John Toland
John Toland was a prominent American historian and author born in 1912 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He graduated from Williams College and later attended Yale Drama School, paving the way for his distinguished writing career. Toland is best known for his influential works such as "The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945," which provides a detailed account of Japan's struggles during World War II, primarily from a Japanese perspective. His extensive research involved interviews with a wide range of individuals, including military personnel and survivors of the Hiroshima bombing, contributing to a nuanced understanding of historical events.
Another significant work, "Adolf Hitler," published in 1976, reexamined Hitler's portrayal by exploring his early popularity in Germany and the support he garnered prior to the war. This book was notable for offering a more humanized view of Hitler, based on interviews with those who had personal interactions with him. Toland's contributions to historical literature earned him several accolades, including Pulitzer and Overseas Press Club Awards. He continued to be recognized for his rigorous research methods and commitment to capturing diverse perspectives until his passing in 2004.
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John Toland
Author
- Born: June 29, 1912
- Birthplace: La Crosse, Wisconsin
- Died: January 4, 2004
- Place of death: Danbury, Connecticut
Biography
John Toland was born in 1912 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to singer Ralph Toland and Helen Snow Toland. He married Toshiko Matsumura in 1960. After graduating from Williams College with a B.A. in 1936, he went attended Yale Drama School the following year
Listed among Toland’s most popular books is The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945, which traces the disintegration of Japan after it choose to go to war in the 1930’s. Toland’s account is told primarily from the Japanese point of view, an approach which garnered him great critical acclaim. His research, which resulted in the exposition of historical inaccuracies and the discovery of new information, consisted of interviews with hundreds of people, ranging from generals to privates in the Japanese Imperial Army and civilian survivors of the Hiroshima bombing, in addition to reading written narratives and official government documents.
While researching his popular biography, Adolf Hitler (1976), Toland uncovered information that changed the world’s view of Hitler as the result of his interviews with almost two hundred people who interacted with the German leader. The book described how Hitler enjoyed enthusiastic German support in the years before World War II by ending his country’s economic depression and creating social programs. The book also pointed out that Hitler was a popular world figure, whom some maintained was a deserving recipient for the Nobel Peace Prize. Critics hailed Toland’s comprehensive work for providing a more human view of Hitler than was previously available.
Toland received many awards, including four Overseas Press Club Awards: in 1961 for But Not in Shame: The Six Months After Pearl Harbor, in 1967 for The Last One Hundred Days, in 1970 for The Rising Sun, and in 1976 for Adolf Hitler. He also obtained the Pulitzer Prize and the Van Wyck Brooks Award for nonfiction, both in1970 for The Rising Sun, as well as the National Society of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in 1977 for Adolf Hitler.
As a writer and historian, Toland remains highly regarded for his comprehensive and exhaustive research, in which he interviewed scores of people to obtain the broadest range of viewpoints and information on historical events. Toland died of pneumonia in Danbury, Connecticut, in 2004.