Unconditional surrender, red scare: Why US dropped atomic bombs on Japan

With the Red Army suddenly deep into Manchuria, Japanese leaders were weighing evaporating options when the second bomb incinerated Nagasaki

Book Review 

UNCONDITIONAL

The Japanese Surrender in World War II

By Marc Gallicchio

Every August, newspapers are dotted with stories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, accompanied by a well-picked-over — but never resolved — debate over whether atomic bombs were needed to end the Asia-Pacific war on American terms. What is left to learn 75 years (and with so much spilled ink) later? For Mark Gallicchio, the answer is in the domestic politics of the United States and Japan, which drive a narrative that unwinds less like a debate than a geopolitical thriller.

“Unconditional” offers a fresh perspective on how the decision