Books Update: The Good War

Reviews of many new books on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 28, 2020 Ross MacDonald Dear Reader, This month is the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, marked by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and then on Aug. 15, 1945, V-J Day. As is so often the case, publishers have released over the course of the last few months a number of books by historians and other writers re-examining the events of the period and their enduring legacy. In this special themed issue, we review the most noteworthy of those titles. Several reviews stand out in particular. William Langewiesche, a writer at large for The Times Magazine, reviews the new book by Lesley M.M. Blume, “Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-Up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World.” The book traces the story behind John Hersey’s enduring work of investigative narrative journalism “Hiroshima,” which Blume joins me on the podcast this week to discuss. Timothy Snyder, the best-selling author of “On Tyranny,” among other books, reviews Roger Moorhouse’s “Poland 1939,” about the outbreak of the war; Jay Winik reviews Chris Wallace’s best seller, “Countdown 1945,” written with Mitch Weiss; and Scott Anderson, author of “Lawrence in Arabia,” among other books, reviews Jennet Conant’s “The Great Secret: The Classified World War II Disaster That Launched the War on Cancer.” There’s so much more in this issue, each book covering a different angle of the war, that we worried about being able to fit it all in. We hope it will be enough to sate your own curiosity and reading needs on a subject that, should it not interest you already, hopefully will by the time you read through this issue. Please stay in touch and let us know what you think — whether it’s about this newsletter, our reviews, our podcast, our literary calendar, our Instagram or what you’re reading. We read and ponder all of it. I even write back, albeit belatedly. You can email me at books@nytimes.com. Pamela Paul Editor of The New York Times Book Review @PamelaPaulNYT Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at newsletters@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. THE BOOK REVIEW PODCAST Kurt Andersen on ‘Evil Geniuses’ Andersen talks about his new book, and Lesley M.M. Blume discusses “Fallout.” FICTION fiction A Former Soldier Tells His Grandson: ‘I Wasn’t a Nazi.’ In his debut novel, “We Germans,” Alexander Starritt considers the weight of shame. By Georgia Hunter the shortlist Boundary-Pushing Books for Fans of Narrative Experiments “Natural History,” “Avoid the Day,” “Crossings” and “Little Scratch” offer literary puzzle boxes and formal feats. By Dustin Illingworth NONFICTION nonfiction Experiencing War Far From the Battlefield Two new books look at World War II from the perspectives of outsiders on the fringes of conflict. By Thomas E. Ricks nonfiction The Debate to Use Atomic Bombs Against Japan Marc Gallicchio’s “Unconditional” details debates in both Japan and the United States to end World War II. By Richard J. Samuels nonfiction The Reporter Who Told the World About the Bomb “Fallout,” by Lesley M.M. Blume, recounts how John Hersey revealed the devastating toll of the atomic bomb on the citizens of Hiroshima. By William Langewiesche nonfiction A Day-by-Day Re-Creation of Truman’s Decision to Use Nuclear Weapons Chris Wallace’s “Countdown 1945” recounts in gripping detail the rush to develop the atomic bomb and the debate over whether to use it. By Jay Winik nonfiction Remembering Poland’s Doomed Fight Against the Nazis Roger Moorhouse’s “Poland 1939” looks back at the very beginning of World War II to understand what happened and what might have happened. By Timothy Snyder nonfiction Trying the Japanese for War Crimes Michel Paradis’s “Last Mission to Tokyo” explores the injustices and ironies of war crimes trials by looking at one example from postwar Japan. By Gary J. Bass nonfiction Hitler and the Holocaust In the second volume of his biography, “Hitler: Downfall, 1939-1945,” Volker Ullrich examines the central role of Hitler in the extermination of the Jews. By Peter Fritzsche A Woman Who Resisted the Japanese Military Robert J. Mrazek’s “The Indomitable Florence Finch” is the story of a Filipino woman who saved American lives, survived torture and lived to be 101. By Tara McKelvey Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT nonfiction How the U.S. Won the War Against Japan Ian W. Toll’s “Twilight of the Gods,” the third volume of a trilogy, details the American triumph in the Pacific War. By Mark Perry The Herculean Effort to Build an American Army Paul Dickson’s “The Rise of the G.I. Army, 1940-1941” tells the remarkable story of how the United States created an effective military from scratch. By Risa Brooks nonfiction How Hitler Took the World Into War Benjamin Carter Hett’s “The Nazi Menace” examines the path to World War II and German responsibility. By Fredrik Logevall nonfiction Britain and the U.S.: A Forced and Unequal Marriage “The Churchill Complex,” by Ian Buruma, examines the invented kinship of Anglo-American relations since World War II. By Benjamin Schwarz nonfiction A Forgotten Town at the Center of the Manhattan Project In “The Apocalypse Factory,” Steve Olson tells the story of Hanford, a small rural town in Washington State that played an outsize role in America’s nuclear ambitions. By Denise Kiernan nonfiction War — What Is It Good For? Chemotherapy, Apparently In “The Great Secret,” Jennet Conant argues that the 1943 bombing of a ship full of mustard gas helped spur research into cancer treatments. By Scott Anderson CHILDREN’S BOOKS children’s books Children in a World Gone Mad: 5 Kids’ Books Set During World War II Tributes to family connect these four novels and a memoir, honoring the too-easily-broken bonds that sustain children across the globe. By Elizabeth Wein Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT FEATURES by the book The Best Book Jill Lepore Ever Got as a Present Is One She Hates “I actually can’t stand that book — the story, I mean. But I love the physical book, the cover, the smell, the welt on the spine, and that it was my mother’s. It still has a yellow hair ribbon of mine in it that I used as a bookmark. I never finished it.” New & Noteworthy, From Angels to American Cuisine A selection of recent titles of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Letters to the Editor Readers respond to recent issues of the Sunday Book Review. Revisiting the ‘Emotional Hodge-Podge’ of ‘Catch-22’ In 1961, writer Richard G. Stern reviewed Joseph Heller’s satirical war novel “Catch-22” for the Book Review, calling it “an emotional hodge-podge.” editors’ choice 11 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list Don’t Call Him Wimpy! Jeff Kinney Repaired His Own Vehicle on His Book Tour The veteran author knows his way around the best-seller list — and now he knows his way around the undercarriage of a cargo van. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘The Testaments’ and ‘The Patient’s Checklist’ Six new paperbacks to check out this week. By Jennifer Krauss Best Sellers Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction Hardcover Fiction Hardcover Nonfiction Paperback Trade Fiction Paperback Nonfiction All Lists New International Books Illustration by Thoka Maer Your sneak preview of books coming out in 2020 from around the world. Get globetrotting. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Books from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018