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Richard B. Frank

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Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire Hardcover – September 28, 1999

by Richard Frank (Author)

348 ratings

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"The publication of Richard Frank's long-awaited Downfall is an event of great importance, not only to historians but to the general public. No aspect of World War II is more controversial today than the use of atomic bombs against Japan in 1945. Some have argued that this act was cruel and unnecessary since Japan was on the verge of surrender. But by means of exhaustive      research and the employment of previously neglected and recently declassified sources, Frank proves in this definitive book that neither the Emperor nor the Japa-nese armed forces were anywhere close to surrendering in August 1945.

"In a stunning tour de force, Frank re-creates the end of the war, not as it seemed to people writing much later but as it appeared to American and Japanese decision makers at the time. Though the bomb was often seen as the worst possible means of ending the Pacific war, Frank establishes that its use was superior to all existing alternatives, and saved not only Allied lives but Japa-nese lives as well. Masterly in conception, brilliantly    reasoned, superbly researched, Downfall is all but impossible to put down.

"Anyone concerned with the moral, military, and political issues surrounding the end of the Pacific war must read this book."
   --William L. O'Neill, author of A Democracy at War

Downfall opens with a vivid portrayal of the catastrophic fire raid on Tokyo in March 1945--which was to be followed by the utter destruction of almost every major Japanese city--and ends with the anguished vigil of American and Japanese leaders waiting to learn if Japan's armed forces would obey the Emperor's order to surrender.

America's use of the atom bomb has generated more heated controversy than any other event of the whole war:

  Did nuclear weapons save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans poised to invade Japan?
  Did U.S. leaders know that Japan was urgently seeking peace and needed only assurance about the Emperor's safety to end the war swiftly?
  Was the bomb really used to intimidate the Russians?
  Why wasn't the devastating power of the weapon demonstrated first before being unleashed on a city?

Richard B. Frank has brought to life these critical times, working from primary documents, reports, diaries, and newly declassified records. These pages present the untold story of how American leaders learned in the summer of 1945 that their compromise strategy to end the war by blockade and bombardment, followed by invasion, had been shattered; radio intelligence had unmasked a massive Japanese buildup on Kyushu designed to turn the initial invasion into a bloody shambles. Meanwhile, the text and analysis of diplomatic intercepts depicted sterile prospects for negotiation before a final clash of arms. Here also, for the first time, is a full and balanced account of how Japan's leaders risked annihilation by gambling on a military strategy aimed at securing political bargaining leverage to preserve the old order in Japan.

Downfall replaces the myths that now surround the end of the war and the use of the bomb with the stark realities of this great historical controversy.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire is an impeccably written analysis of the last months of the Pacific War and the unfolding of the American air campaign over Japan. The story opens with a searing description of the fire-bombing of Tokyo in March 1945, which caused more deaths than the atom bomb in Hiroshima. Within five months, Japan's economy was collapsing and the country faced catastrophic starvation. Richard B. Frank coolly analyzes different scenarios for ending the war (Russia waited in the wings). Frank concludes that the emperor and the Japanese military were far from ready to surrender, and that the decision to use the atom bomb probably saved millions of lives, not only Allied but Japanese and other Asian lives, also--perhaps a hundred thousand Chinese were dying each month under Japanese occupation. The effects of the bomb worked on many levels, even lending faces to the Japanese militarists, who could convince themselves that they were defeated not by a lack of spiritual power but by superior science. Densely documented, intelligently argued, Downfall recreates the end of the war from the viewpoints of the principals, giving the book an unusual immediacy. A highly valuable insight into the disintegration of the Japanese Empire, one of the most dramatic episodes of World War II. --John Stevenson

From Library Journal

Few historical issues have generated as much controversy as the question of whether the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 was necessary to compel Japan's surrender. No single book can be expected to end such a heated debate, but Frank's masterly study of Japan's decision to surrender comes close to doing so. Based on extensive documentation from contemporary U.S. and Japanese diplomatic and military sources, it is the most authoritative treatment available of the end of the Pacific War. Frank (Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Campaign) emphasizes the enormous reluctance of Japan's military and civilian leaders even to consider, let alone accept, Allied demands for unconditional surrender prior to the atomic bombings. Skillfully weaving together the strands of military and diplomatic events, Frank contends that absent the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the war would have continued for at least several more months, at a cost in Japanese and Allied civilian and combatant lives far in excess of the admittedly awful toll that the atomic bombs exacted. A powerful work of history that belongs in all libraries.ASteven I. Levine, Univ. of Montana, Missoula
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The closing months of the Pacific theater in World War II remain a subject of controversy among historians, particularly those with political agendas. At the core of this controversy, of course, is the decision to drop the bomb. Was it truly a military decision, designed to save American lives by making unnecessary an invasion of the Japanese home islands? Or was it, rather, a cynical effort to pressure our Soviet "ally" into diplomatic concessions in Europe? Frank, a Vietnam veteran and military historian, has done a masterful job of recounting the closing months of the war while avoiding the trap of historical hindsight. He strives mightily to re-create the perceptions of American and Japanese military planners, diplomats, and politicians during the cauldron of violence on a massive scale. He places the bomb within the proper overall context of the air campaigns against Japan, and he also stresses the often-neglected effectiveness of the American naval blockade. This is a brilliant, strongly argued, but scrupulously fair examination of these brutal, horrifying, but critical months. Jay Freeman

From Kirkus Reviews

Military historian Frank (Guadalcanal, 1990) constructs a detailed history of the last months of the US war with Japan using both Japanese and American sources. Frank insists that events of the time be understood as they were perceived then, by both sides, not as they are now interpreted and judged. Using this method, Frank arrives at three conclusions: the US considered the use of atomic weapons not as extraordinary events but as part of a larger strategy of blockade and bombardment; not until after the use of atomic weapons did the Japanese indicate they were willing to surrender; and the use of atomic weapons was justified. The moral dimension of US actions was conditioned by the war in Europe and also by what was known of Japanese intentions. Devastating strategic bombing had taken place in Germany and continued in Japan. In March of 1945, up to 100,000 people perished in the firebombing of Tokyo. The use of atomic weapons was the culmination of strategic thinking, not a departure from it. On the Japanese side, according to that nations sources as well as US intelligence reports, while offers of a negotiated settlement were floated, there was still strong support among top leaders, including the emperor, for ketsu-go, a last ditch effort to resist an invasion of the Japanese main islands. Thus, on the US side there was a general certainty that an invasion of Japan would create large numbers of US casualties. Frank discusses in great detail these and other themes, and his defense of the use of atomic weapons is convincing. Still, his contention that both sides would have readily accepted the bombing had they known it would have led to two generations of peace and prosperity is a violation of his own method of describing events as they were seen then, and so is a disingenuous defense that allows him to ignore deeper moral questions raised by Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (maps, not seen) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for Guadalcanal

"Brilliant . . . an enormous work based on the most meticulous research. Here is everything you might want to know about Guadalcanal."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Richard Frank has produced what will surely become the standard history of the U.S. Navy's most important campaign. . . . A stunning debut by a major new talent in American letters."
--Tom Clancy

"Guadalcanal is a masterly account of what happened and why. . . . Books of this quality are rare, and Richard B. Frank should be commended for his authoritative  inaugural work."
--Chicago Tribune

"Mr. Frank's book is impressive in virtually all respects--a vividly and carefully crafted monument that is worthy of the Americans and Japanese who collided . . . on a little-known island named Guadalcanal."
--The New York Times Book Review

From the Inside Flap

blication of Richard Frank's long-awaited Downfall is an event of great importance, not only to historians but to the general public. No aspect of World War II is more controversial today than the use of atomic bombs against Japan in 1945. Some have argued that this act was cruel and unnecessary since Japan was on the verge of surrender. But by means of exhaustive research and the employment of previously neglected and recently declassified sources, Frank proves in this definitive book that neither the Emperor nor the Japa-nese armed forces were anywhere close to surrendering in August 1945.

"In a stunning tour de force, Frank re-creates the end of the war, not as it seemed to people writing much later but as it appeared to American and Japanese decision makers at the time. Though the bomb was often seen as the worst possible means of ending the Pacific war, Frank establishes that its use was superior to all existing alternatives, and s

From the Back Cover

Praise for Guadalcanal

"Brilliant . . . an enormous work based on the most meticulous research. Here is everything you might want to know about Guadalcanal."

--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Richard Frank has produced what will surely become the standard history of the U.S. Navy's most important campaign. . . . A stunning debut by a major new talent in American letters."
--Tom Clancy

"Guadalcanal is a masterly account of what happened and why. . . . Books of this quality are rare, and Richard B. Frank should be commended for his authoritative inaugural work."

--Chicago Tribune

"Mr. Frank's book is impressive in virtually all respects--a vividly and carefully crafted monument that is worthy of the Americans and Japanese who collided . . . on a little-known island named Guadalcanal."
--The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Richard B. Frank was born in Kansas in 1947. Upon graduation from the University of Missouri in 1969, he was commissioned in the United States Army, in which he served almost four years, including a tour of duty in the Republic of Vietnam as an aerorifle platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division. In 1976, he completed studies at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. The following year he began research on his first book, Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Campaign, which was published in 1990. He lives in Annandale, Virginia.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Tokyo Burns: Raid of March 9-10

"A silver curtain falling"

With the night came north winds, blowing bitter and cold across the uneasy city. By 8:00 p.m., great shuddering gusts, at 45 to 67 miles per hour, "violent as a spring typhoon," shoved against the wooden walls and pried at the doors and windows of the dwellings of Tokyo's 4.3 million citizens. Elsewhere, the winds toppled or jammed radar antennas and made mischief with communications. On the pitching seas to the south, picket-boats raised frantic alerts of many approaching bombers, but faulty radio reception--and faulty organization--muffled the alarms.

On radios throughout the capital, the voice of Hidetoshi Matsumura, the spokesman for Imperial General Headquarters, hailed the coming day, March 10, as Army Day. His oration ended in the weary cliché: "The darkest hour is just before dawn." His words had barely faded when, at 10:30 p.m., sirens sounded the long, steady wail warning of distant but potentially threatening aircraft. In contrast to the pervasive disorder that had invaded and overwhelmed all aspects of daily life in the capital, the air-raid alert system that roused many from mid-slumber was still respected for its efficiency. With electric lights forbidden after nightfall and cooking gas nonexistent, most families now habitually prepared and ate meals at twilight and then retired early. But even in repose, Tokyo's denizens remained partly dressed, usually in shapeless, loose monpe trousers.

Near midnight, coast watchers reported droning noises that were likely from B-29s. The listeners could speak with authority, for the dreaded Superfortresses--known to the Tokyoites as "bikko," "B-san," "Lord B.," "okyakusama" (visitors), and "regular mail"--had come many times to the capital, though only once at night, and never in such numbers or so low. Surprised and confused, civil-defense authorities hesitated, and the sirens did not exclaim the sharp, broken notes of the air-raid alarm, signifying an imminent attack, until 12:15 a.m. By then, bombs had been falling for seven minutes, and rusty red-yellow roses of flame already flowered across eastern Tokyo.

A Danish diplomat, Lars Tillitse, dutifully ventured outside to make sure that his property betrayed no light. A "terrific noise" assailed him as the four-motored bombers thundered by overhead. Another Western observer, Robert Guillain, was more exact: A B-29 passed with "an odd, rhythmic buzzing that filled the night with deep, powerful pulsation and made my whole house vibrate." Tillitse observed his neighbors erupting from their homes, animating the dark narrow streets, the men in helmets, everyone else in padded air-raid hoods. "Radios were going full blast and doors and windows were open, so that people in the street could keep informed," recalled Tillitse. "Already we could see fires."

Radios proclaimed the approach of another wave of bombers, and Tillitse stayed outside to watch. Energetic searchlight crews fanned the slender, probing white columns of their beams from horizon to zenith. As the diplomat gazed upward, six or seven times a bomber punctured a column of illumination, whereupon five or six other lights converged to hold it. Centered in an aura, the silvery body became the target for gunners, who sent shells skyward. But in each case, the shiny cross glided on unhurt. Then Tillitse heard the crowd cheer and swiveled his head to behold one B-29 alight. The whole body glowed red, but the plane continued its flight until, like lightning, white flames burst from the sides. Enveloped in fire, the Superfortress plummeted to the ground.

Everywhere across Tokyo, the night teemed with citizens scurrying from their houses clutching sleeping mats and carefully culled possessions--pots and pans and, above all, treasured hoards of rice and soya paste--seeking refuge. The entire city had only eighteen satisfactory concrete shelters, with a total capacity of five thousand, little more than one space for every thousand persons. The next-best shelters comprised the basements of the relatively few Western-style buildings, constructed to resist earthquakes, and some equally sparse cave shelters. But the mass of citizens lacked any adequate haven. Some families gathered in clothes cupboards within their homes, as the government recommended. Most citizens, however, headed for their bokugo, little holes that had been bored beside their houses or in the little ribbon of earth between street and sidewalk. These were typically crude, two to five meters long, one meter across, and one and one-half to two meters deep, covered with a roof made with a few poles, bamboo rafters, and a thin crust of earth. The citizens provided these rudimentary protections themselves, chanting "oh, one, two, oh, one, two" as they dug, around which many then planted flowers, and into which many a man or woman tripped, breaking bones.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 28, 1999
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 067941424X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679414247
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.75 x 9.75 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #351,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #57 in Japanese History (Books)
- #464 in World War II History (Books)
- #10,811 in American History
Customer Reviews:
348 ratings

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Richard B. Frank

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Richard B. Frank is a graduate of the University of Missouri (1969) and Georgetown University Law Center (1976). He served in the Vietnam War with the 101st Airborne Divisions as an aero rifle platoon leader. He is an independent scholar specializing in the Asia-Pacific War. In 1990, he published his first book Guadalcanal. It won the General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. Award for the best book about Marine Corps history that year. His second work, Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire, appeared in 1999. It won the Harry S. Truman Book Award and has been called one of the six best books in English about World War II by Dr. Gerhard Weinberg. Both Random House books became main selections of the History Book Club. In 2007, he completed MacArthur as part of the Palgrave Great Generals series.

Besides his numerous appearances on television and radio, he was a consultant for the epic HBO miniseries, “The Pacific.” He serves on the Board of Presidential Councilors of the U.S. National World War II Museum, including a term as head of that body. He is the principal historical consultant for the museum’s major exhibit titled “The Road to Tokyo.” He is currently working on a narrative history trilogy covering the entire Asia-Pacific War 1937-1945 for W.W. Norton & company. It is the first work in any language to give balanced coverage to not only the maritime war between Japan and the US, but also the continental conflict that ranged across Asia. It further explores how this war shaped the world of the twenty-first century. The first volume of the trilogy, Tower of Skulls, covering the period July 1937 to May 1942, will be published on March 3, 2020. It has received starred reviews in both Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly.

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Customers say

Customers find this book packed with well-researched information and appreciate its riveting narrative. Moreover, the writing is clear and objective, with one customer noting how it provides a balanced perspective on the subject. Additionally, customers praise its readability and educational value, with one review highlighting how it takes readers back to the mindset of the time.

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49 customers mention "Information quality"48 positive1 negative

Customers praise the book's well-researched content and excellent scholarly analysis, describing it as very detailed and packed with information.

"...They would rather be social media fed. If you read this well researched and annotated book, along with biographies of Harry Truman, Nimitz, MacArthur..." Read more

"...of the end of the war with Japan this is the book for you; very well researched." Read more

"Excellent scholarly analysis of the end of the war in the Pacific...." Read more

"Very informative and worth the read for me, though you need to be ready for a boatload of numbers and stats." Read more

30 customers mention "Readability"28 positive2 negative

Customers find the book an impressive and fascinating read, particularly noting its value for those interested in history.

"...to present the next generation with "their world war." A very good book." Read more

"It was a good read. Also informative of how the air war was implemented. Wroth the price of admission. Paul sends" Read more

"...Good book." Read more

"This is a wonderful read on several levels. First it really takes one back to the mind set of those in the historical events discussed...." Read more

11 customers mention "Educational value"10 positive1 negative

Customers find the book educational, with one customer noting it provides critical insights into decision-making processes, while another highlights its evidence-based approach.

"...so many interesting and yet forgotten facts, figures and allegations supported by evidence...." Read more

"...His book contains several salient lessons that are valuable to students of the period and general readers alike...." Read more

"...If you're looking for one of the best scholarly works on the end of World War II in the Pacific, this is your book...." Read more

"...clear about presenting "who knew what when" which is critical for histories offdecisionmaking ...." Read more

9 customers mention "Clarity"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's clarity and objectivity, with one customer specifically noting how it provides a detailed explanation of Operation Downfall.

"...Throughout, he examines the decision-making processes of the various leaders on all sides (primarily Japanese and American) at the time...." Read more

"...Avoids getting preachy, just sticks to being authoritative and is impeccably well researched and presented...." Read more

"...; But Frank's was able to tell me things I already knew in a very logical, readable way. :::..." Read more

"This is an objective, fair and data-packed book which gives insight into what the United States military command knew about the Japanese state of..." Read more

9 customers mention "Readable"7 positive2 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one mentioning it is well-annotated and another noting it is presented in a surprisingly easy-to-follow manner.

"...war's bitter reality crystal clear, and are strikingly emotional and well told, but they unfortunately do not elucidate the thinking of the main..." Read more

"...'s was able to tell me things I already knew in a very logical, readable way. :::..." Read more

"...through incredibly in-depth research presented in a surprisingly easy-to-follow manner given how complex this all was...." Read more

"...It is not exactly an easy read if your looking for a leisurely book to read...." Read more

9 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive1 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as well-written and a marvelous exegesis.

"Well written. Contains information that was not available to most who wrote about the atomic bomb in the years shortly after the war...." Read more

"A marvelous exegesis that responds to the revisionists who believe that Japan was prepared to accept unconditional surrender without the use of the..." Read more

"...Not only is he thorough, but his writing is tight and interesting...." Read more

"...He's writing the facts and trying to bring together seemingly-disparate pieces of information into a coherent storyline that unveils a great deal..." Read more

8 customers mention "Narrative quality"7 positive1 negative

Customers praise the riveting narrative of the book, with one customer highlighting its excellent summary of the Pacific War.

"...I love how the narrative discusses the increased tempo at the end of the Pacific campaign...." Read more

"...Perhaps most importantly, he makes perhaps the most compelling arguments I've ever read or heard regarding why decisions the US made were more often..." Read more

"...Despite the difficult presentation, he amply supports his conclusions about the last days of the Empire of Japan in WWII...." Read more

"...of history -- scholarly, well-annotated and, surprisingly, a riveting narrative of one of the most important periods of WWII...." Read more

5 customers mention "Elucidation"4 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the book's elucidation, with one review noting its balanced approach and another highlighting its inside look into the thinking on both sides of the conflict.

"...It gives you an inside look into the thinking on both sides...." Read more

"...considered it "pro" bomb drop - was in my mind, balanced on the subject...." Read more

"Finely researched & argued; tedious presentation..." Read more

"...strikingly emotional and well told, but they unfortunately do not elucidate the thinking of the main actors on this historical stage...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

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Wayne A. Smith
Excellent. Should Settle Debate on How US Ended War
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2001
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Richard Frank has produced one heck of a piece of history and historical analysis with "Downfall." His book examines the end of World War II in the Pacific from a policy perspective. In this superb treatise, he seeks to answer the questions surrounding our strategy to end the war, including the change in air bombardment strategy culminating with incendiary attacks on Japanese urban areas as well as the decision to use atomic weapons. This is also the story of the end of the war, focusing on how the diplomatic, governmental and military players felt their way toward the cessation of hostilities. He pays particular attention to the situation in Japan, which is fascinating reading. Planning for our invasion (operations Olympic and Coronet) of the home islands, as well as Japanese defense strategies and preparations are covered. He gives background of Japan's suicide weapons programs, the Manhattan project and a host of other historical occurrences associated with the time. Not only is he thorough, but his writing is tight and interesting. This is a book any history fan will both thoroughly enjoy and praise as a piece of scholarship. Franks is meticulous in his research and presentation of evidence. Using American sources (including ULTRA and MAGIC cryptology reports) as well as Japanese, he conducts his analysis from the vantage point of what decision makers on both sides understood as facts and assumptions contemporaneously to their actions. This is significant because so many of these type of "did they get it right" books fail to separate hindsight when critiquing events of the past. I have read a fair amount of World War II history and was impressed with the new information developed by the author. This is true particularly surrounding the situation and assessments on the Japanese side. In "Downfall," the author is successful in taking the reader into the inner councils of Japanese leadership, including the Emperor. I arrived at this book already convinced that Truman made the right decision in dropping the bombs. Franks analysis supports this position. Throughout his book, he buttresses his case by demolishing arguments made over the last several decades that the Japanese would have surrendered without the atomic bombs or that casualty figures relating to the invasion of Japan were wildly overestimated. Much of this revisionist thinking has focused on discrete pieces of MAGIC or ULTRA communications or the actions of individual Japanese diplomats overseas. Franks takes more than a few of these counter-arguments head on and demonstrates that the data upon which they rest is either taken out of context, contradicted by much more contemporary evidence, or did not originate from a policy maker that mattered. Frank's basic conclusion, for which he leaves no doubt through his evidentiary presentation, is that the Japanese would not have surrendered absent the two atomic bombings. Even after Hiroshima, critical Japanese decision-makers thought our country only possessed one bomb and/or that we could not stomach another attack. American leadership also believed that we faced huge losses among US troops through a direct attack on the Home Islands. Even had the invasions been successful, the experience on Saipan and Okinawa foretold huge casualties among a fanatical Japanese civilian population, and a corresponding large loss of our soldiers. It was also very unclear that the million plus Japanese soldiers who were in Burma, China, Indo-China and many islands in the Pacific (and inflicting tens of thousands of casualties per month on civilians - primarily Chinese), would have surrendered even had the Home Islands been wrestled from the Imperial Army. There was a real possibility, as Sec. of Defense Stimson noted, that we faced "twenty Okinawas" even after the successful battle for Japan proper. Truman saved not only many American lives, but also Japanese and Asian lives.
Franks demonstrates that, even in hindsight, American leadership could not have made more appropriate decisions than those made at the time to meet our objectives of 1). bringing the war to a speedy conclusion, 2). minimizing American casualties 3). minimizing other casualties, and 4). ensuring that Japan would not rise, like Germany after WWI, to present the next generation with "their world war." A very good book.

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Narut Ujnat
Interesting, vital reading over ignored and forgotten history.
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I have read more than a few books lately about the Japanese Empire and World War II. The end of the war has been of particular interest because of the constant discussion of the atomic bombs.

This book was recommended to me and I was immediately grabbed by the introduction and the rest of the narrative. The author has a point of view, which is the decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan was a necessary decision. The decision was one of the best given the horrible alternatives.

The book brings forth so many interesting and yet forgotten facts, figures and allegations supported by evidence. I love how the narrative discusses the increased tempo at the end of the Pacific campaign. The book is just simply terrific in discussing details that the "humanity' crowd just forgets to make their points.

The ferocity of the campaigns in Saipan, Iwo Jima and then Okinawa most certainly brought clarity to the intensity of an invasion. The movement of Japanese forces to the expected landing grounds, the training of civilians to fight. As well, the conduct of the Japanese in using slave laborers, the prospect of millions of casualties and the uncertainty of Soviet intentions.

Frank discusses the disagreements over the possible courses of action and the stalemate of LeMay's campaign over Japan. Frankly, the argument of indiscriminate civilian bombing wasn't ever true and ignores the Japanese industrial degeneration into neighborhoods. Moreover, the concern was, unlike Germany, the island nation could easily be bombed into mass starvation.

This book pulls no punches in the descriptions of just what confronted Truman in July 1945 after Trinity. The fact of the matter is that this was a fateful decision like few others. It seems after reading this book and others that the decades past have brought more discomfort about the use of "the bomb" than could have been possible when it happened. The strategic campaign over Japan was massive and destructive. It seems that the revisionists revile "the bomb" but forget the firebombings (except for the March '45 raid) that consistently brought death and destruction without the effects of radiation (which were largely unknown at the time - another aspect forgotten as if the science was a known quantity).

As well, the Japanese leadership wanted to maintain fighting. Forgotten in the post-war years was how the leadership of Japan lied to its people, maintained the attitude of racial superiority and the resultant belief on the Empire as sacrosanct such that surrender was unthinkable. The incredible end of the war has been ignored and forgotten - coups and infighting. Plus, the assumption that Japan today is anything similar to 1945 (wrong) and was a democratic state. Fascinating.

Truly, this is a great book to read. The debate will continue, but this is a necessary read for those interested. As well I recommend Richard Rhodes book as well.

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Captain Bin
Facts and More Facts and Secrets Made Public
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Well written. Contains information that was not available to most who wrote about the atomic bomb in the years shortly after the war. Secret information along with the emperor's writings about the war were available to the author and he used those sources very well.

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Top reviews from other countries

Edgar R Wagner
Downfall. The end of Imperial Japan in 1945. Richard B Frank
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2020
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Excellent. It is a detailed breakdown of opposing forces after Okinawa and the events leading up to the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945. There is also an analysis of whether there was any alternative to the dropping of the Atom Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For what it is worth, after having read a few books on the subject, viz Rising Sun by John Toland, The Fleet at Flood Tide by James Hornfischer, and Twighlight of the Gods by Ian Toll, as well as this one by Richard Frank, all superb history books, I think that both President Truman and Emperor Hirohito, and the people advising them, as well as Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur, by and large took the right decisions during those final moments of World War II in the Pacific and its immediate aftermath.

As a criminal defence lawyer used to seeing plenty of lying and sifting through the evidence, I, personally, would quibble with the analysis that it was the Atomic Bombs that ended the war. The account and time-line given by Ian Toll in Twighlight of the Gods is worth looking at. On 6 August 1945 Little Boy is dropped on Hiroshima. It was an absolutely flawless operation. At 11.00 PM on 8 August 1945 the Soviet Union declares war on Japan. On or around the first minutes of 9 August 1945 Soviet forces attack on all fronts and are often very successful. For months Soviet forces had been transferred from Europe to the Far East, and had been massing on the frontiers of Japan / Sakhalin / the Kurile Islands and Japanese occupied China / Manchuria.

At a normal time for holding a meeting, in the morning of 9 August 1945 there is a meeting of the Japanese Supreme War Direction Council. The Big Six, were split evenly between those who wanted to accept the Potsdam Declaration with the sole condition that the institution of the Emperor remain and those who wanted a negotiated peace in effect similar to the Armistice of 1918. At 11.30 AM they are told that a second Atom Bomb had been dropped on Japan, this time on Nagasaki. This piece of news changed nothing. The view appears to me to be that the first wave of Americans hitting the beaches can be held and American casualties in the ensuing battle for Kyushu would be so high that American morale would crack and a negotiated peace a la 1918 could be achieved. On what I have read, particularly in Downfall by Richard Frank, this analysis by the Japanese military is almost certainly correct.

At some point on 9 August 1945 Prime Minister Suzuki and Foreign Minister Togo, both members of the Supreme War Council, find out about the Soviet invasion. It seems likely to me that it was after that first meeting in the morning by the Supreme Council. Communications in 1945 will have been slow.

That first meeting breaks up and Imperial Headquarters is abuzz with the news from China. Presumably, it is in the early part of the afternoon on 9 August 1945 that all the members of the Supreme War Council find out about the Soviet attack.

I find it hard to believe that Emperor Hirohito and Marquis Kido were not informed of the Soviet attack. Any records saying otherwise are, I think, wrong. In this I am much more sceptical than Richard Frank, who thinks that the ensuing discussions of the Supreme War Council did not include a really detailed discussion of the Soviet entry into the war and what its effect would be on Japan. Of course they discussed it. Yes, it was decided to blame the Atom Bombs for the need to surrender, but the results of the early morning meeting belie the analysis that Japan surrendered because of the Atom Bombs. The decision to surrender was unanimous and it was taken late at night on the ninth of August 1945 / early hours of 10 August 1945, in effect some 24 hours after the Soviet attack had started and well after it was clear to Prime Minister Suzuki, and, presumably, the other members of the Supreme War Council, plus Emperor Hirohito and Marquis Kido, that "the game was up" for Japan, with potentially severe adverse consequences for Japan. They will of course have known that all the best troops from China were now on Kyushu facing the Americans. Japan was wide open to invasion from the north by the Soviets.

Credit where credit is due. Emperor Hirohito was, I think, superb. He was intelligent and humane and courageous. There is no way Japan would or could have surrendered any earlier. They had a tiny window of opportunity in which to surrender, and Emperor Hirohito got it absolutely spot on.

Ian Toll appears to me to suggest that the dropping of the second Atom Bomb on Nagasaki was not necessary, whilst Richard Frank says it was. I am inclined to agree with those who think that Nagasaki added nothing to the strategic situation and if the mission had been aborted or, indeed, never started, it might have been better for everybody, not least for those Japanese who were killed, but also for USA - Japanese relations in the future.

On page 118 Richard Frank writes that the third and fifth fleets, operating jointly for the first time, would support Olympic [the invation to invade Kyushu on 1 November 1945]. I think that is a mistake. There was just the one Pacific Fleet called the Third Fleet when Admiral Halsey commanded it and the Fifth Fleet when Admiral Spruance commanded it. The two admirals and their respective teams rotated in their command of that one and the same fleet throughout the war in the Pacific.

To sum up, Downfall by Richard Frank is excellent, definitely worth buying and reading.

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David I. Walker
Highly Recommended - Tells some harsh truths about August 1945 , that should be better known ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is ONE of the THE VERY BEST books I have ever read on the End of the Pacific War ( along with ' Hell to Pay' by D.M. Giangreco )
In this book you read that the Japanese Military by NO MEANS considered themselves beating in August 1945 - and to the horror of planners and invasion commanders for the Invasion of Kyushu in Novemeber 1945 , Magic indicated in June and July that the Japanese were sending massive reinforcements to Kyushu, from Honshu, Hokkaido, Korea, and elsewhere. By the end of July the number of Japanese troops defending the island had risen to 535,000. Moreover, the identification of two army headquarters in the south—only one in the north—indicated the Japanese expected the invasion to come at the exact place where American planners had targeted the amphibious landings to occur.
As one of the foremost historians of the Pacific War, Edward J. Drea, described the situation by the end of July: "From the U.S. point of view, the odds were swinging against them: the defenders would soon equal or outnumber the attackers. This was, as[MacArthur's chief of intelligence, Major General Charles A.] Willoughby candidly put it, 'hardly a recipe for success.'"
I would recommend this book highly to anyone .

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chasmack
Detailed look at the run up to the end of war in pacific
Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Arrived slightly damaged. Interesting read.

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The Silent Hero
Well written coverage about the end of WW2
Reviewed in Canada on December 31, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
While the end of Nazi Germany, Hitler, and the Holocaust have been given extensive coverage over the years, this book covers the final months of the war on the other side of the world, against an empire no less murderous or fanatical.

The author has a point of view and sticks to it. He argues, convincingly in my opinion, that the nukes were the best and moral option available to the Americans for ending the war. One thing the author repeatedly puts to rest is the myth that the Japanese were on the edge of surrender. While their leadership all agreed the war should end, they also thought they could hold out for better terms. The influential army faction assumed (reasonably) that the American people could not tolerate a long and bloody invasion campaign. As such, they didn't need to defeat the invaders, just rack up a suitable death toll. Thanks to Allied code-breaking, the American leaders knew all of this, and thus had no qualms about using nukes as an alternative to a massive campaign. As it was, discussion of surrender actually didn't begin, openly, until the second bomb.

Some chapters are rather dry, such as those detailing the troop dispositions for the Americans and Japanese. But most were thrilling and engrossing, particularly those where he takes us into the Japanese high command, a mere handful of people, and their deliberations in the summer of 1945. The chapters on traditional firebombing, Curtis LeMay, and the naval blockade were terrific also and makes you appreciate the tragedy of the war. The chapters on Japan's attempt to open diplomacy with the USSR were also very good.

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David Garon
Dense but fascinating
Reviewed in Canada on October 21, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Dense but fascinating coverage of the process by which Japan reached surrender. Perhaps most interesting is his discussion of the significance of "Ultra" versus "Magic" (military versus diplomatic) intercepts and his detailed description of the declining state of Japan's social and economic organization in the months leading up to the use of the atomic bombs. A scholarly tour-de-force.

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Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire Hardcover – September 28, 1999

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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. Should Settle Debate on How US Ended War

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, vital reading over ignored and forgotten history.

5.0 out of 5 stars Facts and More Facts and Secrets Made Public

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5.0 out of 5 stars Downfall. The end of Imperial Japan in 1945. Richard B Frank

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended - Tells some harsh truths about August 1945 , that should be better known ...

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed look at the run up to the end of war in pacific

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written coverage about the end of WW2

4.0 out of 5 stars Dense but fascinating

Excellent. Should Settle Debate on How US Ended War

Interesting, vital reading over ignored and forgotten history.

Facts and More Facts and Secrets Made Public

Downfall. The end of Imperial Japan in 1945. Richard B Frank

Highly Recommended - Tells some harsh truths about August 1945 , that should be better known ...

Detailed look at the run up to the end of war in pacific

Well written coverage about the end of WW2

Dense but fascinating