February 2008    

Hiroshima in History: the Myths of Revisionism Editor: Robert James Maddox Publisher: University of Missouri Press $34.95 Cloth (215 p.) ISBN: 9780826217325 B&T     MAJORS      YBP The debate over the use of the atomic bomb by the United States on Japan in 1945 is one of the most compelling in history. Such historians as Martin Sherwin and Gar Alperovitz have weighed in on this largely contested event. Over the past fifteen years, due to the controversy at the Smithsonian over an exhibit on the Enola Gay, the debate has gained new life. The battle is between historians who support President Truman's decision and revisionists who argue there were many alternative motives for the bomb's use. Revisionists point to the U.S. wanting to scare the Soviets or that Japan was ready to surrender by the summer of 1945. Robert James Maddox has collected a series of essays in Hiroshima in History: the Myths of Revisionism presenting information that disrupts the revisionist arguments. There are nine essays written by prominent military historians and other scholars. Each of the nine essays disputes or disproves specific arguments or aspects that revisionists use as evidence for debate. Specific publications and authors are discredited due to using flawed data or inaccurate information. Many revisionists argue that Japan would have surrendered before November 1st and use quotes from military officials for evidence. Sadao Asada points out in his essay that many official documents of the Japanese military were destroyed in 1945 due to the fears of being used during any criminal trials after the war. Historians therefore have to use memoirs, or other personal interrogations that are less than ideal for creating a true historical account. In his essay, Gian Peri Gentile discusses the findings of the United States Strategic Bombing Survey (USSB). He argues that the people involved in the survey have personal agendas that lead to subjective conclusions in the study. A quote he uses about the survey states, "If you reach deeply enough you can find substantiation for almost any preconceived notion or prejudice" (pg 145). One of the final essays explores the controversy over the Enola Gay Exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the mid 1990's. Martin Harwit, who was in charge of the exhibit, was at the center of the issue as he pushed his political agenda into the realm of the museum. Harwit strongly supported the script for the exhibit that was very judgmental against the atomic bomb. Robert P. Newman explores the script and the revisionists who were suspected to be authors. A museum's goal is not to make judgments for the visitor, but rather to present the facts and let the visitor decide. The Enola Gay Controversy is a strong example of why the debate on the atomic bomb will rage on forever: everyone has an opinion. Maddox and others in this book say that it is easy to distort the facts to make an argument. Omitting quotes, context, and especially overlooking the circumstances of the time period can be dangerous when judging any historical event. Debating whether the decision was right or wrong is not essential; understanding why the decision was made, the reasoning, logic, circumstances is the key. From that is where we learn how to change things in the future, by basing our decisions on the past. Hiroshima in History sets out to show that judging the use of the atomic bomb by the United States in modern context is erroneous. And the debate will continue… -- Benjamin Baker Published by YBP Library Services 999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA v: 800.258.3774   f: 603.746.5628 w: www.ybp.com   e: academia@ybp.com All rights reserved.