Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II

Road to Surrender is a compelling account of the decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan during World War II, written by New York Times bestselling author Evan Thomas. It draws on new access to diaries to tell the story of three men involved in the decision-making process: Henry Stimson, Gen. Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, and Japanese Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo. Stimson, the American Secretary of War, had the ultimate responsibility for the decision, and he ultimately recommended dropping the bomb. Spaatz, the Army Air Force Commander, ordered the planes to take off, and Togo was responsible for convincing the emperor to surrender. Thomas uses the diaries of these three men to provide a compelling explanation of one of the great moral questions of 20th century history: was America right to drop the atom bomb on Japan? The book is an indispensable read for anyone who wants to understand the moral issues surrounding the use of great power.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 08 June 2023
Publisher: Elliott & Thompson Limited

‘A true page-turner. All About History, ☆☆☆☆☆ ‘Urgent, compulsively readable and powerfully resonant Sinclair McKay ‘You know Oppenheimer, the man who created the atomic bomb… Now meet the men who detonated it, and the extraordinary weight of their decisions… ‘Road to Surrender ‘ by New York Times bestselling author Evan Thomas is a riveting, immersive account of the agonizing decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan – a crucial turning point in World War II and geopolitical history. ‘At 9:20 a.m. on the morning of May 30, General Groves receives a message to report to the office of the secretary of war “at once.” Stimson is waiting for him. He wants to know: has Groves selected the targets yet? ‘So begins this suspenseful, impeccably researched history that draws on new access to diaries to tell the story of three men who were intimately involved with America’s decision to drop the atomic bomb—and Japan’s decision to surrender. They are ‘Henry Stimson, the American Secretary of War, who had overall responsibility for decisions about the atom bomb; ‘Gen. Carl ‘‘Tooey‘‘ Spaatz, head of strategic bombing in the Pacific, who supervised the planes that dropped the bombs; and ‘Japanese Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo, the only one in Emperor Hirohito’s Supreme War Council who believed even before the bombs were dropped that Japan should surrender. ‘Henry Stimson had served in the administrations of five presidents, but as the U.S. nuclear program progressed, he found himself tasked with the unimaginable decision of determining whether to deploy the bomb. The new president, Harry S. Truman, thus far a peripheral figure in the momentous decision, accepted Stimson’s recommendation to drop the bomb. Army Air Force Commander Gen. Spaatz ordered the Enola Gay to drop the bomb on Hiroshima, and the B-29s to drop the bomb on Nagasaki. ‘The decision to use the atomic bomb was a momentous one, and it has had far-reaching consequences. It has been argued that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary to end the war quickly and prevent a prolonged and bloody invasion of Japan. However, the bombings also resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and the long-term effects of radiation exposure have been devastating. ‘In this book, Evan Thomas explores the decision-making process that led to the use of the atomic bomb, and the impact that it has had on the world. He interviews key figures involved in the decision, including Stimson, Spaatz, and Togo, as well as other historians and experts. ‘Thomas argues that the decision to use the bomb was a mistake, and that it should not have been made. He points to the fact that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not necessary to end the war, and that there were other options available to the United States. ‘He also argues that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have had a lasting impact on the world, and that they have contributed to the rise of anti-American sentiment and the spread of nuclear weapons. ‘Thomas’s book is a powerful and thought-provoking read, and it will leave you with a new understanding of the decision to use the atomic bomb. It is a must-read for anyone interested in history, politics, or international relations. ‘In conclusion, ‘Road to Surrender ‘by New York Times bestselling author Evan Thomas is a riveting, immersive account of the agonizing decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan – a crucial turning point in World War II and geopolitical history. It draws on new access to diaries to tell the story of three men who were intimately involved with America’s decision to drop the atomic bomb—and Japan’s decision to surrender. It explores the decision-making process that led to the use of the bomb, and the impact that it has had on the world. It is a powerful and thought-provoking read, and it will leave you with a new understanding of the decision to use the atomic bomb. It is a must-read for anyone interested in history, politics, or international relations.

Weight: 590g
Dimension: 242 x 163 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781783967292