内容简介
ThebombingofHiroshimawasoneofthepivotaleventsofthetwentiethcentury,yetthiscontroversialquestionremainsunresolved.Atthetime,GeneralDwightEisenhower,GeneralDouglasMacArthur,andchiefofstaffAdmiralWilliamLeahyallagreedthatanatomicattackonJapanesecitieswasunnecessary.AllofthembelievedthatJapanhadalreadybeenbeatenandthatthewarwouldsoonend.Wasthebombdroppedtoendthewarmorequickly?OrdiditheraldthestartoftheColdWar?Inhisprobingnewstudy,prizewinninghistorianRonaldTakakiexploresthesefactorsandmore.Heconsiderstheculturalcontextofrace-thewaysinwhichstereotypesoftheJapaneseinfluencedpublicopinionandpolicymakers-andalsoprobesthehumandimension.Relyingontopsecretmilitaryreports,diaries,andpersonalletters,Takakirelatesinternationalpoliciestotheindividualsinvolved:LosAlamosdirectorJ.RobertOppenheimer,SecretaryofStateJamesByrnes,SecretaryofWarHenryL.Stimson,andothers...butaboveall,HarryTruman.
作者简介
MygrandfatheremigratedfromJapantoworkonthecanefieldsofHawaiiin1886,andmymotherwasbornontheHawiPlantation.AsateenagergrowinguponOahu,Iwasnotacademicallyinclinedbutwasactuallyasurfer.Duringmysenioryear,ItookareligioncoursetaughtbyDr.ShunjiNishi,aJapaneseAmericanwithaPh.D.Iremembergoinghomeandaskingmymother,whoonlyhadaneighth-gradeeducation:"Mom,what'saPh.D.?"Sheanswered:"Idon'tknowbuthemustbeverysmart."Dr.Nishibecamearolemodelforme,andhearrangedformetoattendtheCollegeofWooster.Theremyfellowwhitestudentsaskedmequestionslike:"Howlonghaveyoubeeninthiscounty?WheredidyoulearntospeakEnglish?"TheydidnotseemeasafellowAmerican.IdidnotlookwhiteorEuropeaninancestry.Asascholar,IhavebeenseekingtowriteamoreinclusiveandhencemoreaccuratehistoryofAmericans,Chicanos,NativeAmericansaswellascertainEuropeanimmigrantgroupsliketheIrishandJews.Myscholarshipseeksnottoseparateourdiversegroupsbuttoshowhowourexperiencesweredifferentbuttheywerenotdisparate.Multiculturalhistory,asIwriteandpresentit,leadsnottowhatSchlesingercallsthe"disunitingofAmerica"butrathertothere-unitingofAmerica.