Prompt and Utter Destruction, Third Edition: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs against Japan

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 options available for ending the war with Japan. In this new edition, Walker incorporates a decade of new research — mostly from Japanese archives only recently made available — that provides fresh insight on the strategic cons...