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.

Reviews

"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"