At the end of WWII the United States and it’s allies were tired of war. The goal was unconditional surrender with Japan. However, the question was whether the Japanese were ready. This book convincingly gives the detailed history suggesting that before the atomic bomb Japan was ready to fight to the death.
Three men were intimately involved with the difficult decision to use the bomb. Henry Stimson, the American Secretary of War had overall responsibility for the decision to use the atomic bomb. He was ill, a Victorian gentleman of the highest integrity. General Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, head of the strategic bombing in the Pacific, had the responsibility for supervising the planes that dropped the bombs. He was a quiet man who took his responsibilities seriously. The third man was Shigenori Togo, the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs. Almost alone of the ministers in Japan, he believed that Japan must surrender.
The author tells the story of the decision and subsequent dropping of the bomb through the stories of these three men. In this he not only relies on historical accounts, but also on diaries and letters. I thought he did an excellent job of describing the pressure these men were under. Part One of the book describes the character of each man so that when the action starts in Part Two, you can relate to how the men dealt with the pressure
I thought this was an excellent book. It is well researched and reads almost like a novel, particularly since it is told in the first person. If you’re interested in WWII, I highly recommend this book.
I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.
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