Atomic Tragedy: Henry L. Stimson and the Decision to Use the Bomb Against Japan [Hardcover]

Sean L. Malloy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0801446546 | ISBN-13: 978-0801446542 | Publication Date: May 2008 | Edition: 1St Edition

Atomic Tragedy offers a unique perspective on one of the most important events of the twentieth century. As secretary of war during World War II, Henry L. Stimson (1867-1950) oversaw the American nuclear weapons program. In a book about how an experienced, principled man faltered when confronted by the tremendous challenge posed by the intersection of war, diplomacy, and technology, Sean L. Malloy examines Stimson's struggle to reconcile his responsibility for "the most terrible weapon ever known in human history" with his long-standing convictions about war and morality.

Ultimately, Stimson's story is one of failure; despite his beliefs, Stimson reluctantly acquiesced in the use of the atomic bomb against heavily populated Japanese cities in August 1945. This is the first biography of Stimson to benefit from extensive use of papers relating to the Manhattan Project; Malloy has also uncovered evidence illustrating the origins of Stimson's commitment to eliminating or refining the conduct of war against civilians, information that makes clear the agony of Stimson's dilemma.

The ultimate aim of Atomic Tragedy is not only to contribute to a greater historical understanding of the first use of nuclear weapons but also to offer lessons from the decision-making process during the years 1940-1945 that are applicable to the current world environment. As the United States mobilizes scientists and engineers to build new and supposedly more "usable" nuclear weapons and as nations in Asia and the Middle East are replicating the feat of the Manhattan Project physicists at Los Alamos, it is more important than ever that policymakers and analysts recognize the chain of failures surrounding the first use of those weapons at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Editorial Reviews

Review

For decades, Henry L. Stimson's seminal role in the dawn of the nuclear age has demanded a serious study. With Atomic Tragedy, Sean L. Malloy has done more than fill this glaring gap. He has drawn a compelling, expertly researched, incisive, and balanced portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's secretary of war. This book merits a spot on the top shelf of essential works on nuclear history and transcends prior biographical treatments.'--James G. Hershberg, George Washington University, author of James B. Conant: Harvard to Hiroshima and the Making of the Nuclear Age

'Henry L. Stimson stood at the center of the maelstrom of world conflict at the middle of a century of unprecedented military destruction. Sean L. Malloy's Atomic Tragedy details how this principled secretary of war, drawing on Victorian codes of conduct, approached his military planning and policymaking role. Malloy's book not only makes compelling reading but also offers a vital reflection on the ways in which the world Stimson helped make is still very much with us.'--Michael D. Gordin, Princeton University, author of Five Days in August: How World War II Became a Nuclear War

'Sean L. Malloy has written a superb book. In these pages, he describes how Henry L. Stimson balanced his involvement in the use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki against his own standards of war, morality, and international relations. Malloy presents Stimson in light of what the Secretary of War himself consider the tragic destruction of these cities and adds a new dimension to the debate on the use of the atomic bomb at the end of the Pacific War.'--Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, University of California at Santa Barbara, author of Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman, and the Surrender of Japan'Atomic Tragedy is an incisive analysis replete with sparkling details. Sean L. Malloy takes the pioneering work of Barton Bernstein and Gar Alperovitz to the next level in a nuanced history that concisely summarizes and ultimately transcends the existing scholarship.'--Elizabeth Borgwardt, author of A New Deal for the World: America's Vision for Human Rights

'It is necessary to have this book now, just as we embark on yet another spasm of atomic expansion. Sean L. Malloy tells the reader about all the conflicting pressures on Henry L. Stimson and fits him in perfectly to his times and to ours. No one can come away from this book without a deep appreciation of the real meaning of Stimson's all-too-human struggles. Atomic Tragedy is a work to be reckoned with. ' ----Lloyd C. Gardner, Charles and Mary Beard Professor of History, Rutgers University --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

"It is necessary to have this book now, just as we embark on yet another spasm of atomic expansion. Atomic Tragedy is a book to be reckoned with; it tells the reader about all the conflicting pressures on Henry L. Stimson and fits him in perfectly to his times and to ours. No one can come away from this book without a deep appreciation of the real meaning of Stimson's all-too-human struggles."--Lloyd C. Gardner, Charles and Mary Beard Professor of History, Rutgers University

"Atomic Tragedy is an incisive analysis replete with sparkling details and shocking, newly discovered photographs of the immediate aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Sean L. Malloy takes the pioneering work of Barton Bernstein and Gar Alperovitz to the next level in a nuanced history that concisely summarizes and ultimately transcends the existing scholarship."--Elizabeth Borgwardt, author of "A New Deal for the World: America's Vision for Human Rights"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press; 1St Edition edition (May 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801446546
• ISBN-13: 978-0801446542
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,542,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sean L. Malloy is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of California, Merced. His publications have focused on the intersection between science, morality, and policy making in times of war. He is currently at work on a study of the internationalism of the Black Panther Party.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tragedy of Henry Stimson in Handling the First US A-bombs, November 27, 2008

By 

Dr. Hiroshi Maruta "heidi" (melbourne) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Atomic Tragedy: Henry L. Stimson and the Decision to Use the Bomb Against Japan (Hardcover)

This book tells us the very tragedy of a so human scholar from Harvard, Henry Stimson, who happened to serve as the Secretary for War towards the end of Pacific War (WWII), and eventually was forced by the "cheap" president Harry Truman, his surroundings (in particular James Byrnes, Secretary of State) and US military forces to sign the order to drop two A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in Japan where Henry loved and had many scholarly friends.

The US "official" reason for using these two A-bombs still remains to end this bloody war as soon as possible to save the life of so many American young soldiers for their invasion/occupation of Japan, but the "real" reason was to intimidate Josef Stalin of USSR by demonstrating the unprecedented destructive power of these A-bombs upon Japanese cities, in an attempt to block the invasion of USSR into East Europe towards the end of this war.

In other words, the bombs were used mainly to start the "Cold War", instead of hastening the end of WWII (saving American lives). The real force that hastened the end of war, the unconditional surrender of Japan was the "scheduled" invasion by USSR into Manchuria, China, on August 7, which took place between the US drop of two A-bombs (August 6 and 9) on Japanese cities, according to the secret agreement between FDR and Stalin (3 months after the surrender of Nazi-Germany in May 1945).

I believe if the "great" president FDR were still alive around June and August, 1945, FDR would listen carefully to Henry, and decide not to drop A-bombs on any cities. FDR knew very well that the Russian invasion into Manchuria would end immediately the great war. Unfortunately the history was not in favor of both Henry and the perished people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, simply because FDR died suddenly in April, 1945, a month before the surrender of Germany.

All American (in particular young people) should read this book to understand/learn their own history during the last "great" war correctly.

4 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Tendentious at best., January 1, 2010

By 

MITCHELL G. DAY "SON OF WWII VET" (LOS ANGELES,CA US OF A) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Atomic Tragedy: Henry L. Stimson and the Decision to Use the Bomb Against Japan (Hardcover)

Here we go again. America didn't drop the bombs to intimidate the USSR. We dropped the bombs to save American and Japanese lives. If we hadn't dropped them and instead invaded the home islands of Japan the U.S. would have lost upwards of 100,000 men. The Japanese would have lost tens of thousand per month from starvation alone. The Japanese gov't. had threatened to kill every one of the nearly 200,000 allied prisoners of war if there was an allied invasion (surely Henry Stimson would have known that).The Japanese would have lost millions of lives in protracted combat on their own soil. How many times do we have to point these things out before biased and anti-American "academics" quit trying to portray the Fascist mass murdering perpetrators of WWII as the victims??!!