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Book Review: Paul Ham – Hiroshima and Nagasaki;
The Real Story of the Atomic Bombings and their Aftermath
The question of “was the atomic bomb really necessary?” is widely debated and difficult to
answer definitively
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He is an Australian
historian who specialises in war, politics and diplomacy
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Ham successfully uses primary sources from both America and Japan to show the
political, military, and civilian dynamics of both countries during the war
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It was no secret
that Japanese national suicide was preferable to surrender, and the mobilisation of every man,
woman and child over the age of 12 is testament to this
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Whilst it is not very concise at reaching its overall conclusion, it is a valuable contribution to the
subject and highlights situations that led to the bomb being dropped and reflects on the affect it had
on the Japanese civilians
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In winter 1945, the Allies met at Yalta to discuss the imminent
defeat of Germany
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However, British and American
relations with Russia were strained due to disagreement over the post war division of Germany
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This is the
background to Ham’s argument that the bombs were a warning to Stalin to deter him from further
expansionism
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1
Ham’s analysis of the situation on the home front in Japan gives weight to his argument that the
bombs were not necessary for Japan to surrender
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This, along with the loss of over 60 cities due to air raids, made it clear that
the Japanese had effectively been defeated
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Hanson W
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Ham is adamant in Hiroshima Nagasaki that despite the threat from the Allies, Japan were more
concerned with the inevitable invasion from Russia
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The Russian threat scared
Japan due to their strategy of direct military attacks compared to the “cowardly attacks on civilians”
from America
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5 million troops into Manchuria a week earlier than planned
1

Alperovitz, G
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The Decision to Bomb Hiroshima
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2016]
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counterpunch
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With Stalin aware of the successful bomb test, Ham writes that Russia did not want
the war to end without their involvement and so brought forward the attack
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This is backed up by Gar Alperovitz;
[It is important to note] that speaking privately to top Army officials on August 14 the Japanese
Emperor stated bluntly: “The military situation has changed suddenly
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Suicide attacks can’t compete with the power of science
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” 2

With this evidence from the Emperor himself, it seems likely that the Allies were determined to use
the bomb without consideration for alternative, less destructive solutions
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This message was
intercepted by the Americans, but ignored by Washington, Ham says
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General D
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3

Ham discusses the non-military nature of Hiroshima and Nagasaki targets
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Stimson wrote in his Harper’s Magazine article; “It should be used on a
dual target…a military installation or war plant…surrounded by…buildings most susceptible to
damage
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Originally, Kokura
had been the primary target, one which perhaps made more sense from a military perspective due
to it holding Japan’s largest arsenal of weapons
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Although he does also mention that Stimson wanted to save Kyoto as he
liked it aesthetically
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The Americans misrepresented Hiroshima as a military target that
would avoid the killing of civilians
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Stimson wrote this article with hindsight to
explain the thought process behind the bomb, Ham is sometimes one-sided when explaining his
evidence
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Although his argument is clear he is very biased and that shines through
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His use of real life
accounts is effective in putting aside the military and economic effects of the war and showing that
2

(Alperovitz, 2011: online)
(Alperovitz, 2011: online)
4
Stimson, H
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‘The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb
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(194), pp
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3

the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had to deal with the destruction of their whole city, family
and friends
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John Dower wrote that the U
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prohibited
‘open reporting from Hiroshima and Nagasaki’5 suggesting that they knew what they did was wrong
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This helps Ham’s argument as it shows a
determination to use the bomb and suggests an ulterior motive for the government
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The use of American and Japanese evidence help convince and give the book a feeling of balance
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A commonly taken approach by works on this
subject is to focus on a sole outcome of the debate
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He explores the different factors in depth, and presents a well formed opinion
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5

Dower, J
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‘The Bombed: Hiroshimas and Nagasakis in Japanese Memory, In Hogan, M
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New York: Cambridge University Press, p
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Bibliography
Alperovitz, G
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The Decision to Bomb Hiroshima
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2016]
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counterpunch
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and Tree, S
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The decision to use the atomic bomb and the architecture of an
American myth
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New York: Knopf
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(1996)
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(ed)
Hiroshima in History and Memory
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Ham, P
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Hiroshima Nagasaki
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Sydney: HarperCollins Publishers
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(1947)
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’ Harper's Magazine, February
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