|
Amy
Syracuse
June 26,
2008
Annotated
Bibliography
This writer
contends that the droppings of the atomic
bombs were needed in order to end World War II and defeat the
Imperialist Japanese into unconditional surrender. This writer will be
using information on the major battles fought between America and Japan,
how the Japanese acted, the idea of the atomic bomb, and the creation of
the actual bomb.
Cohen, Daniel. The Manhattan Project.
Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, 1999.
Cohen discusses the people and events involved in
the research, development and actual dropping of the atomic bombs built
by the United States. He tells the story from the idea that led to the
project up to the actual droppings and all the stuff that went on in
between. This monograph is written very clearly and is at an adult
level. This book relates to this writer’s research topic in that it has
information pertaining to the building of the bomb and the story behind
it. Cohen delivers his information with the help from primary and
secondary sources.
Walker, Stephen. Shockwave: Countdown to
Hiroshima. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005.
This book is the story of the three weeks prior to
the dropping of the atomic weapons, as seen through the eyes of the
pilots, victims, scientists, and world leaders at the center of the
drama. Interviews with American and Japanese witnesses tell the story of
the bombing of Hiroshima; including the copilot, who writes a
minute-by-minute diary on board the Enola Gay and the atomic scientist
who arms the bomb in midair with a screwdriver. This relates to this
writer’s research because it delivers first hand information on the
subject of the weapons and the events that took place in the lives of
different people in those three weeks before the world changed forever.
Gonzales, Doreen. The Manhattan Project and the
Atomic Bomb: In American History. New Jersey: Enslow Publishers,
Inc., 2000.
Gonzales examines the creation of the atomic bomb
and its place in the history of World War II. Accenting on the personal
stories of the people behind the development of atomic supremacy, she
presents the political, scientific, and social issues surrounding the
bomb, and looks at today’s issues about living in a world with nuclear
weapons. This offers help to this writer’s research topic by presenting
a lot of facts that went into the entire idea of the bomb and the
possibility of its creation. Also, it shows how people were affected by
it at the time and even in the present day. Gonzales also touches on
the subject of how the creation of the atomic weapon is more than just a
lesson in history, but how it is one of the most fascinating stories of
our time.
Walker, J. Samuel. prompt & utter destruction:
Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan. North Carolina:
The University of North Carolina Press, 2004.
This book discusses why America used atomic bombs
against Japan in 1945. Walker looks at the reasons behind President
Truman’s most controversial decision. Outlining what was known and not
known by American leaders, he also evaluates the roles of the United
States relations with the Soviet Union, and of American domestic
politics. Walker uses recent academic work on the topic of the Japanese
decision to surrender. This book is useful to this writer’s research
subject since it goes into the ideas of the time before the bomb was
dropped. Walker takes a look at the motives behind Truman’s ultimate
conclusion.
Tanaka, Yuki. Hidden Horrors. Colorado:
Westview Press, 1996.
This book discusses for the first time hidden
Japanese violence in World War II, including cannibalism, the slaughter
and starvation of prisoners of war, rape, and enforced prostitution.
Tanaka unveils the mysteries and evilness that occurred during the war
in the Pacific. Many people who have not studied the subject of the
bombs do not realize the awfulness of the Japanese. This book tells the
truth and will be helpful in this writer’s research for that very
purpose. Most people think the Japanese were just innocent little
victims, but do not realize the atrocities that took place. Tanaka did
his research and wrote this book very well. It is at an adult level and
contains disturbing events.
Parker, R.A.C. The Second World War: A Short
History. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Parker writes about the complete and engrossing
history of the war. He examines the causes of the war, how it was won
and lost, and the ultimate consequences left on humanity. He describes
the decisive battles and evaluates the reason for their outcome, paying
more attention to special features of the war, one of those being
nuclear bombing. This book has information on different battles that
involved the United States and the Japanese. As well as the last few
battles that ultimately helped make the decision to end the war by means
of dropping these massive weapons. The information from this book will
help this writer’s research by going into details of major events.
Parker uses a neutral view-point, which is beneficial not having a
one-sided opinion.
Sulzberger, C. L. World War II. Canada:
American Heritage Press, 1970.
Sulzberger examines how a war that lasted only six
years produced the biggest armies, the longest battle lines, the most
devastating weapons of any war and how it inflicted more suffering. He
takes a look at how it put close to seventy million people in a uniform
and killed over thirty-five million, including civilians. His aim is to
cover the essential history of one of the greatest human tragedies and
to re-create a feeling of what it meant to the people who lived it.
With Sulzberger focusing on major events that took place; this book
helps this writer’s research by having good information on the Japanese
Army during the War and different battles that involved them. As well
as how the Americans closed in on Japan and ended the emperor’s reign.
Yahara, Hiromichi. The Battle for Okinawa.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995.
Colonel Yahara was the executor of the entire
Japanese defense during the bloody military encounter which lasted from
April to July 1945, the last battle in the Pacific. It was Yahara who
proposed a war of attrition, and he was the only high-ranking officer to
leave Okinawa without committing suicide. In this exciting book, Yahara
presents a viewpoint of this battle from the Japanese. Lieutenant Frank
B. Gibney, of the United States Navy, recounts his viewpoint of the
Battle of Okinawa. This will help this writer since it is two different
view points on the same battle, from the Japanese side it will have
information that the American side did not.
Murray, Williamson and Allan R. Millett. A War
to be Won: Fighting the Second World War. Massachusetts: The
Belknap of Harvard, 2000.
Murray and Millett analyze the operations and
tactics that defined the conduct of the war in both the European and
Pacific Theaters. Moving between the war room and the battlefield, they
show how strategies were crafted and revised, and how the huge number of
combat troops struggled to fulfill their orders. The authors present the
military leaders, on both sides, demonstrating the uncertainty they
faced, the opportunities they took, and the ones they missed. Throughout
the book, they discuss the relationship between the actual operations of
the war and their political and moral involvement. This book will help
this writer understand better how the Japanese empire fell and how the
dropping of the bombs effected their decision to surrender.
Bradley, James and Ron Powers. Flags of Our
Fathers. New York: The Bantam Dell Publishing Group, 2001.
Bradley draws on documents left by his father to
retrace the lives of his father and the men of Easy Company. Following
these men’s paths to Iwo Jima, Bradley has written of the heroic battle
for the Pacific’s most crucial island, an island covered with Japanese
tunnels and over twenty thousand fanatic defenders who would fight to
the last man. This book discusses what it was like on the island from
start to finish. It is the difference between truth and myth. This
book will help this writer’s research because it is the first hand
accounts of how the Japanese were malicious and the mentality they had.
From the standpoint of a gruesome battle and how the Japanese were not
going down without a fight, no matter what it took.
Sigal, Leon V. “Bureaucratic Politics & Tactical
Use of Committees: The Interim Committee & the Decision to Drop the
Atomic Bomb.” Polity 10.3 (1978):236-364.
Sigal brings attention to the largely neglected
role of committees in the decision-making process. He analyzes events
leading to the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. He shows how
various types of committees were used to create an agreement. He also
uses Graham Allison’s “bureaucratic politics” model to support his
ideas. This will help this writer’s research topic by opening up a
different aspect that went into the ultimate decision. With Sigal
taking an in-depth look at the roles that the committees played shows
another side of things. It will be useful to understand how they viewed
it and their contributions rather than just the scientists and military.
Bernstein, Barton J. “Roosevelt, Truman, and the
Atomic Bomb, 1941-1945: A Reinterpretation.” Political Science
Quarterly 90.1 (1975):23-69.
The final decision to drop the atomic bombs on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki was made by President Truman. Bernstein takes a
look at the job Roosevelt took on when it came to the making of these
weapons and all the important decisions that were made. Before Truman
became involved the project was almost complete. He focuses on the
years that were the essential to the final result, rather than just
focusing on the Truman period, he largely centers it on the Roosevelt
administration. The information will be useful to this writer’s
research by helping explore what is sometimes overlooked in the creating
of the atom bomb. It will help with discussing different decisions
Roosevelt had to make and how they affected the research and actual
bomb.
|