Weapons for Victory: The Hiroshima Decision Fifty Years Later

by Robert James Maddox

Overview

The highly acclaimed Weapons for Victory originally appeared in 1995, the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II. Now, in this paperback edition, Robert James Maddox provides a new introduction about the ongoing controversy related to the decision to bomb Hiroshima.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826274335
Publisher:	University of Missouri Press
Publication date:	08/23/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	235
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Robert James Maddox is Professor of History at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of numerous books, including The United States and World War II.

Table of Contents

Contents Acknowledgments Introduction to the Paperback Edition Introduction 1. The Legacy of Unconditional Surrender 2. Taking Control 3. Consideration of the Bomb and Preparations for the Summit 4. Advice and Dissent 5. Countdown 6. Potsdam: Nearing Armageddon 7. Japan Unbowed 8. Atom Bombs and the End of the War 9. A Retrospect Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

The controversy over the atomic bombing of Japan is heating up as the 50th anniversary approaches. In his well-considered study of the 1945 bombings, Maddox (The United States and World War II) exposes what he feels are distortions. The most outrageous, in his opinion: that President Truman, convinced by advisers that the bomb was not needed to force Japan's surrender, deliberately prolonged the war until he could deploy the new weapon against Japan-to cow the Soviets. Maddox concludes that the President ordered the bomb dropped for the very reasons he stated: to bring the war to an end as soon as possible and thus avoid the massive casualties of an invasion. Commenting on ``the fondness of many academics for tales of conspiracy in high places,'' the author credibly refutes several of the more prevalent theories about the bomb, demonstrating, for instance, that American officials were not aware of the effect radiation fallout would have on the inhabitants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Maddox has written one of the more level-headed critiques of the use of atomic bombs to end the Pacific War. . . . This is a well- written and significant book."—Pacific Historical Review

"[Maddox's] research is exhaustive, his logic is admirable, and his account is utterly convincing. . . . This is a good overview of how the decision was made to enter the atomic age. It is thorough, readable, accurate, and most welcome."—Florida Historical Quarterly

"Maddox has written a lean, well-focused, and tightly argued volume seen largely from the standpoint of American leaders who influenced the President's decision. The book is carefully documented and has a useful bibliography."—Parameters

Maddox has written a concise history of the American decision to drop nuclear bombs in Japan in August 1945. . . . Certainly, this is a book to be reckoned with."—Choice

"A vigorous defender of the traditional interpretation, namely, that the use of the bomb was inevitable in view of the war up to that point and necessary in view of Japanese internal politics, Maddox brings to bear considerable scholarly research. He is particularly scathing in documenting the errors of revisionists in handling historical evidence. A concise and convincing study."—Foreign Affairs

"Offers a clear overview of the events leading up to Hiroshima and the immediate aftermath. Maddox excels at setting context and identifying precise chronology, both vital in good diplomatic history."—Newsday-Fanfare

"Contrary to the arguments made by revisionist historians, Maddox shows that, based on the information available to Truman and American military leaders at the time, the dropping of the atomic bombs appeared a military necessity. . . . [Maddox] makes a well- reasoned contribution to the scholarly debate that reminds us of the political context in which Truman actually made his decision."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher