Black Snow

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

By: James M. Scott

Narrated by: L.J. Ganser

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.

©2022 James M. Scott (P)2022 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Detailed narrative, compellingly creates

The being-in-room feeling. Brilliant description of the multiple strands of leadership. Incredible words about the firebombing from Japanese accounts. Very moving.

A great book with a sobering message

The book is well written and engaging throughout. But the reminder of the deadly impact of war is sobering.

extremely well narrated

The narrator read with such immersion and feeling, and the book is very well written. It's not a typical 'dry' history book but one written with a vivid, engaging style that makes it enjoyable despite the heavy subject matter of war. In many ways, it reminds me of John Toland's The Rising Sun, as Black Snow brings history to life in a way that is both entertaining and deeply immersive. The author's ability to capture the human side of events makes this an extraordinary listening experience.

Great perspective

A great examination of the history and rationale behind the fire bombing of Japan and its ultimate impact on the final capitulation of the empire to the allies.

Very educational

The book talking a lot about the war with Japan. I never liked history, but I found this book very interesting and easy to listen to.

We forget way to fast

Just another WW2 historical book that should be read in the United States today. There is a reason they were called the greatest generation.

Top notch!

Was not sure when purchased because it was a “new release” without many reviews but excellent in every respect. A history lesson + examples of decision making & leadership

Really captivating read!

James M. Scott has just joined my ever growing list of favorite WWII authors. He is a masterful storyteller, and the narrator absolutely nails it with his expressiveness. I am usually so horrified/fascinated by the japanese experience of the firebombing and atomic bombs in books about the end of the war that I find the American side boring in comparison, but the author kept my attention all the way through.

Lemays Wartime Biography

This is more a biography of Curtis Lemay than anything else which still provides for a great story most of the strategic bombing will occur in the last 1/3 of the book still a great read would recommend to anyone interested in the Pacific Theatre

A necessary look into war

This is a necessary look into what is necessary to survive a war. In 21st century America we have become accustomed to a sanitized version of war. All of the fighting and dying is expected to fall neatly into its proper place, with no civilian casualties. This is we've been able to accomplish against smaller forces, but we will not the next time we face a peer level adversary. We must consider how far we are willing to go when our society's survival is on the line.