140 Days to Hiroshima

The Story of Japan’s Last Chance to Avert Armageddon

By: David Dean Barrett

Narrated by: Stephen Graybill

On the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki comes this heart-pounding account of the war-room drama inside the cabinets of the United States and Japan that led to Armageddon on August 6, 1945.

Here are the secret strategy sessions, fierce debates, looming assassinations, and planned invasions that resulted in history’s first use of nuclear weapons in combat, and the ensuing chaotic days as the Japanese government struggled to respond to the reality of nuclear war.

During the closing months of World War II, as America’s strategic bombing campaign incinerated Japan’s cities, two military giants locked in a death embrace of cultural differences and diplomatic intransigence. The leaders of the United States called for the “unconditional surrender” of the Japanese Empire while developing history’s deadliest weapon and weighing an invasion that would have dwarfed D-Day. Their enemy responded with a last-ditch plan termed Ketsu Go, which called for the suicidal resistance of every able-bodied man and woman in the “Decisive Battle” for the homeland. But had Emperor Hirohito’s generals miscalculated how far the Americans had come in developing the atomic bomb? How close did President Harry Truman come to ordering the invasion of Japan?

Within the Japanese Supreme Council at the Direction of War, a.k.a. the "Big Six", Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo risked assassination in his crusade to convince his dysfunctional government, dominated by militarist fanatics, to save his country from annihilation.

Despite Allied warnings of Japan’s “prompt and utter destruction” and that the Allies would “brook no delay”, the Big Six remained defiant. They refused to surrender even after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

How did Japanese leaders come to this impasse? The answers lie in this nearly day-by-day account of the struggle to end the most destructive conflict in history.

©2020 David Dean Barrett (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

An Insider's View

Truly vivid description of the inner workings of the Japanese High command in response to the pending American Invasion and the impact of the atomic bomb The Listener is left to realize there was no alternative but to drop the bomb and even then how difficult it was for the Japanese to accept the surrender terms.

Excellent

This is one of the best history books I’ve listened to recently. It’s also a convenient length. Riveting!

Excellent author and narrator

This book was a most pleasant surprise; the writing was detailed, cogent and compelling. I thought the narrator was excellent and was perfect for this book. Written with great detail but in a manner that really was engaging and thought provoking. Highly recommended!

This one stands out

Fantastic overview of the final days before the A Bomb was dropped. A must read before forming any opinions about the US dropping the atomic bombs. Dives deep inside the inner workings and meetings of both the Americans and the Japanese before this fateful decision.

Never Giving Up

This is a diary of the last 140 days to Hiroshima, day by day and the final surrender of Japan. It is a highly detailed account of what occurred during that time period. As you listen to the book, keep your eye on the cover. This is a real photo, and notice the man looking back towards the devastation, can you only image what he is thinking. During listening to this book several times, I imagined myself in his place. This of course is the first time an atomic bomb was used against another nation. On August 6th 1945, followed on the 9th history changed the entire course of the world. You will learn of the "Big Six" in the Japanese military and governing control. How their choices forced President Truman into his decision to use the weapons developed in the Manhattan Project. You will also understand the end plan from both the Japanese and United States to the final conflict. It's been estimated that 1,000,000 American lives may have been saved from not having a massive attack on the Japanese mainland. 900,000 Japanese troops and 100,000,000 Japanese lives where on the line. What really amassed me is that even after the second bomb was dropped that the Big Six continued to lobby for a land invasion. The war with Japan ended with their surrender on August 14th and closed with the signing of the terms of surrender on September 2nd 1945. Had that not occurred plans for and invasions of the mainland of Japan through operation's Downfall ,Olympic & Coronet were already in place and could have caused the war to continue through 1946 or beyond. If you are looking for the true history, I highly recommend this book by David Dean Barrett a professional historian who specialty is World War ll.