Black Snow

Black Snow

Author: James M. Scott

Publisher: W. W. Norton

Published: 2024-03-26

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781324074601

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"Black Snow brilliantly vivifies the horrific reality of the most destructive air attack in history, against Tokyo on the night of March 9-10, 1945. James Scott deftly employs sharply etched portraits of individuals of all stations and nationalities to survey the global, technological, and moral backdrop of the cataclysm, including the searing experiences of Japanese trapped in a gigantic firestorm. This riveting account illuminates an historical moment of profound contemporary relevance." --Richard B. Frank, author of Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War: July 1937-May 1942


Book Synopsis Black Snow by : James M. Scott

Download or read book Black Snow written by James M. Scott and published by W. W. Norton. This book was released on 2024-03-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Black Snow brilliantly vivifies the horrific reality of the most destructive air attack in history, against Tokyo on the night of March 9-10, 1945. James Scott deftly employs sharply etched portraits of individuals of all stations and nationalities to survey the global, technological, and moral backdrop of the cataclysm, including the searing experiences of Japanese trapped in a gigantic firestorm. This riveting account illuminates an historical moment of profound contemporary relevance." --Richard B. Frank, author of Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War: July 1937-May 1942


The Firebombing of Tokyo

The Firebombing of Tokyo

Author: Charles River Charles River Editors

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2015-06-22

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13: 9781514609040

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*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the firebombing by both Americans and Japanese civilians in Tokyo *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "Maj. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, commander of the B-29s of the entire Marianas area, declared that if the war is shortened by a single day, the attack will have served its purpose." - The New York Times As American forces pushed the Japanese back across the Pacific from 1942-1944, their island-hopping campaign ultimately made it possible for the Air Force to conduct bombing runs over the Japanese mainland. The first serious air raids came in November 1944, after the Americans had captured the Marianas Islands, and through February 1945, American bombers concentrated on military targets at the fringes of the city, particularly air defenses. However, the air raids of March 1945, and particularly on the night of March 9, were a different story altogether. In what is generally referred to as strategic or area bombing, waves of bombers flew low over Tokyo for over two and a half hours, dropping incendiary bombs with the intention of producing a massive firestorm. The American raids intended to produce fires that would kill soldiers and civilians, as well as the munitions factories and apartment buildings of those who worked in them. 325 B-29s headed toward Tokyo, and nearly 300 of them dropped bombs on it, destroying more than 267,000 buildings and killing more than 83,000 people, making it the deadliest day of the war. The firebombing that night and morning left 25% of Tokyo charred, with the damage spread out over 20 miles of the metropolis. In fact, the damage was so extensive that casualty counts range by over 100,000. Additional raids, this time largely on the north and west, came in April, and in May, raids hit Ginza and the south. Altogether, American bombers flew more than 4,000 missions over Tokyo before surrender. The damage was spread widely, but it was worst in the low city, where some neighborhoods were virtually depopulated as survivors fled to the relative safety of the countryside. Honjo and Fukagawa each lost roughly 95% of their pre-raid populations. In 1940, Tokyo was a city of perhaps 6.8 million, but two years after the end of the war, when the population had already begun to increase again, it was still no more than 4.1 million. As with dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the firebombing of Tokyo has remained controversial since the end of World War II. Japan had wisely spread out its industrial facilities across Tokyo so that one concerted attack could not deal a severe blow to its military capabilities. However, by spreading everything out, as the Germans had also done, Allied planes hit targets in residential zones, greatly increasing the casualties. Thus, by destroying as much of Tokyo's wartime manufacturing as possible, the American air force also destroyed half the city. Of course, it's far easier with the advantage of hindsight for people to call the campaign disproportionate, especially since the bombing campaign came at a time when the United States still faced the dreadful prospect of invading Japan's mainland. In 2007, Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo took responsibility for Japan's refusal to surrender when defeat was inevitable, thus placing the blame for the firebombing on Japan itself. Shinzo announced that Japan would financially compensate survivors and bereaved family members of those killed, and shortly after the announcement, 112 survivors filed a lawsuit seeking damages for damage done during the campaign. The Firebombing of Tokyo: The History of the U.S. Air Force's Most Controversial Bombing Campaign of World War II chronicles the background of the campaign, its destruction, and its notorious legacy. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the firebombing of Tokyo like never before, in no time at all.


Book Synopsis The Firebombing of Tokyo by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book The Firebombing of Tokyo written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-06-22 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the firebombing by both Americans and Japanese civilians in Tokyo *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "Maj. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, commander of the B-29s of the entire Marianas area, declared that if the war is shortened by a single day, the attack will have served its purpose." - The New York Times As American forces pushed the Japanese back across the Pacific from 1942-1944, their island-hopping campaign ultimately made it possible for the Air Force to conduct bombing runs over the Japanese mainland. The first serious air raids came in November 1944, after the Americans had captured the Marianas Islands, and through February 1945, American bombers concentrated on military targets at the fringes of the city, particularly air defenses. However, the air raids of March 1945, and particularly on the night of March 9, were a different story altogether. In what is generally referred to as strategic or area bombing, waves of bombers flew low over Tokyo for over two and a half hours, dropping incendiary bombs with the intention of producing a massive firestorm. The American raids intended to produce fires that would kill soldiers and civilians, as well as the munitions factories and apartment buildings of those who worked in them. 325 B-29s headed toward Tokyo, and nearly 300 of them dropped bombs on it, destroying more than 267,000 buildings and killing more than 83,000 people, making it the deadliest day of the war. The firebombing that night and morning left 25% of Tokyo charred, with the damage spread out over 20 miles of the metropolis. In fact, the damage was so extensive that casualty counts range by over 100,000. Additional raids, this time largely on the north and west, came in April, and in May, raids hit Ginza and the south. Altogether, American bombers flew more than 4,000 missions over Tokyo before surrender. The damage was spread widely, but it was worst in the low city, where some neighborhoods were virtually depopulated as survivors fled to the relative safety of the countryside. Honjo and Fukagawa each lost roughly 95% of their pre-raid populations. In 1940, Tokyo was a city of perhaps 6.8 million, but two years after the end of the war, when the population had already begun to increase again, it was still no more than 4.1 million. As with dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the firebombing of Tokyo has remained controversial since the end of World War II. Japan had wisely spread out its industrial facilities across Tokyo so that one concerted attack could not deal a severe blow to its military capabilities. However, by spreading everything out, as the Germans had also done, Allied planes hit targets in residential zones, greatly increasing the casualties. Thus, by destroying as much of Tokyo's wartime manufacturing as possible, the American air force also destroyed half the city. Of course, it's far easier with the advantage of hindsight for people to call the campaign disproportionate, especially since the bombing campaign came at a time when the United States still faced the dreadful prospect of invading Japan's mainland. In 2007, Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo took responsibility for Japan's refusal to surrender when defeat was inevitable, thus placing the blame for the firebombing on Japan itself. Shinzo announced that Japan would financially compensate survivors and bereaved family members of those killed, and shortly after the announcement, 112 survivors filed a lawsuit seeking damages for damage done during the campaign. The Firebombing of Tokyo: The History of the U.S. Air Force's Most Controversial Bombing Campaign of World War II chronicles the background of the campaign, its destruction, and its notorious legacy. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the firebombing of Tokyo like never before, in no time at all.


Inferno

Inferno

Author: Edwin P. Hoyt

Publisher: Madison Books

Published: 2000-10-11

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 1461704200

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Did the bombing of Japan's cities—culminating in the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—hasten the end of World War II? Edwin Hoyt, World War II scholar and author, argues against the U. S. justification of the bombing. In his new book, Inferno, Hoyt shows how the U. S. bombed without discrimination, hurting Japanese civilians far more than the Japanese military. Hoyt accuses Major General Curtis LeMay, the Air Force leader who helped plan the destruction of Dresden, of committing a war crime through his plan to burn Japan's major cities to the ground. The firebombing raids conducted by LeMay's squadrons caused far more death than the two atomic blasts. Throughout cities built largely from wood, incendiary bombs started raging fires that consumed houses and killed hundreds of thousands of men, women and children. The survivors of the raids recount their stories in Inferno, remembering their terror as they fled to shelter through burning cities, escaping smoke, panicked crowds, and collapsing buildings. Hoyt's descriptions of the widespread death and destruction of Japan depicts a war machine operating without restraint. Inferno offers a provocative look at what may have been America's most brutal policy during the years of World War II.


Book Synopsis Inferno by : Edwin P. Hoyt

Download or read book Inferno written by Edwin P. Hoyt and published by Madison Books. This book was released on 2000-10-11 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Did the bombing of Japan's cities—culminating in the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—hasten the end of World War II? Edwin Hoyt, World War II scholar and author, argues against the U. S. justification of the bombing. In his new book, Inferno, Hoyt shows how the U. S. bombed without discrimination, hurting Japanese civilians far more than the Japanese military. Hoyt accuses Major General Curtis LeMay, the Air Force leader who helped plan the destruction of Dresden, of committing a war crime through his plan to burn Japan's major cities to the ground. The firebombing raids conducted by LeMay's squadrons caused far more death than the two atomic blasts. Throughout cities built largely from wood, incendiary bombs started raging fires that consumed houses and killed hundreds of thousands of men, women and children. The survivors of the raids recount their stories in Inferno, remembering their terror as they fled to shelter through burning cities, escaping smoke, panicked crowds, and collapsing buildings. Hoyt's descriptions of the widespread death and destruction of Japan depicts a war machine operating without restraint. Inferno offers a provocative look at what may have been America's most brutal policy during the years of World War II.


I Saw Tokyo Burning

I Saw Tokyo Burning

Author: Robert Guillain

Publisher: Doubleday Books

Published: 1981

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis I Saw Tokyo Burning by : Robert Guillain

Download or read book I Saw Tokyo Burning written by Robert Guillain and published by Doubleday Books. This book was released on 1981 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb

Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb

Author: James M. Scott

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2022-09-06

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 1324003006

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"Riveting.…This book is required reading for anyone with even a passing interest in World War II and the Pacific Theater." —Bob Carden, Boston Globe Seven minutes past midnight on March 10, 1945, nearly 300 American B-29s thundered into the skies over Tokyo. Their payloads of incendiaries ignited a firestorm that reached up to 2,800 degrees, liquefying asphalt and vaporizing thousands; sixteen square miles of the city were flattened and more than 100,000 men, women, and children were killed. Black Snow is the story of this devastating operation, orchestrated by Major General Curtis LeMay, who famously remarked: “If we lose the war, we’ll be tried as war criminals.” James M. Scott reconstructs in granular detail that horrific night, and describes the development of the B-29, the capture of the Marianas for use as airfields, and the change in strategy from high-altitude daylight “precision” bombing to low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing. Most importantly, the raid represented a significant moral shift for America, marking the first time commanders deliberately targeted civilians which helped pave the way for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki five months later. Drawing on first-person interviews with American pilots and bombardiers and Japanese survivors, air force archives, and oral histories never before published in English, Scott delivers a harrowing and gripping account, and his most important and compelling work to date.


Book Synopsis Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb by : James M. Scott

Download or read book Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb written by James M. Scott and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2022-09-06 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Riveting.…This book is required reading for anyone with even a passing interest in World War II and the Pacific Theater." —Bob Carden, Boston Globe Seven minutes past midnight on March 10, 1945, nearly 300 American B-29s thundered into the skies over Tokyo. Their payloads of incendiaries ignited a firestorm that reached up to 2,800 degrees, liquefying asphalt and vaporizing thousands; sixteen square miles of the city were flattened and more than 100,000 men, women, and children were killed. Black Snow is the story of this devastating operation, orchestrated by Major General Curtis LeMay, who famously remarked: “If we lose the war, we’ll be tried as war criminals.” James M. Scott reconstructs in granular detail that horrific night, and describes the development of the B-29, the capture of the Marianas for use as airfields, and the change in strategy from high-altitude daylight “precision” bombing to low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing. Most importantly, the raid represented a significant moral shift for America, marking the first time commanders deliberately targeted civilians which helped pave the way for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki five months later. Drawing on first-person interviews with American pilots and bombardiers and Japanese survivors, air force archives, and oral histories never before published in English, Scott delivers a harrowing and gripping account, and his most important and compelling work to date.


The Night Tokyo Burned

The Night Tokyo Burned

Author: Hoito Edoin

Publisher: St Martins Press

Published: 1989-04-01

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 9780312913854

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On the night of March 9, 1945, the U.S. Air Force began its bombing of Japanese cities in an all-out attempt to stop the war in the Pacific. Here is the story of that mission--of the survivors, the victims, and of one man's determination to bring Japan to her knees. Martin's.


Book Synopsis The Night Tokyo Burned by : Hoito Edoin

Download or read book The Night Tokyo Burned written by Hoito Edoin and published by St Martins Press. This book was released on 1989-04-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the night of March 9, 1945, the U.S. Air Force began its bombing of Japanese cities in an all-out attempt to stop the war in the Pacific. Here is the story of that mission--of the survivors, the victims, and of one man's determination to bring Japan to her knees. Martin's.


The Columbia Guide to the Cold War

The Columbia Guide to the Cold War

Author: Michael Kort

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2001-03-08

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 0231528396

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The Cold War was the longest conflict in American history, and the defining event of the second half of the twentieth century. Since its recent and abrupt cessation, we have only begun to measure the effects of the Cold War on American, Soviet, post-Soviet, and international military strategy, economics, domestic policy, and popular culture. The Columbia Guide to the Cold War is the first in a series of guides to American history and culture that will offer a wealth of interpretive information in different formats to students, scholars, and general readers alike. This reference contains narrative essays on key events and issues, and also features an A-to-Z encyclopedia, a concise chronology, and an annotated resource section listing books, articles, films, novels, web sites, and CD-ROMs on Cold War themes.


Book Synopsis The Columbia Guide to the Cold War by : Michael Kort

Download or read book The Columbia Guide to the Cold War written by Michael Kort and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2001-03-08 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cold War was the longest conflict in American history, and the defining event of the second half of the twentieth century. Since its recent and abrupt cessation, we have only begun to measure the effects of the Cold War on American, Soviet, post-Soviet, and international military strategy, economics, domestic policy, and popular culture. The Columbia Guide to the Cold War is the first in a series of guides to American history and culture that will offer a wealth of interpretive information in different formats to students, scholars, and general readers alike. This reference contains narrative essays on key events and issues, and also features an A-to-Z encyclopedia, a concise chronology, and an annotated resource section listing books, articles, films, novels, web sites, and CD-ROMs on Cold War themes.


Iron Eagle

Iron Eagle

Author: Thomas M. Coffey

Publisher: Random House Value Publishing

Published: 1986

Total Pages: 504

ISBN-13:

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The story of LeMay's career begins in WW II with the Flying Fortresses and the air strikes against Japan. Later he launches the Berlin Air Lift in 1948 and serves as Air Force Chief of Staff under Kennedy.


Book Synopsis Iron Eagle by : Thomas M. Coffey

Download or read book Iron Eagle written by Thomas M. Coffey and published by Random House Value Publishing. This book was released on 1986 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of LeMay's career begins in WW II with the Flying Fortresses and the air strikes against Japan. Later he launches the Berlin Air Lift in 1948 and serves as Air Force Chief of Staff under Kennedy.


BLANKETS OF FIRE PB

BLANKETS OF FIRE PB

Author: WERRELL KENNETH P

Publisher: Smithsonian

Published: 1998-01-17

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781560988717

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When the focus of World War II shifted to the Pacific in 1944, the Army Air Forces (AAF), equipped with the new, longer-range B-29 bomber, tried to shift strategic bombing tactics as well. Blankets of Fire describes the adjustments necessary to target Japan and places them in the context of overall AAF and wartime strategy. 58 photos.


Book Synopsis BLANKETS OF FIRE PB by : WERRELL KENNETH P

Download or read book BLANKETS OF FIRE PB written by WERRELL KENNETH P and published by Smithsonian. This book was released on 1998-01-17 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the focus of World War II shifted to the Pacific in 1944, the Army Air Forces (AAF), equipped with the new, longer-range B-29 bomber, tried to shift strategic bombing tactics as well. Blankets of Fire describes the adjustments necessary to target Japan and places them in the context of overall AAF and wartime strategy. 58 photos.


Curtis LeMay

Curtis LeMay

Author: Warren Kozak

Publisher: Regnery Publishing

Published: 2014-09-09

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 1621572994

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Hero or Villain? THE FIREBOMBING OF TOKYO. Strategic Air Command. John F. Kennedy. Dr. Strangelove. George Wallace. All of these have one man in common—General Curtis LeMay, who remains as unknowable and controversial as he was in life. Until now. Warren Kozak traces the trajectory of America’s most infamous general, from his troubled background and heroic service in Europe to his firebombing of Tokyo, guardianship of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in the Cold War, frustrated career in government, and short-lived political run. Curtis LeMay’s life spanned an epoch in American military history, from the small U.S. Army Air Corps of the interwar years to the nuclear age. LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay tells the whole story of the innovative pilot and navigator; the courageous general who led his bomber formations from the front, flying the lead bomber; the brilliant strategist; the unflagging patriot; and the founder of modern strategic bombing, who was famous and notorious in turns. In LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay, you’ll learn: How LeMay developed the strategy and techniques that transformed Allied bombing in World War II, radically improving results and saving lives Why he developed the plan of fire-bombing Tokyo Why he expected a war with Russia How he tried to prevent the Bay of Pigs disaster Who really came up with the idea of bombing the North Vietnamese back into “the Stone Age” Why he agreed to be George Wallace’s running mate in the election of 1968—despite loathing Wallace and most of his policies LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay gives an unprecedented glimpse into the might and mind of one of the founding fathers of air power, whose influence, and controversy, continues to this day.


Book Synopsis Curtis LeMay by : Warren Kozak

Download or read book Curtis LeMay written by Warren Kozak and published by Regnery Publishing. This book was released on 2014-09-09 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hero or Villain? THE FIREBOMBING OF TOKYO. Strategic Air Command. John F. Kennedy. Dr. Strangelove. George Wallace. All of these have one man in common—General Curtis LeMay, who remains as unknowable and controversial as he was in life. Until now. Warren Kozak traces the trajectory of America’s most infamous general, from his troubled background and heroic service in Europe to his firebombing of Tokyo, guardianship of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in the Cold War, frustrated career in government, and short-lived political run. Curtis LeMay’s life spanned an epoch in American military history, from the small U.S. Army Air Corps of the interwar years to the nuclear age. LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay tells the whole story of the innovative pilot and navigator; the courageous general who led his bomber formations from the front, flying the lead bomber; the brilliant strategist; the unflagging patriot; and the founder of modern strategic bombing, who was famous and notorious in turns. In LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay, you’ll learn: How LeMay developed the strategy and techniques that transformed Allied bombing in World War II, radically improving results and saving lives Why he developed the plan of fire-bombing Tokyo Why he expected a war with Russia How he tried to prevent the Bay of Pigs disaster Who really came up with the idea of bombing the North Vietnamese back into “the Stone Age” Why he agreed to be George Wallace’s running mate in the election of 1968—despite loathing Wallace and most of his policies LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay gives an unprecedented glimpse into the might and mind of one of the founding fathers of air power, whose influence, and controversy, continues to this day.