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Wilson D. Miscamble

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The Most Controversial Decision: Truman, the Atomic Bombs, and the Defeat of Japan (Cambridge Essential Histories) Illustrated Edition

by Wilson D. Miscamble C.S.C. (Author)

86 ratings

Part of: Cambridge Essential Histories (19 books)

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This book explores the American use of atomic bombs, and the role these weapons played in the defeat of the Japanese Empire in World War II. It focuses on President Harry S. Truman's decision making regarding this most controversial of all his decisions. The book relies on notable archival research, and the best and most recent scholarship on the subject to fashion an incisive overview that is fair and forceful in its judgments. This study addresses a subject that has been much debated among historians, and it confronts head-on the highly disputed claim that the Truman administration practiced “atomic diplomacy.” The book goes beyond its central historical analysis to ask whether it was morally right for the United States to use these terrible weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It also provides a balanced evaluation of the relationship between atomic weapons and the origins of the Cold War.

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"Father Miscamble is a history professor at the University of Notre Dame and thus is at home with the theological and moral aspects surrounding the decision to unleash the world's first atomic bombs. He is also familiar with the political and military exigencies of the decision. He takes the reader carefully through the genesis of the bomb-building Manhattan Project, as planned by Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt originally for the bomb's use against Nazi Germany, and through the calculations of the key Allied decision makers, including Gen. George C. Marshall, the U.S. Army chief of staff, and Adm. William Leahy, the head of the Joint Chiefs." -Wall Street Journal

"This book, by the priest and cold war historian Wilson D. Miscamble, is a volume in the Cambridge Essential Histories series, which is (according to its statement of purpose) 'devoted to introducing critical events, periods or individuals in history … through thesis-driven, concise volumes.' Concise The Most Controversial Decision certainly is: it packs into its 150 pages discussions that other scholars have spent careers grappling with." -Barry Gewen, The New Republic

"In writing this book, Father Miscamble has done us a great service." -The Rev. Michael P. Orsi, The Washington Times

"Notre Dame profe ssor Wilson Miscamble has previously written about the blindly unforeseen handoff of the American government from Roosevelt to Truman on April 12, 1945, during the endgame of World War II. He now brings his wise and wide-ranging knowledge of the complicated decisions left for the American president at that time to one specific major decision: whether to drop the atomic bomb on Japan." -Jay Pasachoff, The Key Reporter

"Recommended." -Choice

Book Description

Addresses the reasons the atomic bombs were used against Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the role they played in Japan's surrender.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 18, 2011
Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 190 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521514193
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521514194
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches
Part of series ‏ : ‎ Cambridge Essential Histories
Best Sellers Rank: #9,124,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #281 in Nuclear Weapons & Warfare History (Books)
- #834 in Asian Politics
- #5,009 in World War II History (Books)
Customer Reviews:
86 ratings

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86 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book extremely informative and well-researched, with one review noting it provides a useful survey of existing literature. They appreciate its readability and content, with one customer describing it as a dispassionate review of the facts. The narrative quality receives positive feedback, with one customer highlighting its compelling argument.

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Knowledge Readability Content Narrative quality

14 customers mention "Knowledge"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book extremely informative and well-researched, with one customer noting it provides a useful survey of existing literature.

"...The summary is a good one, although like some critics I have found in journals, the chapter on "Necessary, but was it Right?" is at the..." Read more

"...Well presented and thorough." Read more

"...In so doing, he also offers a very useful survey of the existing literature on the topic...." Read more

"...But overall very informative and several of his sources are now on my reading list." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable.

"This is a great book and an important one in these days of PC, where whole generations have disassociated themselves from the reality of WWII and..." Read more

"Great book...." Read more

"...If you are truly interested in the history, this is a good book, though the writing isn't going to win a Pulitzer Prize...." Read more

"Very small print. Get a page magnifier. It is a good read." Read more

3 customers mention "Content"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the content of the book, with one review noting its dispassionate presentation of facts and thoughtful examination of events and situations.

"A thorough and dispassionate review of the facts leading up to the decision of President Truman to use the atomic bombs development by the USA to..." Read more

"Very thoughful review of the events and situations that lead to Harry Truman's decision to drop the Atomic bomb...." Read more

"CONCERNS WITH MORALITY, POLITICS AND HISTORY...." Read more

3 customers mention "Narrative quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative quality of the book, with one customer noting its compelling summary and another highlighting how it ended the war.

"...This volume by Wilson Miscamble provides a concise and compelling summary of the decision-making process...." Read more

"...but we know it worked and ended the war. What else is important?" Read more

"...very good job in gathering the facts, analysing them and reaching an appropriate conclusion." Read more

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HMS Warspite
An answer to the controversy...
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2020
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The U.S. use of atomic bombs to end the war with Japan in August 1945 remains controversial all these many years later. Many shelves of books dispute over the decision to use the bombs. This volume by Wilson Miscamble provides a concise and compelling summary of the decision-making process.

This short book traces the development of the atomic bomb against the background of the ongoing and extremely bloody struggle against the Empire of Japan and in the context of U.S. relations with its allies in 1945. Harry S. Truman's sudden and unexpected ascension to the Presidency in April 1945 put him in charge of the decision to use a weapon that he was previously unaware of. The author presents a summarized but compelling argument on the decision-making process, explicitly including its moral ramifications. In so doing, he also offers a very useful survey of the existing literature on the topic. Very highly recommended to the interested student of the conflict and of the atomic weapons.

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4 people found this helpful

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Peter Shire
A Clear View Of the End of WW II
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is a great book and an important one in these days of PC, where whole generations have disassociated themselves from the reality of WWII and what was needed to win. Extremely important to realize that in spite of the propaganda it is close to a certainty that FDR would have dropped the bomb on Germany had we had it in time, which puts the lie to the idea put forward by nay sayers that it was a racist action against the Japanese - which is only one of many misconceptions about the war. Recommended to everyone who is PC, and those who aren't who wish to clarify their arguments. Like Ike, it gets five stars.

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13 people found this helpful

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J. Mederson
Well sourced argument re the use of the atomic bombshell in WW2
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I am new to WW2 books so I came at this as a neophyte and am therefore unable to judge the merit of the arguments made. I can say, however, that this book is very well supported and even the New Republic agrees with much of what the author said. The one section of this book that I found lacking was the discussion of the morality of the decision to use the bombs. He had a clear bias going in and gives other arguments short shrift. Most concerning, however, was that he cited The Prince as support for his position - and I’m generally suspicious when people rely on Machiavellian arguments as support. But overall very informative and several of his sources are now on my reading list.

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Paul J. Goda
The summary is a good one, although like some critics I have found ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is a deliberately short book, in the Cambridge Essential Histories, written by an expert in Truman and the transition from Roosevelt to Truman, but self-avowedly dependent on other experts for the subject.

It is also admittedly written by a proponent of the traditional position on the decision to drop the atomic bomb. The summary is a good one, although like some critics I have found in journals, the chapter on "Necessary, but was it Right?" is at the least too short, at the most contradictory of his own tradition.

I agree that the author, although a Catholic priest, fails to deal with the morality issue well. It may be that the chapter is like the book, a summary. And certainly, quoting Machiavelli almost approvingly is bothersome. But most certainly, the author does not deal with the moral tradition of the Church at all.

The series is intended to be a textbook in college courses, intended to raise issues. The book does do that well.

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10 people found this helpful

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Beancounter
Not Controversial--Just Correct
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Great book. Debunked all of the anti-nuke crowd who even today would have preferred that we put millions of our guys at risk and continue to kill 100,000 Japanese nightly with carpet bombing as opposed to use of a nuclear weapon to stop the madness. I know there are those who will disagree (I guess it wouldn't be controversial if they didn't), but we know it worked and ended the war. What else is important?

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11 people found this helpful

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bob16307
The Most Controversial Decision
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2011
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This book should put to rest, once and for all, the revisionist views of the atomic bomb and its use. So many "Monday morning quarterbacks" put todays knowledge and information into the decision-makers of 1945. It can't and shouldn't happen. The lives saved by the use of the bomb - both American and Japanese is estimated to be in the area of 3 to 4,000,000. Human life is precious, but sometimes the lesser of two evils requires tough choices. Well presented and thorough.

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21 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer
President Truman Was Right
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2019
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
A thorough and dispassionate review of the facts leading up to the decision of President Truman to use the atomic bombs development by the USA to persuade the Japanese Government to cease hostilities and end WW II.

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3 people found this helpful

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Alan Weiss
Not A Blast
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2013
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This is a well-researched book on this controversial topic. I found the author to be unbiased and interesting in his views. Having read extensively on the war in the Pacific, I've never doubted the rationale to drop the bomb, especially if one considers the prevailing zeitgeist in the US. We seem to engage in revisionist history too often, usually led by people with no understanding of history, sociology, psychology, or even geography, who focus on applying contemporary mores and values to periods in which they did not and could not exist.

I doubt this is a "spoiler," but I'll warn you not to read on just in case you want to read the book to find out how the author feels. I came away with the understanding that the use of the atomic bomb was thought to be in the best interests of our nation at the time (nations operate solely in their best interests if they are to survive) and the author concurs. The Cold War as an aftermath is discussed, and from then to now no one has used atomic weapons again. If anyone does, no doubt it will be by terrorists trying to destroy everyone who doesn't agree with them.

If you are truly interested in the history, this is a good book, though the writing isn't going to win a Pulitzer Prize. If you already have your mind made up that we shouldn't have used the bomb, then I doubt you'll be open to these facts and arguments.

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20 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer
Five Stars
Reviewed in India on February 10, 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

fine n good, document of history

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Five Stars

Reviewed in India on February 10, 2018
fine n good, document of history

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