Which of these facts are true?
In 1945, an atomic bomb was used for the first time, to destroy the city of Hiroshima
As many as 80,000 people died instantly
Millions of paper cranes hang at the Children’s Peace Monument in memory of young victims of the bombing
By August 1945, World War II was over in Europe, but the fighting continued between American forces and the Japanese, who were losing but determined to fight till the bitter end. And so it fell to a new president–Harry S. Truman–to make the fateful decision to drop two atomic bombs–one on Hiroshima and one on Nagasaki–and bring the war to rapid close. Now, even seventy years later, can anyone know if this was the right choice? In a thoughtful account of these history-changing events, Jess Brallier explains the leadup to the bombing, what the terrible results of it were, and how the threat of atomic war has colored world events since.
Author
Jess Brallier
Jess Brallier is the publisher of Planet Dexter and the author of more than 20 books. He lives in Reading, MA.
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