Atomic Tragedy

Sean L. Malloy is Assistant Professor in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts at the University of California, Merced.

Malloy rovides an important perspective on the continuing debate about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.... His study of Henry L. Stimson, who served as secretary of war during World War II, is valuable. Stimson, who was in his seventies during the war, was one of the Republican Party's most respected elder statesmen, having been in Hoover's and Taft's cabinets before. He was a deeply moral man who believed in the rule of law to keep international order. Yet despite his fervent belief in moral suasion, he succumbed to the allure of the atomic bomb—and all its attendant horrors—when presented with the possibility that the terrible war could be concluded through its use, even though at the expense of civilian life. Malloy's book... presents us with an updated and exceedingly insightful assessment of the aging statesman, perhaps no longer at the top of his game yet faced with one of our country's most challenging decisions during its most awful conflict. Malloy believes Stimson's decision to support the bomb went against his most cherished beliefs and was for many a disappointing conclusion to an outstanding career of public service.... This book is highly recommended for all collections.(Library Journal (starred review)) Sean L. Malloy's richly detailed, well-argued book is the latest addition to the growing literature on Stimson that offers a critical analysis of his role in what is arguably the most momentous U.S. defense and foreign policy decision of the modern era—to use nuclear weapons against Japan and as a diplomatic tool against the Soviet Union. Malloy's goal is daunting, especially in a relatively brief book, but he achieves it surprisingly well. Making extensive use of archival resources, Malloy employs the lens of biography to recapture Stimson's complicated relationship to the bomb and the context of its use.... This book is a well-written, informative, judicious account that will be useful to historians as well as policy analysts and ethicists.- Monroe H. Little (Journal of American History) Showing originality, Sean Malloy approaches the decision to use the bomb from the perspective of a key player, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, who had a record of opposition to indiscriminate attacks on civilians, evident misgivings about the prospective use of the atomic bomb, and concern about the implications of its use for future peace and security.- Lawrence D. Freedman (Foreign Affairs) Using the life and perspective of the erudite, elitist, loyal, compassionate, and complicated Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, to drive his narrative forward, Malloy examines the development of the bomb and the decision to use it. Anyone looking for a review of atomic bomb scholarship as well as a sense of the actual decision-making process will find Malloy's thoughtful and very accessible account both enlightening and thought provoking.... Atomic Tragedy is well worth the read.- Jonathan F. Phillips (Military History of the West)