Hiroshima and the Historians: Debating America's Most Controversial Decision

by Kenneth B. Pyle

The decision to use atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been considered the most important – and perhaps most controversial - event in twentieth-century history. It ushered in many of the major developments of our the end of World War II, the beginning of the atomic age, the establishment of the American world order, and the start of the Cold War arms race. Kenneth B. Pyle illuminates both the complexities of the event itself and the debates among historians that continue today, as they wrestle with the moral issues of the decision, its necessity and its alternatives. While producing no final resolution to the controversy, historians have nevertheless advanced and deepened our understanding of this event. This accessible and thought-provoking analysis is a case study in the intricate nature of the historian's craft and a reminder of the value of historians in a free society.

286 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2024

About the author

Kenneth B. Pyle is Henry M. Jackson Professor Emeritus of History and International Studies at the University of Washington and the author of Japan Rising and the classic textbook The Making of Modern Japan. He was for many years director of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. The founding president of the National Bureau of Asian Research, Pyle received the Order of the Rising Sun, Japan’s most prestigious honor, and created the Journal of Japanese Studies, the most important journal in the field.

Reviews

[Alex DG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read, loved the mentioning information about the historians to consider their context. Some interesting topics mentioned:
-the Imperial Household has the Emperor’s diary which has not been shared
-‘One prominent historian-turned political scientist observed in 2013 that “it’s in fact very hard to get a decent academic job if you do military history of any sort”’
-All the little choices people made that made this outcome happen, yet it was not up to them the bomb dropping. Those working on the bomb expecting it to be dropped on Germany, not Japan, for example.
-Russia picking up 700,000 Japanese prisoners to take to labour camps in the days between the two bombs dropping
-the whole Smithsonian controversy

[Benji Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful synthesis of the historiography of the decision to drop the bomb. Deeply researched and wide-ranging.

Pyle is very good at condensing vast works into their most essential parts, and has a knack for picking out the most important quotes and turns of phrase. The book runs about 270 pages, but it is a breezy read.

Pyle falls in the revisionist camp, but gives a very fair hearing to the orthodox side, especially his treatment of Richard Frank’s defense of the bomb.

Pyle told me over email that “the culprit [of the decision to drop the bombs] was FDR's policy of unconditional surrender. We should have negotiated with Japan and assured them that they could keep the Emperor.”