about General MacArthur?
  4. Name some good things about General MacArthur?
  5. Name some of General MacArthur’s character flaws?
  6. Did you learn anything new about Hirhito?
  7. List some things about Imperial Japan that are different from the United States.
  8. Discuss the decision to use the atomic bomb.

Parents will appreciate the historical account of this time in history. For teachers and librarians there are so many great topics that can springboard from this book.

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Killing Patton by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Patton-Strange-Audacious-General-ebook/dp/B00JYZAPXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487908102&sr=8-1&keywords=killing+patton+by+bill+o%27reilly

Killing Patton

Killing Patton is an excellent historical account of the European theatre during WWII. While the other books in this series that have been reviewed, Killing Jesus and Killing Lincoln, have been rated as suitable for middle grade up, this book should categorized as new adult because the book was not written for children. I rated the previous ones as Young Adult, however, there is a bit more mature content in Killing Patton. There is some language and content that is not appropriate for younger and more sensitive readers.

Pros

Killing Patton goes into detail about the end of WWII, particularly the European theatre. The Battle of the Bulge, the last days of Hitler’s regime, FDR’s death, and the car accident that killed Patton are the focus. O’Reilly and Dugard go into great detail to put George S. Patton’s military career, particularly his role in the Battle of the Bulge and less on his role in the North African theatre. The book focuses on the life, relationships: personal, family, romantic, and professional of General Patton. The premise of the book is that the car crash that ultimately killed General Patton may not have been an accident but an assassination attempt. The story isn’t told as much as a murder mystery as much as a character study in the enigmatic general. Bill O’Reilly narrates the audio version of Killing Patton, and I highly recommend it.

Cons

There are a few, which is why I categorized Killing Patton as New Adult . If you’ve ever seen the Academy Award Winning Patton starring George C. Scott, you will know that General Patton was a colorful character. With this there are some swear words, innuendo, and coarse language. Extramarital affairs of General Patton, FDR, etc. are discussed. While not graphic, this makes the content more mature. This is a book set during a long and bloody war, there are some descriptions of wounds etc. that might bother some sensitive readers or listeners.

Rating

4.5 Stars. Overall, Killing Patton is well-written and engaging. Like Killing Jesus and Killing Lincoln, the book rates 5 stars on the content and execution. New Adult allows for a bit more mature content, but even with this caveat, there is some coarse language and innuendo. As with the other books in the series, the historical details are the highlight of this book. My husband and I listened to the audiobook. Bill O’Reilly narrates and has an engaging voice. However, I suggest reading or listening to the book before deciding if it’s appropriate for your children, students, etc.

Personal Opinion

We have listened to all of the O’Reilly-Dugard “Killing” books, and this is the third in my series on these books because I think each of them offers fantastic insight into the social and political climate at the time. However, not all will carry 5-star ratings even though the writing quality and level of detail are the same. This is the first one that I would not call entirely family friendly due to some objectionable content cited above. There is some language that might be objectionable to some people. Battles, Hitler’s suicide, FDR, and General Patton’s extramarital affairs are discussed. There is some innuendo/coarse language mostly in the context of quotes and correspondence.

Discussion points for parents & teachers:

  1. What did you know about FDR? Did your opinion of him and his actions change after reading this book?
  2. What did you know about General Eisenhower? Did your opinion of him and his actions change after reading this book?
  3. What did you know about Winston Churchhill? Did your opinion of him and his actions change after reading this book?
  4. Did you know much about General Patton before you read this book? What was something about him that you learned?
  5. What do you think were some good things about General Patton?
  6. What do you think were some of General Patton’s character flaws?
  7. Did you learn anything new about Adolf Hitler?
  8. Did you learn anything new about Nazi Germany?
  9. Do you think General Patton’s car accident was really an accident or do you think someone tried to hit his car on purpose?

Parents will appreciate the historical account of this time in history. For teachers and librarians there are so many great topics that can springboard from this book.