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Reviews
| Hiroshima: The World's Bomb, by Andrew J. Rotter. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. 368 pages. $29.95, cloth.
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| Andrew Rotter's book on the bombing of Hiroshima is a valuable new addition to the historiography on the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan. The book's greatest contribution is Rotter's contention that Hiroshima and the dropping of the bomb represent an international event rather than simply American and/or Japanese history. As such, Rotter's book is not radically different than Richard Rhodes' The Making of the Atomic Bomb, though the newer book is shorter and with fewer technical explanations of the bomb's science and engineering. The last point is key since Rotter's book is probably more suited to upper-division high school and undergraduate college students given that it is not so technical. Rotter does a good job of describing the science and engineering behind the bomb's creation without losing those of us without a great deal of technical savvy. |
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Like Rhodes, Rotter begins the book with the scientific discoveries of the late 1800s and early 1900s that led to the harnessing of atomic energy. Rotter also pursues another theme throughout the book: the growing destructiveness of modern warfare, and the growing ability of nations to justify using more destructive weapons and target ever larger groups of people. Gas warfare in World War I and strategic bombing in World War II are particular themes that Rotter employs to prepare the reader for the American rationalization in using atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. |
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Rotter also clearly demonstrates to readers how much of a gulf emerged between an internationally cosmopolitan group of scientists who developed the bomb and the nationalistic politicians, policymakers, and military leaders who employed it in the war. While Rotter is quick to point out scientists whose nationalism did not quite fit with the "republic of science," he is even more effective at demonstrating, in this reviewer's opinion, the politically naïve attitude of the scientists who thought that they could ultimately control the use of the bomb and atomic energy. This issue of scientific ethics versus nationalist loyalty will, I think, make for excellent class discussions if the book is employed at the class levels I indicated above, as will the fact that even as the scientists began to doubt the morality of what they were doing, most continued because the project was so "technically sweet." |
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What seems to be a new argument, or at least not one very prevalent in the existing historiography, is Rotter's idea that the Soviet Union would have acquired atomic capability fairly soon after the war even if it had not been aided by spies such as Klaus Fuchs. Fuchs' espionage helped more with the engineering of the bomb rather than the theoretical aspects, which the Soviets apparently had plenty of talent for. Even so, Rotter argues, the espionage did not make much difference. Publicized reports by the U.S. helped as much as anything else, but, he asserts, the espionage cases became sensationalized in the context of the origins of the Cold War. Again, this will probably be news, especially to a young American audience raised on U.S. Cold War triumphalism. |
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What will also be particularly valuable for a young American audience is Rotter's argument that the bomb is not American or Japanese, but global. An international group of scientists figured out the science and then the engineering of the device; various Allied nations helped convince the U.S. to embark on the project and even supplied some critical materials; the Allies sought the device because of their fear of Hitler with a bomb; and the bomb very quickly became a major focus of Cold War tensions as Stalin developed the weapon as well. Rotter is even more on target to illustrate to readers the degree to which additional nations have developed this technology or at least wanted to, at times raising an international chorus of protest over the continued acquisition of nuclear weapons by various countries. |
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Rotter's book is not entirely new in terms of research, thesis, or themes, but it is packaged in a way that will make it more accessible for various student bodies and even the general public. While most of his sources appear to be secondary, there are enough primary sources cited so that assigning the book can also be a lesson in primary source analysis. Moreover, the book is not badly priced for a hardcover these days, and will hopefully be out in paperback soon, making it even more accessible to various groups. |
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| Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, Michigan |
Hal M. Friedman |
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