PREVIEW: More from the two-hour conversation with Evan Thomas in his new work, ROAD TO SURRENDER: this excerpt about the choice of targets for the three available atomic bombs, and how Tokyo was a strong possibility.
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 28 December 2023
⏱️ 3 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II Hardcover – May 16, 2023 by Evan Thomas (Author)
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Surrender-Three-Countdown-World/dp/0399589252
1945 Hiroshima
Transcript
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| 0:29.0 | This is John Bachelor. What follows is an excerpt from a conversation much longer with the author Evan Thomas, |
| 0:37.0 | his new book Road to Surrender, |
| 0:39.0 | three men and the countdown to the end of World War II, this is the committee that was to choose the targets for the atomic bombs. |
| 0:47.5 | And the recommendation at one point was to bomb Tokyo, because much of it had been destroyed in the fire bombing raids |
| 0:56.0 | of earlier that year. There was no risk to a large population, there was, however, something to intimidate the emperor with. |
| 1:07.0 | In fact, they talked about a scare radius bombing Tokyo. |
| 1:12.0 | Here's Evan Thomas. |
| 1:14.0 | General Spots, although he's in his heart against dropping any atom bombs, he comes up with the idea of bombing Tokyo. |
| 1:23.0 | Now that may sound pretty apocalyptic, |
| 1:27.1 | but actually his thought is to drop the bomb |
| 1:30.4 | on a burned out area of Tokyo. |
| 1:33.0 | About 16 square miles were burned in March, |
| 1:36.4 | another five, at least another five square miles in May. |
| 1:40.0 | Much of Tokyo is just a burn ruin and so general spots is thought is they will drop a bomb in the |
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