Hiroshima: Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb - Paperback

FormatBook

Language English

ISBN-13 / SKU 9780316831246

About this item

by Ronald T. Takaki (Author)

Explores the decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima.

Back Jacket

The bombing of Hiroshima was one of the pivotal events of the twentieth century, yet this controversial question remains unresolved. At the time, General Dwight Eisenhower, General Douglas MacArthur, and chief of staff Admiral William Leahy all agreed that an atomic attack on Japanese cities was unnecessary. All of them believed that Japan had already been beaten and that the war would soon end. Was the bomb dropped to end the war more quickly? Or did it herald the start of the Cold War? In his probing new study, prizewinning historian Ronald Takaki explores these factors and more. He considers the cultural context of race - the ways in which stereotypes of the Japanese influenced public opinion and policymakers - and also probes the human dimension. Relying on top secret military reports, diaries, and personal letters, Takaki relates international policies to the individuals involved: Los Alamos director J. Robert Oppenheimer, Secretary of State James Byrnes, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, and others... but above all, Harry Truman.

Number of Pages: 208

Dimensions: 0.54 x 8.05 x 5.03 IN

Illustrated: Yes

Publication Date: August 19, 1996

$24.86

In Stock.