Prompt and Utter Destruction; Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan

Walker, J. Samuel

ISBN 10: 080785607X / ISBN 13: 9780807856079

Published by The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC, 1997

About this Item

xv, [3], 142 pages. Wraps. Preface to Revised Edition. Illustrations. Chronology. Notes. Essay on Sources. Index. Slight wear and soiling to cover. Format is 5.5 inches by 9.25 inches. More than fifty years later, the decision that brought prompt and utter destruction to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki continues to generate enormous interest and controversy. In this concise and balanced account, J. Samuel Walker offers a new look at the events and circumstances that lay behind President Truman's use of atomic bombs against Japan. Combining extensive documentary research with a critical reading of both American and Japanese scholarship, Walker examines the popular mythology about how the decision was made, delineating what was known and not known by American leaders at the time and evaluating the role of U.S.-Soviet relations and American domestic politics. Rising above an often polemical debate, he presents an accessible synthesis of previous work and an important, original contribution to our understanding of the events that ushered in the atomic age. J. Samuel Walker is an American historian and author based in Maryland, most notable for his research and writing on the nuclear age, both weaponry and atomic energy. Several of his books have earned broad-based critical acclaim and advanced novel viewpoints. Despite affiliation with government and the nuclear industry, he is cited by the peace movement and parties who are highly critical of nuclear energy. Walker was a history instructor at the University of Maryland in the mid-seventies but was hired by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in June, 1979, working under the chief historian, George T. Mazuzan. Walker was able to write in a lucid manner applauded in popular science press. Roger Chapman, writing in Bowling Green's university press, characterized the book on the atomic bombing of Japan as "a brave attempt to bridge two diametrically opposed positions" about whether the bombings were necessary, justified or humane. Revised Edition [stated]. First printing [stated].

Seller Inventory # 50629

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Prompt and Utter Destruction; Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC
• Publication Date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 080785607X
• ISBN 13: 9780807856079
• Binding: Trade paperback
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very good

About this title

Synopsis

In this concise account of why America used atomic bombs against Japan in 1945, J. Samuel Walker analyzes the reasons behind President Truman’s most controversial decision. Delineating what was known and not known by American leaders at the time, Walker evaluates the roles of U.S.-Soviet relations and of American domestic politics. In this new edition, Walker takes into account recent scholarship on the topic, including new information on the Japanese decision to surrender. He has also revised the book to place more emphasis on the effect of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in convincing the emperor and his advisers to quit the war. Rising above an often polemical debate, Walker presents an accessible synthesis of previous work and an important, original contribution to our understanding of the events that ushered in the atomic age.

About the Author

J. Samuel Walker, historian of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has published six other books on the history of American foreign policy and the history of nuclear energy.